Higher Houghton
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST792054 | — | Favourable | 0.41 | 2006-08-02 |
| ST798052 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 22.56 | 2024-02-16 |
| ST800045 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 17.3 | 2024-02-16 |
| ST800055 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 28.79 | 2024-02-16 |
| ST801047 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 12.46 | 2010-06-21 |
| ST801049 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 12.26 | 2012-03-30 |
| ST801053 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 18.31 | 2013-02-01 |
| ST804041 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 13.55 | 2010-06-21 |
| ST807037 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 15.1 | 2010-06-21 |
| ST809047 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 4.29 | 2012-03-30 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 139.0 ha. 343.5 ac. Description This site, which covers three dry valleys in chalk with adjacent plateau, has grassland and woodland of great diversity reflecting variation in its soils. The chalk grassland and scrub communities are particularly rich and well developed and provide excellent examples of types found in east central Dorset. The chalk slopes of Heath Bottom, Park Bottom and above Bully Wood have swards largely dominated by sheep's and red fescues, Festuca ovina and F. rubra. A range of other grasses are present including meadow oat Avenula pratensis, crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha, wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus. These swards are generally very rich in herbs typical of chalk downland with rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus particularly abundant. valerian Valeriana officinalis is locally important and the scarce early gentian Gentianella anglica also occurs. Small areas of scrub provide interfaces against the surrounding downland which are important for the invertebrate fauna and are a prominent feature of this site. In their diversity of species including dogwood Cornus sanguinea, buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica, spindle Euonymus europaeus and whitebeam Sorbus aria, the scrub communities show strong affinities to those of central southern England. Swards of more neutral/acid character with high contents of creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, common bent Agrostis capillaris, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and red fescue, occur on the deeper soils and over plateau deposits of Clay with Flints. On the deeper soils some of the typical chalk species still occur but only infrequently and the local appearance of lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica reflects damper more acid conditions. The semi natural woodland is of two main types. On the chalk slopes there is ash Fraxinus excelsior / hazel Corylus avellana coppice, with a varied ground flora dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis. The more acid soils of the higher ground support oak Quercus robur woodland much of it old coppice with an understorey containing holly Ilex aquifolium and hazel. Here there is a characteristic acid ground flora including bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and great wood rush Luzula sylvatica and the mosses Polytrichum formosum and Dicranum scoparium. The extent and diversity of habitat encourages strong populations of woodland and grassland animals and the sheltered chalk slopes are favoured by the typical down land butterflies including the local chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon.
Species mentioned
Show the 28 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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