Mottistone Down

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.6596, -1.4184

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Isle of Wight County Isle Of Wight Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SZ405847 — Unfavourable Recovering 6.1 2010-03-16
SZ413845 — Unfavourable Recovering 27.04 2010-03-15

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk, Flint

Description

Area, 31.41 hectares Description Mottistone Down is one of a series of chalk and neutral grasslands extending along the main east west chalk ridge of the Isle of Wight. Collectively and individually they are of great scientific and nature conservation importance for the species richness of the chalk grassland plant communities and the occurrence of a neutral to acid flora on the superficial drift deposits which cap the ridge. Mottistone Down covers the south slope and top of the main west–east chalk ridge of the Isle of Wight. The steep scarp slope supports an extremely species rich chalk grassland flora with 28–30 species/m 2. It is dominated by sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina, red fescue Festuca rubra and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Twenty seven species of downland herbs have been recorded including rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, wild thyme Thymus praecox and horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa. The local bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum and rare early gentian Gentianella anglica also occur commonly. The flatter top of the down is capped with angular flint gravel of varying depth. This supports a very interesting community of calcicole and calcifuge grassland plants interspersed with gorse Ulex europaeus scrub. The grassland is dominated by common bent Agrostis capillaris, red fescue Festuca rubra and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. Calcifuge species include common tormentil Potentilla erecta, sheep’s sorrel Rumex acetosella and locally heather Calluna vulgaris and bell heather Erica cinerea. Rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba and eye bright Euphrasia officinalis are some of the calcicole species that are commonly found in this area.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
common bent Agrostis capillaris LC grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
English sticky eyebright Euphrasia officinalis LC herb orobanchaceae
early gentian Gentianella anglica Not listed in GB list herb gentianaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
tormentil Potentilla erecta LC herb rosaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
sheep's sorrel Rumex acetosella NT herb polygonaceae
bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum VU herb santalaceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
bell heather Erica cinerea NT shrub dwarf ericaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas