# Acid grassland

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{{Short description|Nutrient-poor habitat}}
'''Acid grassland''' is a nutrient-poor [habitat](/source/habitat) characterised by grassy tussocks and bare ground.

==Habitat==

The vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, growing on soils deficient in lime (calcium). These may be found on acid [sedimentary rock](/source/sedimentary_rock) such as [sandstone](/source/sandstone); acid [igneous rock](/source/igneous_rock) such as [granite](/source/granite); and [fluvial](/source/fluvial) or [glacial deposits](/source/glacial_deposits) such as sand and gravel. Typical plants of lowland acid grassland in Britain include common bent grass, ''[Agrostis capillaris](/source/Agrostis_capillaris)'', wavy hair-grass, ''[Deschampsia flexuosa](/source/Deschampsia_flexuosa)'', bristle bent grass, ''[Agrostis curtisii](/source/Agrostis_curtisii)'', tormentil, ''[Potentilla erecta](/source/Potentilla_erecta)'', and flowers such as sheep's sorrel, ''[Rumex acetosella](/source/Rumex_acetosella)'' and heath bedstraw, ''[Galium saxatile](/source/Galium_saxatile)''.<ref name=JNCC>{{cite web|title=Acid grasslands - lowland|url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3559|publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|accessdate=30 March 2015|archive-date=8 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608134637/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3559|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In Britain==

In Britain, under 30,000 hectares of lowland acid grassland remain, often on [common land](/source/common_land) and [nature reserve](/source/nature_reserve)s.<ref name=TWT>{{cite web |title=Lowland Dry Acid Grassland |url=http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/lowland-dry-acid-grassland |publisher=The Wildlife Trusts |accessdate=30 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811155304/http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/lowland-dry-acid-grassland |archive-date=11 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is considered a nationally important habitat; areas are found in London on freely-draining sandy and gravelly soils. 271 [Sites of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Sites_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) have been notified with acid grassland as a principal reason for the designation. Greater London's [Richmond Park](/source/Richmond_Park), [Epping Forest](/source/Epping_Forest) and [Wimbledon Common](/source/Wimbledon_Common) are all [Special Areas of Conservation](/source/Special_Areas_of_Conservation) with considerable areas of acid grassland.<ref name=LBP>{{cite web|title=Acid Grassland: a nationally important habitat in London |url=http://www.lbp.org.uk/downloads/Publications/Management/Acid%20Grassland%20-%20a%20nationally%20important%20habitat%20in%20London%2020.pdf |publisher=London Biodiversity Partnership |accessdate=30 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403031705/http://www.lbp.org.uk/downloads/Publications/Management/Acid%20Grassland%20-%20a%20nationally%20important%20habitat%20in%20London%2020.pdf |archivedate=3 April 2015 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Ecosystems
Category:Grasslands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Acid grassland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_grassland) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_grassland?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.