The saltmarsh and brackish swamp vegetation of the Fife peninsula

Abstract

Summary A study of saltmarshes in Fife shows that they are far more widespread than previously thought. In this paper the saltmarsh and brackish swamp vegetation is described and classified at plant community level. Of particular interest are the small, rocky shore beach-head saltmarshes, which are often very species-rich and contain several plant communities having a predominantly north-western distribution in Britain. The Fife marshes are compared with those described from other regions, and it is suggested that the beach-head marshes are floristically more closely related to western Scottish marshes than those elsewhere on the east coast. However, some communities suggest certain affinities with the saltmarshes of south-eastern Britain, which lends weight to the view that the Firth of Forth lies on the boundary between ‘southern’ and ‘northern’ saltmarsh types in Britain.