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State 2 Intermediate reedbed habitat
This state will have a mix of habitats within it, with colonising, mature and
drying reed and areas of open water including drainage ditches. Over-topping
by sea water and management
by cutting, ditching and other activities help to maintain the reedbed in this
intermediate state and with it its value
for the important range of plants and animals that it supports.
Caption:
Reedbed at Tichwell on the North Norfolk coast. Drainage and cutting help
to retain the mosaic of vegetation.
This state does not exist in isolation and often forms part of a more complex
sequence of habitats which have different values depending on their position
along the succession from open water to scrub (birch/willow
carr).
Comment: These later stages in succession are not the subject of this
guide they are important in determining the value of the site as a whole. On larger
sites with reed fen there may be transitions to scrub and even woodland.
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