A suggested system for colour National Vegetation Classification (NVC) maps
Ben Averis, 2014
This sheet provides a suggested set of colours for making coloured versions of NVC maps. If each NVC
community has its own colour the total of 286 colours will make it too difficult to separate any one colour
from the most similar ones. The colour scheme given below therefore uses a smaller number of colours
that are easily separable from each other, with each colour indicating a broad grouping of NVC
communities. This can show broad distribution patterns in a vegetation map, but it cannot convey the
amount of detail given in written NVC map labels (NVC communities, sub-communities, percentage
breakdowns of habitat mosaics, etc) which should always be retained and referred to when interpreting
NVC maps. These colours are pale enough that they should still allow base map details and NVC labels to
be readable in composite or multi-layer maps. Mosaics of two or more NVC colour groupings within
mapped vegetation units (polygons) can be shown by hatching (stripes, etc) of two or more colours, but
this can complicate the appearance of a map and make broader distribution patterns less clear. Another
approach is to colour each polygon for only the most extensive colour, as defined using a percentage
threshold (e.g. 60%), or to use hatching for the two or more most extensive colours if there is no single
one at or above the percentage threshold. Where the most extensive colour in a mosaic is below the
percentage threshold the polygon can be coloured for this type if it is much more extensive than the next
most extensive colour (e.g. if a 60% threshold is used, a polygon could be coloured for a colour with 5059% cover if the next most extensive colour covers only about 20% or less).
Broad vegetation type (grouped NVC communities)
Calluna heaths (H1-17/21)
Vaccinium-Empetrum heaths (H18-20/22)
Colour
RGB (red, green,
blue) values
170, 130, 220
179, 190, 0
Wet heaths (M14-16)
230, 210, 255
Bogs (M1-3/17-21)
255, 220, 240
Molinia grasslands/mires (M24-26)
220, 255, 220
Other mires (M4-13/22-23/27-38)
255, 160, 220
Calcareous grasslands (CG1-14)
220, 255, 255
Unimproved neutral grasslands (MG1-5/8-13)
180, 255, 0
Improved grasslands (MG6-7)
255, 180, 70
Acid grassland (U1-U6)
255, 255, 0
Montane communities (U7-15/18)
255, 255, 180
Fern-dominated communities (U19-21/W25)
210, 150, 120
Native broadleaved woodland & scrub (W1-17/20-23)
Native coniferous woodland (W18-19)
0, 200, 0
0, 180, 170
Swamps and fens (S1-28)
140,160, 255
Sand dunes (SD1-19)
255, 220, 190
Saltmarshes (SM1-28)
120, 250, 220
Maritime cliff communities (MC1-12)
160, 220, 255
Other vegetation types (OV1-42, W24 & U16-17)
255, 100, 100
Conifer plantation (no NVC)
180, 180, 180
Broadleaved plantation (no NVC)
220, 220, 220
Anything else (bare ground, open water, urban etc)
255, 255, 255