Locks Farm Meadow
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SZ448908 | — | Favourable | 2.02 | 2012-07-03 |
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk, Limestone
Description
Area, 2.3 ha Description Locks Farm Meadow is a small hay meadow situated on poorly draining neutral clay soils. It has been managed without the application of herbicide or artificial fertiliser. Agriculturally unimproved hay meadows such as this are a nationally rare habitat. Locks Farm Meadow represents one of only six areas of meadow known on the Isle of Wight. The meadow includes a variety of plants associated with a long continuity of unintensive management. The meadow is dominated by a variety of grasses including meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra and smooth meadow grass Poa pratensis. The nationally rare French oat grass Gaudinia fragilis is also very common. Other grass species include quaking grass Briza media, smooth brome Bromus racemosus, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus. A significant feature of the meadow is the large colony of green winged orchids Anacamptis morio. The orchids display a wide colour variation including an unusual pale form. Green winged orchids are strongly associated with traditionally managed hay meadows on broadly neutral soils. The Locks Farm Meadow is one of only six hay meadows with green winged orchids on the Island. In terms of numbers of flowering plants and variety of colour forms, the meadow is only surpassed by the nearby rifle range meadows. An unusual component of the flora is the autumn lady’s tresses Spiranthes spiralis. This late flowering orchid is more commonly associated with the calcareous soils of chalk and other limestone grasslands. Other species indicative of agriculturally unimproved, neutral grasslands include dyer’s greenweed Genista tinctoria, corky fruited water dropwort Oenanthe pimpinelloides, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. The interest of the meadow is further enhanced by its well documented history of management.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
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IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adders-tongue fern | Ophioglossum vulgatum | LC | fern | ophioglossaceae |
| meadow foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| sweet vernal grass | Anthoxanthum odoratum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| smooth brome | Bromus racemosus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| heath grass | Danthonia decumbens | NT | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| French oat grass | Gaudinia fragilis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| smooth meadow grass | Poa pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| dyer's greenweed | Genista tinctoria | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| corky-fruited water-dropwort | Oenanthe pimpinelloides | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
| autumn lady's tresses | Spiranthes spiralis | LC | herb | orchidaceae |