British NVC community W8
# British NVC community W8

NVC community W8 (Fraxinus excelsior - Acer campestre - Mercurialis perennis woodland) is one of the woodland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of the six communities falling in the "mixed deciduous and oak/birch woodlands" group.

This is a widely distributed community. There are seven subcommunities.

## Community composition

Six constant species are found in this community:

* Field Maple (Acer campestre)
* Hazel (Corylus avellana)
* Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
* Dog's-mercury (Mercurialis perennis)
* Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
* Common Feather-moss (Eurhynchium praelongum)

The following rare species are also associated with the community:

* Narrow-leaved Bittercress (Cardamine impatiens)
* Mezereon (Daphne mezereum)
* Wood Fescue (Festuca altissima)
* Mountain Currant (Ribes alpinum)
* Oxlip (Primula elatior)
* Primula × digenea, the hybrid between Oxlip and Primrose (P. vulgaris)
* Large-leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos)

## Distribution

This community is widespread throughout lowland Britain, becoming scarcer in the north and west, where it is replaced by community W9.

## Subcommunities

There are seven subcommunities:

* the Primula vulgaris - Glechoma hederacea subcommunity
* the Anemone nemorosa subcommunity
* the Deschampsia cespitosa subcommunity
* the Hedera helix subcommunity
* the Geranium robertianum subcommunity
* the Allium ursinum subcommunity
* the Teucrium scorodonia subcommunity
