Flying bent (Molinia caerulea) or white bent
(Nardus stricta) predominate and plant communities include these plant species
with some bog myrtle (Myrica gale) present in western areas.
A feature of hill terrain, coarse grasslands have not undergone agricultural
improvement by way of the application of fertilizers, pesticides, drainage or reseeding so as to
alter significantly the sward composition. Molinia caerulea is predominant on
peaty soils and hill peat of the wetter western areas of Scotland and Nardus
stricta is more evident on the 'drier' soils in the east,
often in slightly flushed situations. Coarse grasslands have a low grazing
value being utilised primarily for rough grazing - in western situations the
grasslands are burnt regularly, the first
flush of green growth supplying better quality grazing.
The main intergradational forms are with
heather moors and blanket bog and this feature is,
due to short-range variation with related communities, often found within
mosaic units.
Click here for Coarse Grassland Map
Exploring Scotland
