Barker Scar
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD333782 | — | Favourable | 2.25 | 2018-06-19 |
| SD335778 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 13.29 | 2018-06-19 |
| SD337775 | — | Favourable | 2.02 | 2018-06-19 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
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
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Description
Description Baker Scar is located approximately three kilometres north west of Cark on the north coast of Morecambe Bay, overlooking the Levens Estuary. The site lies on south west facing cliffs of Carboniferous Limestone, approximately 15 metres high, which rise directly from the saltmarshes of the bay. The site has both geological and biological interest with the cliffs providing good exposures of the limestone and their ledges and tops supporting interesting limestone grassland with patches of scrub and woodland. The grassland has developed on a shallow soil and supports a rich variety of plants including several rare species. The grassland is similar to that found at Humphrey Head SSSI and is a habitat which is becoming increasingly scarce, nationally and in South Cumbria. The cliff top limestone grassland is dominated by a mixture of grasses which include common bent grass Agrostis capillaris, sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, yellow oat Trisetum flavescens and quaking grass Briza media. The sward is very herb rich. Herbs and sedges occurring here include common knapweed Centaurea nigra, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, rest-harrow Ononis repens, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, wild thyme Thymus praecox, common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, spring sedge Carex caryophyllea and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Nearer to the cliff edge the grassland is less grazed and is dominated by the coarser grass of blue moor grass Sesleria caeruleae. Several rare and locally uncommon plants have been recorded from this grassland. These include squinancywort Asperula cynanchica, common centaury Centaurium erythraea, limestone bedstraw Galium sterneri, common gromwell Lithospermum officinale, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and spring cinquefoil Potentilla tabernaemontani. The cliff and parts of the grassland support patches of scrub with ash Fraxinus excelsior, sessile oak Quercus petraea, yew Taxus baccata, privet Ligustrum vulgare, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and hazel Corylus avellana. Scattered individuals of the rare whitebeam Sorbus lancastriensis also occur along the cliffs. A good stand of yew and also a small stand of ash and wych elm Ulmus glabra occur just north of raven's Barrow Point. The geological interest of the site lies in the cliff sections. These provide excellent exposures of a series of layers of limestone originally formed on the bed of a warm, shallow sea during the early Carboniferous Period of geological history, about 335 million years ago. The rock sequence includes the junction between two limestone formations which corresponds with the junction between two of the major subdivisions of the Carboniferous Period and is thus an important time marker enabling geologists to accurately compare these rocks with outcrops of similar age elsewhere in Britain and overseas. The rocks at Barker Scar also contain abundant fossil remains of marine life that inhabited the Lower Carboniferous sea, which are of great value in interpreting the environmental conditions during that period of geological history. This is an important reference locality for geological study of the early Carboniferous rocks of northwest England. A technical description of the geological interest can be obtained from the Nature Conservancy Council, the simple statement here should not be regarded as comprehensive.
Species mentioned
Show the 30 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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 speciesHedera 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 speciesHedera 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