Burton Common
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SZ192956 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 12.3 | 2021-09-07 |
| SZ194953 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 26.83 | 2021-09-07 |
Habitats
Description
Description A substantial tract of mature dry heath on relatively free draining soils. About 25 percent of the area has been colonised by Scot’s pine Pinus sylvestris to varying densities and a belt of mixed deciduous woodland flanking a stream traverses the site. The heather Calluna vulgaris is considerably older than in any known New Forest site and the older plants are degenerate, giving way to a luxuriant bryophyte and lichen flora in which young heather plants are colonising. Both in its age structure and in the absence of grazing, the site provides a sharp ecological contrast with the nearby New Forest. Notably, dwarf gorse Ulex minor a species removed by grazing in the New Forest is co-dominant with heather over wide areas. The Common supports populations of sand lizards Lacerta agilis and smooth snakes Coronella austriaca, which are essentially associated with the mature, dry heath and is one of only three known sites for the former in the New Forest area.
Species mentioned
Show the 5 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| smooth snake | Coronella austriaca | EN | reptile | colubridae |
| sand lizard | Lacerta agilis | EN | reptile | lacertidae |
| dwarf gorse | Ulex minor | LC | shrub | leguminosae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| Scot's pine | Pinus sylvestris | LC | tree | pinaceae |
Plant communities
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus 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
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis 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
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula 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
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis 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