© UKCEH

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.

Short patchy plant associations of ruderal or ephemeral species with greater than 5% cover and perennial grass species with less than 75% cover. Typical of unmanaged areas in the arable landscape, derelict urban sites, roadsides, newly developed sites, quarries and railway ballast.

The vegetation usually lacks a clear dominant species, but consists of a mixture of low-growing (usually shorter than 25 cm) plants such as Greater Plantain (Plantago major), Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Black Medick (Medicago lupulina), Colt’s-foot (Tussilago farfara), Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and groundsels/ragworts (Senecio spp.), or of taller species such as Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) or Melilot (Melilotus sps.), and can include a low abundance of Nettle (Urtica dioica), Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

The Government have devised three tests to enable you to assess the condition of this habitat:

1. Vegetation structure is varied, providing opportunities for vertebrates and invertebrates to live, eat and breed. A single structural habitat component or vegetation type does not account for more than 80% of the total habitat area.

2. The habitat parcel contains different plant species that are beneficial for wildlife, for example flowering species providing nectar sources for a range of invertebrates at different times of year.

3. Invasive non-native plant species and others which are to the detriment of native wildlife (using professional judgement) cover less than 5% of the total vegetated area (must be 0% to get a 'Good' rating). Information about non-native species can be found in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), Natural England's Horizon-scanning for invasive non-native plants in Great Britain and GB non-native species secretariat

Scoring the Condition Assessment Criteria:

Good Condition, if the following criteria are meet:

Pass all three tests

AND

Pass the requirements for Good Condition within test 3 (0% Invasive non-native plant species and others which are to the detriment of native wildlife [using professional judgement])

Moderate Condition, if the following criteria are meet:

Pass 2 tests

OR

Pass all 3 of the tests but do not meet the requirements for Good Condition within test 3 (0% Invasive non-native plant species and others which are to the detriment of native wildlife [using professional judgement])

Poor Condition, if the following criteria are meet:

Pass 0 or 1 of the tests

Please note that this is a simple guide to help identify the habitat. For a definitive description, please refer to UKHab documentation. Joe's Blooms takes no responsibility for the content of external links.