Skendleby Psalter Banks
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TF440716 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.9 | 2013-09-20 |
| TF442716 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.9 | 2013-09-20 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area,1.0 ha2.5 ac Description The species rich unimproved grasslands of Skendleby Psalter Banks represent one of the best examples of a habitat now rare and fragmented in Lincolnshire. The abundance of plants restricted to these steep north facing slopes of a dry valley cut into the eastern Wolds by glacial meltwaters is maintained by traditional management of sheep grazing. Upright brome Bromus erectus is the dominant grass species in an open sward which also includes sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra, quaking grass Briza media and wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum. A Lincolnshire Wolds grassland feature abundant field scabious Knautia arvensis is found with a large population of the semiparasitic yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and red bartsia Odontites verna. Typical herbs present include salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, cowslip Primula veris, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. Four species of orchid occur on the Banks, twayblade Neottia ovata, pyramidal Anacamptis pyramidalis, bee Ophrys apifera and common spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The aspect and generally tall vegetation provides suitably humid conditions for the growth of mosses like Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Pseudoscleropodium purum.