Killerton

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.7966, -3.4600

Also within

Devon County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable Declining (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SS964002 Favourable 0.56 2022-02-03
SS972006 Unfavourable Declining 73.17 2022-03-14
SS975004 Favourable 0.68 2022-02-03
SS980000 Unfavourable Declining 0.58 2022-02-03

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Floodplain · Rock Type: Basalt

Landscape processes: Fluvial, Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Killerton SSSI Description The site covers much of Killerton Park and the quarries therein, and is one of the more accessible examples of Permain basalt-like rocks known as lamprophyres. The lamprophyres here are typical biotite-phyric minettes and although field relationships are often obscure, they are considered to be lava flows rather than the usual dyke-like bodies seen elsewhere. The National Trust is creating a floodplain environment for planting a living gene bank for black poplar Populus nigra. This will balance the ratio of sexes and provide as wide a genetic diversity as possible, making it self sustaining. Currently there are only 7,000 trees remaining in the country of which 600 only are female.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
black poplar Populus nigra LC tree salicaceae