Hodder River Section

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.8555, -2.4552

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Also within

Lancashire County Forest Of Bowland Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SD702399 — Favourable 7.01 2015-03-13

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous

Description

Area, 7.4 hectares 18.3 ac Description This site is situated four kilometres south west of Clitheroe where the River Hodder has cut down through the rock strata. The geological interest of the site may be defined as follows, This locality is important for its exposures of marine Lower Carboniferous rocks. Here are exposed a sequence of turbiditic, ancient sediments of Holkerian to Asbian age, including the Bollandoceras hodderense beds. As well as being the type locality for these beds and the fossil which gives them their name, it is the type locality for a number of other fossil taxa. The rich invertebrate fauna includes trilobites, bivalves, brachipods, bryozoans, echinoids and cephalopods. Much potential exists for research on the faunas, sedimentology and stratigraphy of this key Dinantian locality.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea