Plant Community/UK Phase 1 Habitat Classification

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This is a tentative draft of how to tag various Phase 1 habitat classes. Further reference in the JNCC Manual].

Although designed for the UK it may be suitable in other Boreo-temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. As it's name implies this is designed to be a starting point for more detailed classification.

Note that the names of classes are taken from the official manual and are somewhat unwieldy. Therefore the ref tag is the most important one to use.


Category Phase1 Ref Phase1 Name Current likely OSM Tagging Extended tagging for phytosociology Example(s) Remarks
Woodland & Scrub A1.1 Semi-natural Broad-leaved woodland natural=wood and/or landuse=forest with leaf_type=broadleaved See the manual for the rules determining whether woodland is semi-natural
Woodland & Scrub A1.2 Broad-leaved woodland - plantation natural=wood and/or landuse=forest with leaf_type=broadleaved and plantation=yes See the manual for the rules determining whether woodland is semi-natural
Woodland & Scrub A2.1 Semi-natural Coniferous woodland natural=wood and/or landuse=forest with leaf_type=needleleaved
Caledonian Pine Forest - geograph.org.uk - 519937
Kingley Vale : a unique wood dominated by Yew
 A rare type as there are few natural wood. See the manual for the rules determining whether woodland is semi-natural
Woodland & Scrub A2.2 Coniferous woodland - plantation landuse=forest with leaf_type=needleleaved; {tag|plantation|yes}} is implied
Forest, Hartside. - geograph.org.uk - 38050
 This is the standard combination for commercial forestry. See the manual for the rules determining whether woodland is semi-natural
Woodland & Scrub A2.1 Scrub - dense/continuous natural=scrub Specific examples of scrub: Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Gorse, Broom, Basket Willows (wllow carr), Montane Willows, Brambles and Wild Roses.
Woodland & Scrub A2.2 Scrub - scattered natural=scrub
Woodland & Scrub A3.1 Broadleaved Parkland/scattered trees leisure=park
Woodland & Scrub A3.2 Coniferous Parkland/scattered trees leisure=park
Woodland & Scrub A3.3 Mixed Parkland/scattered trees leisure=park
Grassland and marsh B1.1 Acid grassland - unimproved
Dewey bagging - geograph.org.uk - 737707
 Many upland areas tagged natural=heath will be this, but there is not a straightforward tag in OSM
Grassland and marsh B1.2 Acid grassland - semi-improved
Grassland and marsh B2 Neutral grassland
Grassland and marsh B2.1 Neutral grassland - unimproved This is a RARE category. For instance there are 28 ha left in Nottinghamshire. Corresponds generally to NVC MG4 and MG5 grassland.
Grassland and marsh B2.2 Neutral grassland - semi-improved
Grassland and marsh B3 Calcareous grassland
Grassland and marsh B3.1 Calcareous grassland - unimproved
Grassland and marsh B3.2 Calcareous grassland - semi-improved
Olion waliau cerrig ger copa Trwyn y Fuwch - Remains of stone walls near Little Orme summit - geograph.org.uk - 1037748
Grassland and marsh B4 Improved grassland Dominated by a small number of grasses, notably Perennial Rye-grass (Lolium perenne). In general these will be a lush green and will have few obvious broad-leaved weed species. When Dandelions are in flower (early Spring), green fields with very few Dandelions are candidates for this category. This is the class of grassland for which landuse=meadow is most inappropriate: it is best to tag such areas as landuse=farmland, possibly with farmland=pasture or farmland=livestock if used for pasturage. For fields used for silage possibly {tag|crop|grass}}.
Grassland and marsh B5 Marsh/marshy grassland No specific correspondences, as a range of combinations from natural=wetland, wetland=marsh through landuse=pasture to landuse=farmland and landuse=grass may all fall into B5. tba
Grassland and marsh B6 Poor semi-improved grassland No specific correspondences
Tall herb and fen C1.1 Bracken no obvious tags in use, but natural=bracken may be suitable way 406561283 as natural=heath
Bracken covered slopes above Melinbyrhedin
 Bracken apparently covers about 1% of the Earth's landarea, it should therefore be mapped!
Tall herb and fen C1.2 Bracken no obvious tags in use, but natural=bracken may be suitable
Tall herb and fen C2 Upland species-rich ledges no obvious tags in use
Tall herb and fen C3.1 Other tall herb and fern - ruderal No obvious tags in use The manual mentions specific stands of certain plants: Japanese Knotweed and Rosebay Willowherb.
Tall herb and fen C3.1 Other tall herb and fern - non-ruderal No obvious tags in use
Heathland D1.1 Dry dwarf shrub heath - acid natural=heath
Dunwich Heath in August
Heathland D1.2 Dry dwarf shrub heath - basic natural=heath
Heathland D2 Wet dwarf shrub heath natural=heath
Heathland D3 Lichen/bryophyte heath natural=heath
Heathland D4 Montane heath/dwarf herb natural=heath
Heathland D5 Dry heath/acid grassland natural=heath This is a mosaic group where grassland and heath are in patches not worth mapping on their own. Common in upland areas.
Heathland D6 Wet heath/acid grassland natural=heath This is a mosaic group where grassland and heath are in patches not worth mapping on their own. Common in upland areas.
Swamp, marginal and inundation F1 Swamp natural=wetland with one of wetland=reedbed Includes a variety of tall herb wetland vegetation types, such as reedbeds, and those dominated by sedges (Carex) and reed-mace (Typha). DO NOT CONFUSE with natural=wetland with wetland=swamp which refers to wetlands with a substantial woody (tree & shrub) component.
Coastland H6.7 Dune Scrub natural=scrub
Sea Buckthorn scrub in front of wartime bunker at Spurn Head
 Any scrub on consolidated or flattened dunes (but not the low growing gorse species (<1 m tall) which count as heath. The most representative form is Sea Buckthorn scrub seen in abundance at Spurn & Gibraltar Points
Miscellaneous J1.1 Cultivated Land landuse=farmland with crop=*
Miscellaneous J3.4 Caravan Site tourism=caravan_site

Implicit Phase 1 values

Certain tags or tag combinations will naturally imply a Phase 1 classification. A provisional Phase 1 map may therefore be constructed without explict tags. The tabulation below groups them by key:

Tag (or tag combo) Phase1 Ref Remarks
landuse=forest A1 Really needs additional tags
landuse=quarry I2.1 See also Spoil Heaps (I2.2)
landuse=recreation_ground J1.2
leisure=park A3 Presumption is that there are scattered trees
leisure=pitch J1.2 Only if not on some other landuse
leisure=recreation_ground J1.2
landuse=meadow B4 By far and away the commonest phase 1 category. Other tags needed to place it elsewhere
natural=wood A1 Really needs additional tags
natural=scrub A2 No specific tags to separate on density
natural=water G Providing no tidal=yes tag
natural=water
with one of water=pond or water=lake or water=reservoir		 G1 Providing no tidal=yes tag
natural=wetland wetland=reedbed F1
natural=wetland wetland=bog E1
tourism=caravan_site J3.4
waterway=riverbank G2 check tidal tag
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