Eglarooze Cliff

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.3618, -4.3287

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Cornwall County King Charles Way - St Mawes to Cremyll National TrailSouth West Coast Path National Trail

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SX344539 — Favourable 34.22 2012-08-09

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

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

Bracken scrub, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Devonian

Landscape processes: Coastal, Karst

Birds & fish recorded

Fish

SpeciesSeason
Grayling Unknown

Description

Eglarooze Clif SSSI Description The south-facing cliffs west of Portwrinkle are particularly important for several rare plant species that occur within the mainly scrub dominated cliff slopes and coastal margin. The site extends for about three kilometres along the south Cornish coast between Long Stone Rock and Portwrinkle. The cliffs are steeply rising to a height of 100 metres in places, and are composed of Dartmouth slates of Lower Devonian age. There are active landslides on several stretches. Soils are naturally well-drained loams, but stony and shallow over harder rocks. The cliff face is dominated by dense scrub consisting of blackthorn Prunus spinosa, European gorse Ulex europoroeus with patches of bracken Pteridium aquilinum, bramble Rubus fruticosus and honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. Along the base of the cliff rock crevice vegetation occurs with thrift Armeria maritima, sea campion Silene uniflora, English stonecrop Sedum anglicum and buck’s-horn plantain Plantago coronopus being common. Maritime grassland occurs in small areas along the cliff edge, thrift Armeria maritima, red fescue Festuca rubra, wild carrot Daucus carota and sea campion Silene uniflora being dominant. Areas of unimproved neutral grassland occur to the east with species such as creeping soft grass Holcus mollis, cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata, sweet vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. The cliffs are particularly important for the occurrence of two Red Data Book* plant species: the slender bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus angustissimus and carrot broomrape Orobanche maritima. The clustered clover Trifolium glomeratum, a nationally rare species, has also recently been found here. In addition, some 44 species of moss have been recorded along this coastal stretch, including Desmatodon convolutus and Fissidens bambergeri which are local on the south coast and rare elsewhere. The butterfly species including grayling Hipparchia semele and dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja both of which are nationally declining species. Some twenty-two pairs of breeding shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis have been recorded on the cliffs. * The British Red Data Book – vascular plants documents rare and endangered species.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
Phalacrocorax aristotelis Not listed in GB list bird phalacrocoracidae
shag Gulosus aristotelis VU (Breeding) bird-frigate fregatidae
dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja Not listed in GB list butterfly nymphalidae
grayling Hipparchia semele EN butterfly nymphalidae
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
creeping soft grass Holcus mollis LC grass poaceae
thrift Armeria maritima CR herb plumbaginaceae
wild carrot Daucus carota LC herb apiaceae
honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum LC herb caprifoliaceae
slender birds foot trefoil Lotus angustissimus NT herb fabaceae
carrot broomrape Orobanche maritima Not listed in GB list herb orobanchaceae
buck's-horn plantain Plantago coronopus LC herb plantaginaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
English stonecrop Sedum anglicum LC herb crassulaceae
sea campion Silene uniflora LC herb carophyllaceae
clustered clover Trifolium glomeratum LC herb fabaceae
rib leaf moss Desmatodon convolutus Not listed in GB list moss pottiaceae
pocket moss Fissidens bambergeri Not listed in GB list moss dicranales
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae

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

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera 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