Аннотация:Summary A range of English and Welsh woodland communities were classified using the National Vegetation Classification. The woods were mainly ancient semi-natural sites selected from varying edaphic, topographical and climatic situations. Considerable extensions to the published distributions of some communities were found, notably Quercus spp.—Betula spp.—Deschampsia flexuosa woodland and the Acer pseudoplatanus-Oxalis acetosella sub-community of Quercus robur—Pteridium aqualinum—Rubus fruticosus woodland. Two computer programs written to assist with the determination of community type were compared with each other and with the community classification based on field experience. Using single quadrats TABLEFIT agreed with the field classification for 53 per cent of samples and MATCH for 32 per cent. Data from recently felled and undisturbed woodland were compared. The results from permanent plots show a shift from woodland to grassland National Vegetation Classification types in the felled area, but no corresponding shift due to seasonal fluctuations in plant abundance. Quadrat data from a number of sites were also keyed out independently using both Stand Type and National Vegetation Classification methods and the results compared.
