Deschampsia flexuosa snowbed grassland on granitic mountains in the Cairngorms

Abstract

Background: A snowbed community with much Deschampsia flexuosa has long been recognised in Norway, but not hitherto as a separate type in Scotland.

Aims: The aim of this study was to check provisional observations that similar vegetation occurred frequently in the Cairngorms massif, and describe its composition, soils and snow-lie.

Methods: For seven sites on Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui, all with substantial extent of this vegetation, vegetation composition was recorded, soil profiles assessed and information assimilated from a separate long-term study of snow patches.

Results: Deschampsia flexuosa was predominant in this vegetation and the occurrence of other higher plants was low. The main subsidiary species were bryophytes, indicating that the community was related to NVC U12 in the British classification of vegetation. Soils were free-draining alpine podzols. On average, snow-lie continues from the end of June to mid July, which is later than on snowbed vegetation dominated by Nardus stricta, but earlier than on moss-dominated snowbeds.

Conclusions: We suggest that this vegetation is sufficiently distinctive to be considered a separate sub-community of NVC U12.

Keywords:

• Cairngorms
• Deschampsia flexuosa
• snowbed grassland
• snowbed soil
• UK vegetation classification

Acknowledgements

On site visits we were assisted by Bob Kinnaird of CairnGorm Mountain Ltd and his staff Ewan Macleod and Cathy Mordaunt, Keith Duncan of Scottish Natural Heritage and Andy Amphlett of RSPB. We thank Gordon Rothero for identifying samples of liverworts and Brian Coppins samples of lichens, and Eli Fremstad for sending Norwegian literature.