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General Description:

This habitat category is defined as emergent frequently inundated vegetation, occurring over peat or mineral soils. The depth of water at the time of survey, or seasonal variation in water level, if known, should be target noted, also the nature of the substrate. Note that this category differs from mire (E) and from marsh/marshy grassland (B5) in having the water table distinctly above the level of the substrate for most of the year.

• F1 Swamp Description - Swamp contains tall emergent vegetation typical of the transition between open water the exposed land. Swamps are generally in standing water for a large part of the year, but may occasionally be found on substrates that are seldom immersed, as in the later stages of the seral succession to marshy grassland.Species composition varies according to the trophic status of the water, the substrate type, etc. Note that vegetation dominated by Molinia caerulea, Filipendula ulmaria, moss, small Carex species or Juncus species, should be classified as marsh/marshy grassland (B5) or flush (E2), as appropriate. Swamp vegetation includes both mixed and single-species stands of Typha species, Phragmites australis; Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima, Carex paniculata, C. acutiformis, C. rostrata or other tall sedge. Single-species stands are usually found in deeper water and should be indicated with species codes.
  Strips of swamp vegetation narrower than 5 m bordering watercourses should be classified as marginal vegetation (F2.1).
• F2 Marginal and Inundation Description - Strips of swamp vegetation narrower than 5 m bordering watercourses should be classified as marginal vegetation (F2.1). Inundation vegetation (F2.2) includes open and innately unstable communities that are subject to periodic inundation, as found on sorted or unsorted silts, sands and gravels of river beds and islands and on the draw-down zone around pools, lakes and reservoirs.
• F2.1 Marginal vegetation Description - This category encompasses all narrow strips of emergent vegetation occurring on the (often steep) margins of lowland watercourses, where the water table is permanently high. Bands of tall vegetation wider than 5 m should be classified as swamp (F1). Marginal vegetation is typically open and contains plants such as Glyceria species, Rorippa species, Apium nodiflorum, Berula erecta, Oenanthe species, Galium palustre, Nasturtium offcinale, Myosotis species, Veronica species, Alisma species, Sparganium erectum, Carex riparia, Juncus effusus and Juncus inflexus, also small stands of taller plants such as Phragmites ausralis, Typha species and Phalaris arundinacea. Areas of such vegetation will be too small to map, so should be target noted.
• F2.2 Inundation vegetation Description - This category includes open and innately unstable communities that are subject to periodic inundation, as found on sorted or unsorted silts, sands and gravels of river beds and islands and on the draw-down zone around pools, lakes and reservoirs. A wide variety of species occur in such communities, including Polygonum species, Juncus bulbosus, Bidens species, Agrostis stolonifera and Alopecurus geniculatus, as well as many ruderal species.