SD18: Hippophae rhamnoides dune scrub

Summary

Synonymy

Hippophae rhamnoides scrub Tansley 1911; Hippophaëtum Tansley 1939; Hippophaë communities Pearson & Rogers 1962; Dune scrub Gimingham 1964a p.p.

Constant species

Hippophae rhamnoides.

Rare species

Hippophae rhamnoides.

Physiognomy

Hippophae rhamnoides occurs sparsely and at low cover in a variety of vegetation types of less mobile dune sands, but the Hippophae scrub includes stands where this thorny, deciduous shrub is becoming a consistent and more prominent feature. The density and height of the bushes is, however, very variable. At one extreme, the community includes grassier vegetation where the buckthorn is scattered and of only moderate cover overall, whereas other stands have a very thickly-set mass of suckering stems with a virtually impenetrable canopy of the stiff branches. Exceptionally, the bushes can attain over 3 m in height but 1–2 m is more usual and, in more exposed situations, the cover may be severely windtrimmed.

The extent and character of the associated flora is very much dependent on the degree of Hippophae dominance, and no other species are constant throughout the community. Interestingly, the most frequent dune grass overall is Elymus pycnanthus, but there is quite commonly some Poa pratensis and Holcus lanatus, with more occasional Agrostis stolonifera, Dactylis glomerata and Carex arenaria. The most widely distributed dicotyled on is Senecio jacobaea, with Cirsium arvense, Sonchus arvensis, Epilobium angustifolium and Heracleum sphondylium occurring more rarely but with local abundance. Rubus fruticosus agg. is also fairly frequent and can thicken up in places among and around the buckthorn.