River Ure Bank, Ripon Parks

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.1730, -1.5297

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Also within

North Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SE307751 — Favourable 1.63 2009-06-03

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

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Geological Period: Permian

Landscape processes: Coastal, Karst

Description

Area, 1.9 hectares 4.6 ac First Notified, 1988 Description Subsidence hollows, caused by the dissolution of Permian evaporite beds within the Edlington Formation, occur in this part of the County. Such evaporites are rare at outcrop, but they occur here in a cliff section on the banks of the River Ure, which has been studied by geologists for over a century. The cliff exposes a sequence of variegated red and green marls and pink to grey fibrous gypsum beds in the Edlington Formation Middle Marls. The gypsum also occurs in veins. This is one of the best exposures of an evaporite sequence within the Zechstein deposits of the Yorkshire Province. Other Information 1. The site is identified as being of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review. 2. The site lies wholly within the existing biological Site of Special Scientific Interest known as Ripon Parks.

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