Baverstock Juniper Bank

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.1016, -1.9507

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Wiltshire County Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU035335 — Unfavourable Recovering 2.37 2012-02-01

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Description Baverstock Juniper Bank supports over 500 bushes of the lowland juniper Juniperus communis sub species communis and represents one of the five largest colonies in Wiltshire. The bank comprises botanically rich chalk grassland which, ungrazed for many years, has been colonised by a wide variety of shrub species of which juniper forms a large proportion. Juniper has suffered a national decline in numbers over the last 200 years, mainly as a result of changes in land use. Colonies in southern England are almost entirely restricted to calcareous soils and within this region Wiltshire has the greatest abundance of the plant. Survey has shown that its distribution appears to be correlated to thin soils on steep slopes, often of a north to west facing aspect; Baverstock Juniper Bank occupies a north facing moderate slope on the Upper Chalk and demonstrates a typical juniper scrub locality in these respects. A comparatively even age structure is common in many juniper stands and is thought to be related to the intermittent occurrence of favourable conditions for seedling establishment. Here the majority of the stand is composed of mature bushes but with several younger specimens giving a probable age range of 15 to 50 years. Both upright and spreading forms of juniper are present a large proportion of the upright specimens having a height of 0.5 to 1.5 metres. In addition to juniper, 16 other species of woody plant occur, forming a rich scrub community which occupies approximately 50 percent of the site. hawthorn predominates while both blackthorn and young whitebeam are frequent. Other shrubs occurring include wild privet, wayfaring tree, buckthorn, spindle and, more unusually for the chalk, holly. The majority of the grassland surviving in glades amongst the scrub is dominated by upright brome Bromus erectus growing with tall chalk herbs such as salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria and lady's bedstraw Galium verum. Marjoram Origanum vulgare and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor are frequent while less common species include horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis. Rabbit grazing in some areas has resulted in patches of shorter turf where finer low growing chalk herbs survive, such as fairy flax Linum catharticum and squinancywort Asperula cynanchica. The mosaic of grassland and scrub supports a variety of fauna, although recording has been limited to date. Juniper is the sole host to various insects and fungi and a stand of over 500 bushes is considered valuable in maintaining the fauna of this species. Flocks of fruit and seed eating birds such as finches and yellowhammer frequent the site in winter and several species of butterfly have been recorded including brimstone, speckled wood and small heath.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella LC (Breeding) bird-bunting emberizidae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
wild marjoram Origanum vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DD herb orobanchaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
juniper Juniperus communis CR shrub cupressaceae

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