The publication of this the first of five volumes of British Plant Communities sees the work of the National Vegetation Classification into its final stage. When the research team first came together in 1975, we none of us thought that the task ahead would be so laborious as to be fifteen years in the completion. It has been a long haul for all of us and, particularly in these closing years, when the responsibility for bringing the work to a good end has fallen mainly on me, the continuing interest of all the participants, and the encouragement and expectation of many others, have been of enormous importance.

As coordinator of the project and editor of the volumes, I know the extent of the debt which we all owe to the originators of the proposal that here comes to fruition. Among our team, Donald Pigott provided a firm conviction that an understanding of plant communities is of inestimable value in ecology and conservation, and his own perception has helped set the style for the kind of vegetation descriptions we have aimed to produce. Andrew Malloch’s concern to see the vision realised has been just as constant: his own studies were a model for our work and, from the start, he has given that firm support with the everyday working of the project that was essential for its success.

The Nature Conservancy had first accepted the need for such a project in 1971, in research proposals by Derek Ratcliffe, who, as Chief Scientist of its successor, the Nature Conservancy Council, welcomed the proposal by Donald Pigott and was later instrumental in placing the contract for the work and helping to launch it. His own achievements provided a vital inspiration for our work, and his continuing faith in its value helped sustain us in the long task of bringing its results to light. The Nature Conservancy Council has maintained its funding for the research throughout and, without this commitment, the project would have foundered.