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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.
🔺 IMPORTANT
Other inland rock and scree habitat requires specific conditions and habitat creation and management targets. If targeting this habitat using the SSM, the competent person should demonstrate appropriate experience and knowledge.
If the site is sealed with hardstanding surface due to man-made changes, consider using developed land, sealed surface.
Description: This habitat consists of Inland rock habitats such as active or disused quarries and mineral extraction sites with low vegetation cover; and not meeting the definition of Inland Rock Outcrop and Scree (natural cliffs and screes on a wide range of rock types, varying from acidic to highly calcareous), Limestone Pavement (outcrops of rock that are typically horizontal or gently inclined, although a few are steeply inclined. The surface has been dissolved by water over millions of years into 'paving blocks', known as clints, with a complex reticulate pattern of crevices, known as grikes, between them) or Calaminarian Grasslands (outcrops of serpentine and river gravels that are rich in heavy metals, as well as with artificial mine workings and spoil heaps).
If you wish to select this habitat on a habitat selection screen, it can be found under Sparsely vegetated land (see guide).
This habitat excludes unsealed surfaces, disturbed by humans or machines, with no or very low (less than 10%) vegetation cover (i.e. Artificial Unvegetated – Unsealed Surface: Land that has no or very low (<10%) cover of vegetation through direct or indirect human activity, and the soil surface is not sealed with impervious materials and Built Linear Features: Walls, fences and surfaced paths or narrow railways, tracks or roads that are mappable as linear features).
This habitat excludes Sparsely vegetated constructed surfaces such as concrete or ballast (Sparsely Vegetated Urban Land: Urban land with vegetation cover 10-50%. Abandoned or derelict land, usually constructed permeable but can be impermeable where succession is taking).
Assessment Questions
Is it an inland rock habitat?
Can confirm it does it NOT meet the definition of Inland Rock Outcrop and Scree, Limestone Pavement or Calaminarian Grasslands? (definitions above)
Might it be an active or disused quarry?
Might it be a mineral extraction site with low vegetation?
(If YES, then it is likely ‘Other Inland Rock and Scree ’. If NO then say ‘This habitat is likely not Other Inland Rock and Scree ’)
How to Create / Enhance to a "Good" condition
How to create
Other inland rock and scree habitats require specific conditions, habitat creation, and management targets. If targeting this habitat using the SSM, the competent person completing this HMMPT should demonstrate appropriate experience and knowledge. Advice has not been provided by Natural England.
How to get a "moderate" rating
At least three of the following will be true:
The parcel will represent a good example of its specific sparsely vegetated habitat type - the appearance and composition of the vegetation will closely match its UKHab description, with characteristic indicator species consistently present.
The cover of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), scrub and trees will be less than 25%.
There will be an absence of invasive non-native plant species (as listed on Schedule 9 of WCA3) and species indicative of suboptimal conditions. These will make up less than 5% of vegetated ground cover.
The vegetation cover of vascular and non-vascular plants will be between 5 and 50%.
How to get a "good" rating
All four of the following will be true:
The parcel will represent a good example of its specific sparsely vegetated habitat type - the appearance and composition of the vegetation will closely matches its UKHab description, with characteristic indicator species consistently present.
The cover of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), scrub and trees will be less than 25%.
There will be an absence of invasive non-native plant species (as listed on Schedule 9 of WCA3) and species indicative of suboptimal conditions. These will make up less than 5% of vegetated ground cover.
The vegetation cover of vascular and non-vascular plants will be between 5 and 50%.
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.