Photo kindly provided by UKHAB ©.
The following is a short summary of the habitat type and how to create/enhance it to a "good" condition. For an informed position, please refer to official up-to-date UKHAB documentation or the UK Government's Condition Assessment Sheet.
Please note that this is a rarer type of habitat. You should confirm that your habitat isn't actually modified grassland. You shouldn't seek to create this habitat unless you can prove you have the ability to create and maintain it - and should prepare to draft and execute a 30-year habitat management and monitoring plan.
If you wish to select this habitat on a habitat selection screen, it can be found under Grassland (see guide).
This is a neutral grassland that meets at least three of the following criteria:
1. >20% cover of broadleaved herbs and sedges;
2. >8 species per m² (including forbs, grasses, sedges and rushes, and excluding bryophytes);
3. ≥1 grass species that is not generally sown for intensive agricultural production (ie. Ryegrasses (Lolium spp.), Timothy (Phleum pratense), Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis) is at least abundant;
4. Cover of Rye-grasses (Lolium spp.) and White Clover (Trifolium repens), where present, is <30%.
Key Species: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago Ianceolata), Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), White Clover (Trifolium pratense), Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), Common nettle (Urtica dioica) and Daisy (Bellis perennis).
How to Create / Enhance to a "Good" condition
If you are interested in creating grassland, you should consider the information sources listed below. Please note that there are additional information sources in the Useful Resources section.
How to get a "moderate" rating
In a management plan aiming to achieve ‘moderate’ condition the plan will show the following:
There shall be a minimum of 9 native plant species (grasses, sedges and wildflowers) per square metre on average, created or enhanced through,
soil testing to check habitat will be on neutral, low fertility soils,
sowing a species-rich, native grassland seed mix with wildflowers, such that wildflowers will cover at least 20% of the habitat area).
Management refime will ensure less than 30% of grassland is covered by Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and/or White Clover (Trifolium repens) combined.
The following species will be avoided:
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Curled Dock (Rumex crispus)
Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
Common Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Greater Plantain (Plantago major)
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
Management will ensure less than 5% scrub and less than 20% bracken cover.
There shall be ongoing monitoring and protection from physical damage so that bare ground and other signs of damage (such as littering) never cover below 5% of the total area.
Steps will be taken to reduce regular footfall including (if appropriate and necessary) via signage.
How to get a "good rating"
In addition to the characteristics for moderate condition, to get a ‘good’ condition the plan will show the following:
Steps will be taken to ensure a minimum of 10 native plant species (grasses and wildflowers) per square metre, on average, as soon as possible
Steps will be taken to maintain appropriate levels of soil fertility, measured by making sure that less than 5% of the total grassland area is covered by species that indicate higher soil fertility than desired (such as creeping thistle, docks, and nettles)
Context
Acid or calcareous soils result in other grassland habitat types: Other Lowland Acid Grassland or Upland Acid Grassland.
Low fertility soil means that there are low nutrients. If there is a high number of nutrients, you should look to create modified grassland.
Useful Resources
If you are interested in enhancing or creating this habitat, you should consider the following (all recommended by CIEEM):
Photo examples of Other Neutral Grassland
Photo © Joe's Blooms
Photo © Joe's Blooms