Lowland wet grassland (lying near to the sea)

Wet grassland can occur in any areas of low-lying land where the soil is subjected to varying water levels. Impeded drainage, flooding as a result of river banks over-topping or excessive precipitation are among the factors helping to create permanent or seasonally wet grasslands. Those which are traditionally managed as grazing pasture or used for hay tend to have the richest flora and fauna. There are estimated to be 220,000ha remaining in England out of an historical resource of 1,200,000ha in England and Wales (see English Nature Enact, Vol. 3 No. 1, Spring 1995). [It is a generic term which includes coastal grasslands with or without a maritime influence, which are encompassed by Coastal and Floodplain grazing marsh.]