Phytosociology informs the conservation of species-rich meadows in hydrologically dynamic habitats: an example from British floodplains in a wider European context

Nature conservation requires classification of vegetation types for site assessment and assignment. Species-rich floodplain meadows are a declining habitat in Britain Europe yet their has been based on just few samples fails to describe community response environmental change adequately. European classification, opposite, from the wide geographical range with no data/analysis supporting choices. We propose revised lowland meadow Alopecurus pratensis-Sanguisorba officinalis British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) linked variation local water-table depth. Data have collated 58 meadows. Based botanical hydrological data, four subcommunities within Alopecurus-Sanguisorba defined. Assessment sites at subcommunity level allows temporal spatial evaluation trends suggests management towards desirable vegetation. This approach, developed data meadows, much wider applications if compared plant communities. Seventy-two associations were via Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Species ordinations used study coherence syntaxonomic alliances across Ireland Bulgaria. CCA confirmed spread along strong gradient highlighted lower fertility Dutch counterparts. The separating should help inform species-rich communities, especially where control is possible.