Fordon Chalk Grasslands

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.1695, -0.4074

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1) Unfavourable Recovering (7)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TA024770 Unfavourable Declining 1.15 2013-10-31
TA028767 Unfavourable Recovering 4.19 2013-11-01
TA031765 Unfavourable Recovering 4.19 2013-11-01
TA036765 Unfavourable Recovering 3.54 2013-11-01
TA040760 Unfavourable Recovering 23.12 2012-09-03
TA046755 Unfavourable Recovering 3.61 2012-08-30
TA050756 Unfavourable Recovering 19.67 2012-08-31
TA056751 Unfavourable Recovering 19.67 2012-08-31

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
crane Unknown
meadow pipit Breeding

Description

Description Fordon Chalk Grasslands comprise one of the most varied grassland systems, in terms of their floristic richness, aspect and management regimes, remaining in the Wolds. The site comprises a disjunct series of grasslands in the dry valleys of Cotton Dale, North Dale and East Dale, centred on the village of Fordon. The grassland communities include heavily grazed, short turf areas dominated by sheep's' fescue Festuca ovina and red fescue F. rubra, mixed grasslands with fescues, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, hairy oat Avenula pubescens, quaking grass Briza media and crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha and areas of course grassland with upright brome Bromus erectus and cock's foot Dactylis glomerata. Many areas are extremely diverse botanically, with an abundance of characteristic herbs such as clustered bell flower Campanula glomerata, carline thistle Carlina vulgaris, woolly thistle Cirsium eriophorum, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, purging flax Linum catharticum, cowslip Primula veris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis and thyme Thymus praecox. Additionally many less common species occur, pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis, kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, bloody crane's bill Geranium sanguineum, felwort Gentianella amarella and saw wort Serratula tinctoria. The linear valley bottom grasslands in North Dale, whilst not presently of intrinsic nature conservation interest, are included for the proper safeguard of the adjacent herb rich swards. Gorse Ulex europaeus and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna scrub is present on many of the slopes and in places forms dense stands. The grasslands also have a rich invertebrate fauna with several locally distributed species. The butterflies include common blue, brown argus, meadow brown, ringlet, green veined white, small skipper and dingy skipper. The typical grassland/scrub bird community includes breeding skylark, meadow pipit, yellowhammer, chaffinch, dunnock and blackbird.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
dunnock Prunella modularis LC (Breeding) bird-accentor prunellidae
yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella LC (Breeding) bird-bunting emberizidae
chaffinch Fringilla coelebs LC (Breeding) bird-finch fringillidae
skylark Alauda arvensis VU (Breeding) bird-lark alaudidae
meadow pipit Anthus pratensis LC (Breeding) bird-pipit motacillidae
blackbird Turdus merula LC (Breeding) bird-thrush turdidae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
downy oat grass Avenula pubescens LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
crested hair-grass Koeleria macrantha NT grass poaceae
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
lady's fingers (kidney vetch) Anthyllis vulneraria NT herb fabaceae
purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus EN herb fabaceae
clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata VU herb campanulaceae
carline thistle Carlina vulgaris LC herb asteraceae
wooly thistle Cirsium eriophorum LC herb asteraceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
autumn gentian Gentianella amarella LC herb gentianaceae
bloody cranesbill Geranium sanguineum LC herb geraniaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix 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

Hedera 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

Hedera 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