This article gives an overview of the mire communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
The mire communities of the NVC were described in Volume 2 of British Plant Communities, first published in 1991, along with the heath communities.
In total, 38 mire communities have been identified.
The mire communities consist of a number of separate subgroups.
five bog plane communities (M17, M18, M19, M20 and M21)two wet heath communities (M15 and M16)four bog-pool communities (M1, M2, M3 and M4)four base-poor small sedge & rush communities (M5, M6, M7 and M8)six base-poor small sedge & Schoenus communities (M9, M10, M11, M12, M13 and M14)seven fen-meadow / rush-pasture communities (M22, M23, M24, M26, M25, M27 and M28)two soakaway communities (M29 and M30)eight communities of springs and rills (M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M36, M37 and M38)The following is a list of the communities that make up this category:
M1 Sphagnum auriculatum bog pool communityM2 Sphagnum cuspidatum/recurvum bog pool communityM3 Eriophorum angustifolium bog pool communityM4 Carex rostrata - Sphagnum recurvum mireM5 Carex rostrata - Sphagnum squarrosum mireM6 Carex echinata - Sphagnum recurva/auriculatum mireM7 Carex curta - Sphagnum russowii mireM8 Carex rostrata - Sphagnum warnstorfii mireM9 Carex rostrata - Calligeron cuspidatum/giganteum mireM10 Carex dioica - Pinguicula vulgaris mire Pinguiculo-Caricetum dioicae Jones 1973 emend.M11 Carex demissa - Saxifraga aizoides mire Carici-Saxifragetum aizoidis McVean & Ratcliffe 1962 emend.M12 Carex saxatilis mire Caricetum saxatilis McVean & Ratcliffe 1962M13 Schoenus nigricans - Juncus subnodulosus mire Schoenetum nigricantis Koch 1926M14 Schoneus nigricans - Narthecium ossifragum mireM15 Scirpus cespitosus - Erica tetralix wet heathM16 Erica tetralix - Sphagnum compactum wet heath Ericetum tetralicis Schwickerath 1933M17 Scirpus cespitosus - Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mireM18 Erica tetralix - Sphagnum papillosum raised and blanket mireM19 Calluna vulgaris - Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mireM20 Eriophorum vaginatum raised and blanket mireM21 Narthecium ossifragum - Sphagnum papillosum valley mire Narthecio-Sphagnetum euatlanticum Duvigneaud 1949M22 Juncus subnodulosus - Cirsium palustre fen-meadowM23 Juncus effusus/acutiflorus - Galium palustre rush-pastureM24 Molinia caerulea - Cirsium dissectum fen-meadow Cirsium-Molinietum caeruleae Sissingh & De Vries 1942 emend.M25 Molinia caerulea - Potentilla erecta mireM26 Molinia caerulea - Crepis paludosa mireM27 Filipendula ulmaria - Angelica sylvestris mireM28 Iris pseudacorus - Filipendula ulmaria mire Filipendulo-Iridetum pseudacori Adam 1976 emend.M29 Hypericum elodes - Potamogeton polygonifolius soakway Hyperico-Potametum polygonifolii (Allorge 1921) Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen 1952M30 Related vegetation of seasonally-inundated habitats Hydrocotyla-Baldellion Tüxen & Dierssen 1972M31 Anthelia judacea - Sphagnum auriculatum spring Sphagno auriculati-Anthelietum judaceae Shimwell 1972M32 Philonotis fontana - Saxifraga stellaris spring Philonoto-Saxifragetum stellaris Nordhagen 1943M33 Pohlia wahlenbergii var. glacialis spring Pohlietum glacialis McVean & Ratcliffe 1962M34 Carex demissa - Koenigia islandica flushM35 Ranunculus omiophyllus - Montia fontana rillM36 Lowland springs and streambanks of shaded situations Cardaminion (Maas 1959) Westhoff & den Held 1969M37 Cratoneuron commutatum - Festuca rubra springM38 Cratoneuron commutatum - Carex nigra spring