Bear, Oveys & Great Bottom Woods

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5414, -0.9894

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Also within

Oxfordshire County Chilterns Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1) Favourable (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU692837 — Unfavourable Recovering 26.71 2011-09-05
SU699829 — Favourable 12.85 2011-08-02
SU701833 — Favourable 9.79 2011-08-02
SU703828 — Favourable 14.76 2011-08-02

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Beech wood, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 58.6 hectares 144.8 ac Description This site incorporates two blocks of beech woodland containing a range of stand types, some of which are nationally uncommon. The diverse ground flora of this site contains over 40 species normally associated with ancient woodland in southern Britain, including one species afforded special protection under Schedule 8 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. These woods lie on a series of dry valleys which cut through the Upper Chalk. A variety of soil types exist on the site, ranging from acid clay with flints, to moist calcareous loams with or without pebbles. These soils fall within the hornbeam1 series. Some parts of Oveys and great Bottom Woods have well drained, fine flinty soils of the Charity 2 series. The soil depth varies from very shallow on the steeper slopes to deep horizons in the valley bottoms. Some chalk is exposed in the northern and eastern sides of Bear Wood. The woodland is predominantly beech high forest intermixed with pedunculate oak, ash, silver birch, wych elm, field maple and wild cherry. The stand types vary with soil type and depth and include acid pedunculate oak beech, calcareous pedunculate oak ash beech maple variant and dry ash maple. Small areas of plantation occur in the southern and northern parts of the site with ash, beech and larch used in the crop. One small block of ash with hazel coppice is present in the southern part. The flora of the shrub and ground layers varies with soil type and gradient. Holly Ilex aquifolium, elder Sambucus nigra and rowan Sorbus aucuparia occur over much of the site, while spurge laurel Daphne laureola, an uncommon species associated with ancient woodland, also occurs in the shrub layer in parts of the site. The ground flora contains bramble Rubus fruticosus agg, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis over much of the site. Less common elements of the ground flora, which are usually associated with ancient woodland, include broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine, southern wood rush Luzula forsteri, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana, woodruff Galium odoratum and goldilocks buttercup Ranunculus auricomus and the moss Leucobryum glaucum. The varied fungal flora includes the club fungus Ramaria stricta and the ink cap Coprinopsis picacea; both are usually associated with beech woodland in southern England.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
ink cap Coprinopsis picacea Not listed in GB list fungus psathyrellaceae
enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana LC herb onagraceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
woodruff Galium odoratum LC herb rubiaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
goldilocks buttercup Ranunculus auricomus LC herb ranunculaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
large white moss Leucobryum glaucum LC moss dicranales
southern woodrush Luzula forsteri LC rush juncaceae
spurge laurel Daphne laureola LC shrub thymelaeaceae
elder Sambucus nigra LC shrub caprifoliaceae
holly Ilex aquifolium LC tree aquifoliaceae
rowan Sorbus aucuparia LC tree rosaceae

Plant communities

W12 — Beech wood

Fagus sylvatica-Mercurialis perennis woodland

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Aesculus hippocastanum, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Buxus sempervirens, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Viburnum opulus, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Crataegus monogyna, Daphne laureola, Carex flacca, Carex sylvatica, Mnium hornum, Plagiomnium undulatum, Fissidens taxifolius, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thamnobryum alopecurum, Tamus communis, Anthriscus sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Sanicula europaea, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Mycelis muralis, Solidago virgaurea, Cynoglossum officinale, Alliaria petiolata, Campanula trachelium, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Hypericum hirsutum, Iris foetidissima, Ajuga reptans, Glechoma hederacea, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Epilobium montanum, Cephalanthera damasonium, Neottia nidus-avis, Neottia ovata, Veronica chamaedrys, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Ranunculus bulbosus, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium odoratum, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis ramosa, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica uniflora, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas

W14 — Beech wood, Wood pasture

Fagus sylvatica-Rubus fruticosus woodland

Hedera helix, Salix caprea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Pinus sylvestris, Prunus avium, Sorbus aria, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Sambucus nigra, Ruscus aculeatus, Ligustrum vulgare, Carex remota, Carex sylvatica, Luzula pilosa, Mnium hornum, Dicranella heteromalla, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens taxifolius, Brachythecium rutabulum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Isothecium myosuroides, Kindbergia praelonga, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichum commune, Polytrichum formosum, Arum maculatum, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Stellaria media agg., Euphorbia amygdaloides, Mercurialis perennis, Hypericum pulchrum, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Epipactis helleborine, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Geum urbanum, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium odoratum, Galium verum, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis ramosa, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Melica uniflora, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus giganteus, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas

W15 — Beech wood, Wood pasture

Fagus sylvatica-Deschampsia flexuosa woodland

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus hybrid, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata, Calluna vulgaris, Rhododendron ponticum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Ruscus aculeatus, Carex pilulifera, Luzula pilosa, Luzula sylvatica, Mnium hornum, Orthodontium lineare, Dicranella heteromalla, Dicranum scoparium, Leucobryum glaucum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Kindbergia praelonga, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Polytrichum formosum, Tetraphis pellucida, Calypogeia fissa, Diplophyllum albicans, Gymnocolea inflata, Lepidozia reptans, Cladonia fimbriata, Cladonia squamules, Lonicera periclymenum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Oxalis acetosella, Rubus fruticosus agg., Melanpyrum pratense, Agrostis capillaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Molinia caerulea, Poa nemoralis, Blechnum spicant, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata