Prior's Coppice
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK829052 | — | Favourable | 10.35 | 2023-06-27 |
| SK831051 | — | Favourable | 7.83 | 2023-06-27 |
| SK833052 | — | Favourable | 9.22 | 2023-06-27 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area,27.89 ha68.91 ac Description The site comprises one of the best remaining ash maple woods in Leicestershire and is representative of semi natural woodland developed on clay soils in Central and Eastern England. Biology A fine example of an ash maple wood developed on rather poorly drained soils, derived from glacial boulder clays and from clays of the Jurassic Upper Lias. The wood is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and oak Quercus robur, with some wych elm Ulmus glabra occurring locally. The shrub layer contains frequent field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana, while the ground vegetation is characteristic of ancient clay woods containing a diverse flora which includes plants such as wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, wood forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and herb paris Paris quadrifolia.
Species mentioned
Show the 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| wood forget-me-nots | Myosotis sylvatica | LC | herb | boraginaceae |
| wood sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | LC | herb | oxalidaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| field maple | Acer campestre | LC | tree | aceraceae |
| hazel | Corylus avellana | LC | tree | corylaceae |
| ash | Fraxinus excelsior | LC | tree | oleaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| wych elm | Ulmus glabra | LC | tree | ulmaceae |