Dallington Forest
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ652206 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 16.11 | 2021-02-18 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Sandstone
Landscape processes: Peatland / Mire
Description
Description This site is an area of ancient woodland which lies on fine grained silts, sandstones, shales and mudstones of the Ashdown beds. The main feature of the site is the ghyll woodland which contains a number of plants with an 'Atlantic' distribution. This habitat type and its associated flora occur only in The Weald and in the west of Britain. The steep sided ghyll has been created by the vigorous down cutting of Willingford Stream through the geological strata leaving a range of soil types and occasional outcrops of sandstone. The warm, moist microclimate of the ghyll has allowed the retention of a rich 'Atlantic' flora. A small plateau woodland is present in the north of the site and there is a small meadow adjacent to it. Three woodland types dominate the ghyll area. In the north beech Fagus sylvatica and pedunculate oak Quercus robur occur with holly Ilex aquifolium, hazel Corylus avellana, hornbeam Carpinus betulus, birch Betula pendula and the occasional yew Taxus baccata above a heathy ground flora of bracken Pteridium aquilinum and ling Calluna vulgaris. In the south beech is largely absent and oak, birch and hazel dominate above a ground flora of honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum and bramble Rubus fruticosus. In the bottom of the valley there are stands of alder Alnus glutinosa above a rich ground flora of remote sedge Carex remota, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, gipsywort Lycopus europaeus and Sphagnum mosses. The following 'Atlantic' plants have been recorded from the ghyll area, wood fescue grass Festuca altissima, Cornish moneywort Sibthorpia europaea, hay scented fern Dryopteris aemula, ivy leaved bellflower, Wahlenbergia hederacea and the bryophytes liverworts and mosses Hyocomium armoricum, Hookeria lucens and Saccogyna viticulosa. The meadow in the north of the site contains plants such as ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. The woodland behind it consists of oak, hazel, birch and hornbeam above a ground flora of wood sage Teucrium scorodonia.
Species mentioned
Show the 25 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus 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
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis 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
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula 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
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis 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
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas