Capler Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.9900, -2.6002

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Also within

Herefordshire County WYE VALLEY (England) Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SO588325 — Favourable 5.97 2010-05-11

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Area, 5.98 ha. 14.8 ac. Description A block of ancient native broadleaved scarp woodland forming part of Capler Woods which lie adjacent to the River Wye between Hereford and Ross. This section of the Wye Valley is agricultural in character and Capler Wood forms a valuable oasis for wildlife in this area. The woodland consists of two main structural types. The first is dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea and small leaved lime Tilia cordata with alder Alnus glutinosa in the lower parts of the wood near the river. This type of woodland has a good shrub layer with species such as field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana. The second type is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior with occasional sessile oak Quercus petraea and birch Betula pendula. The shrub layer is mainly dominated by hazel Corylus avellana. In parts there is good regeneration of ash. The scarce, large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos has also been recorded in the area in the past. The ground vegetation is richer in the oak dominated woodland with wood melick Melica uniflora, greater wood rush Luzula sylvatica and cow wheat Melampyrum pratense as characteristic species. Other notable plants are nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium and fingered sedge Carex digitata, a nationally rare species. The ash woodland ground flora is less interesting, dominated mainly by bracken Pteridium aquilinum and bramble Rubus fruticosus. The woodland is rich in mosses and ferns. Hart’s tongue fern Asplenium scolopendrium, in particular, is present in large numbers.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
hart's-tongue fern Asplenium scolopendrium LC fern aspleniaceae
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
wood melick Melica uniflora NT grass poaceae
nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium LC herb campanulaceae
common cowwheat Melampyrum pratense VU herb orobanchaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
great wood rush Luzula sylvatica LC rush juncaceae
fingered sedge Carex digitata LC sedge cyperaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
alder Alnus glutinosa LC tree salicaceae
birch Betula pendula LC tree betulaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
sessile or durmast oak Quercus petraea LC tree fagaceae
lime small leaved Tilia cordata LC tree malvaceae
large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos LC tree malvaceae

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus 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

Isolepis 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

Berula 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

Fontinalis 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

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