Haycock and Jay Associates Ltd. was commissioned by Natural England to undertake a National Vegetation Classification (NVC) survey of habitats within a survey area between Bridlington and Reighton Sands on the east coast of Yorkshire to investigate the potential for its inclusion within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The survey compares the current vegetation state of the area to that recorded during a previous NVC survey commissioned by English Nature in 2002. A complex interplay of factors was found to be influencing grassland and maritime vegetation communities, including soils, geology, aspect, drainage, slope, and enrichment by birds. Alteration of farming techniques and activity have driven changes in both coarse grassland and open vegetation communities. The survey results also indicated change in vegetation due to active erosion and disruption of stable scrub and grassland communities in the areas of soft cliff resource.
The report also comments on areas recorded where vegetation is being impacted by coastal erosion processes, and the state of coastal erosion as it pertains to vegetation extent and distribution across the survey area.