NVC types & their names
NVC types
The NVC comprises 286 community types subdivided amongst 12
major types of vegetation. These are arranged in the 
published NVC volumes as shown below (the codes
for the types are given in brackets).
- NVC Volume 1
Woodlands and scrub (W1-W25)
- NVC Volume 2 Mires
(M1-M38); Heaths (H1-H22)
- NVC Volume 3
Mesotrophic grasslands (MG1-MG13)
Calcicolous grasslands (CG1-CG14)
Calcifugous grasslands and
montane communities (U1-U21)
- NVC Volume 4 Aquatic
communities (A1-A24)
Swamps and tall-herb fens (S1-S28)
- NVC Volume 5 Shingle,
strandline and sand-dune communities (SD1-SD19)
Salt-marsh communities (SM1-SM28)
Maritime cliff communities (MC1-MC12)
Vegetation of open habitats (OV1-OV42)
Many, but not all, of the NVC communities are broken down
further into sub-communities, which total 578 in all. A very small
number of especially bulky and complex communities have a third
level of sub-division, into variants.
Considering the lowest sub-division of each type, except
variants, the NVC comprises 681 units in all.
Names of NVC communities and sub-communities
A spreadsheet containing the codes and names of all the NVC
communities and sub-communities is available via this download:
‘
NVC names
codes’.
This includes information on species used to define particular
communities and sub-communities that have changed their scientific
name/status since the publication of the original NVC volumes.
Common/vernacular names for NVC types have appeared in
various publications. Work is currently underway to produce a
recommended list of such names for all NVC communities, making it
easier to communicate the interests of particular sites to
individuals who are ‘alienated’ by the scientific names used in the
published NVC volumes. This list will be made available as soon as
it is finalised.