Mappp.co - Studland Cliffs

Also within

Dorset County Dorset Scenic Area King Charles Way - Kimmeridge Bay to South Haven Point National Trail South West Coast Path National Trail

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
SZ041824	—	Favourable	13.22	2012-01-22
SZ051822	—	Favourable	3.6	2011-07-22
SZ052821	—	Favourable	4.29	2011-09-30

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Geological Fault · Geological Period: Paleogene · Rock Type: Chalk, Sandstone

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Species	Season
cormorant	Breeding
house martin	Breeding

Description

Studland Cliffs SSSI Description An outstanding stratigraphic and structural site of national importance, the strike and dip cliff section displays unequalled exposures of mid-Campanian Chalk, especially important for palaeontological studies. To the south the Upper Chalk is separated from the Lower and Middle Chalk by the spectacular Ballard Down Fault. This site is the best exposure, west of Alum Bay, to show the Chalk–Tertiary unconformity, and a relatively complete Palaeocene and lower Eocene succession. The bay provides important sedimentological data and enables palaeogeographic reconstruction of the western part of the Hampshire Basin during the deposition of the Reading Beds – ‘Redend Sandstone’ interval. These coastal rock outcrops provide an outstanding cross section through the Purbeck Monocline, part of a belt of crustal flexures running through South Dorset and the Isle of Wight, one of the most important geological structures in southern England. The Ballard Down fault is exposed 300 metres north of Ballard point, cutting through the fold and juxtaposing nearly vertical Chalk to the south against nearly horizontal Chalk to the north. At Redend Point, horizontal Eocene sands overlying the Chalk are cut by sets of small faults which reflect compression associated with the formation of the Purbeck Monocline. Ballard Down is a key site for coastal geomorphology. It includes a series of predominantly chalk cliffs, platforms and associated beaches, best known for the classic assemblage of stacks, arches and caves at Handfast Point. The site is also important for revealing not only the relationships between local bedrock structures and coastal form, but also the effects of different wave dynamics on the north and south sides of the peninsula respectively. Ballard Down is the most sheltered of the major chalk cliff systems and so forms a key element of the suite of chalk cliff sites. The site includes a strip of maritime, cliff-top grassland, dominated in places by red fescue Festuca rubra. There are many associated herbs including kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, wild carrot Daucus carota and a good population of the local wild cabbage Brassica oleracea. Dense scrub covers the less steep cliffs in the north west of the site. The adjoining Studland Wood has an almost pure hazel Corylus avellana canopy with occasional mature field maple Acer campestre, over a ground flora dominated by ramsons Allium ursinum and dogs mercury Mercurialis perennis. Mature spindle Euonymus europaeus and dogwood Cornus sanguinea are frequent as fringing scrub. The wood has a rich invertebrate fauna with a number of uncommon species. These include the beetles Grynobius planus, Ptinomorphus imperialis and Rhyncolus truncorum in dead wood on the old field maple. The rare ant Stenamma westwoodii and the local jet ant Lasius fpedunculatus also occur. The cliffs are important for birds with several species nesting including one of three sites in Dorset for cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and an unusual cliff locality for house martin Delichon urbicum.

Species mentioned

Show the 16 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status

English name search for this in other sites	Latin name search with Google	IUCN / Red List	Type	Family
ant	Stenamma westwoodii	Not listed in GB list	bee/wasp/ant	formicidae
beetle	Grynobius planus	LC	beetle	anobiidae
beetle	Rhyncolus truncorum	Not listed in GB list	beetle	curculionidae
no common name	Ptinomorphus imperialis	LC	beetle furniture	ptinidae
cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	NT (Breeding)	bird-frigate	fregatidae
house martin	Delichon urbicum	VU (Breeding)	bird-martin	hirundinidae
red fescue	Festuca rubra	LC	grass	poaceae
ramson	Allium ursinum	LC	herb	liliaceae
lady's fingers (kidney vetch)	Anthyllis vulneraria	NT	herb	fabaceae
wild cabbage	Brassica oleracea	LC	herb	brassicaceae
wild carrot	Daucus carota	LC	herb	apiaceae
dog's mercury	Mercurialis perennis	LC	herb	euphorbiaceae
dogwood	Cornus sanguinea	LC	shrub	cornaceae
spindle tree	Euonymus europaeus	LC	shrub	celastraceae
field maple	Acer campestre	LC	tree	aceraceae
hazel	Corylus avellana	LC	tree	corylaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Show 107 indicator species

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

Show 81 indicator species

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

Show 49 indicator species

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