Dunsdale Hollow
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJ513762 | — | Favourable | 6.85 | 2007-10-04 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Sandstone
Description
Description Dunsdale Hollow occurs on a steep north west facing escarpment of Upper Mottled and Keuper Sandstone. It is an acidic lowland birch Betula spp. and sessile oak Quercus petraea woodland. This type of woodland is often found in the uplands but its occurrence in a lowland landscape is very unusual and it is found on only one other site in Cheshire on the Peckforton Hills. Birch, sessile oak and pedunculate oak Quercus robur are all abundant throughout the woodland and rowan Sorbus aucuparia is frequent. The ground flora which is typically poor in species is composed of wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa, broad buckler fern Dryopteris dilatata, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. Less abundant are heather Calluna vulgaris, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and climbing corydalis Corydalis claviculata. On the steep banks of the sandstone outcrops there are good stands of great wood rush Luzula sylvatica, an uncommon plant in Cheshire. An open glade leading to the bottom of the slope is dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| broad buckler fern | Dryopteris dilatata | LC | fern | dryopteridaceae |
| bracken | Pteridium aquilinum | LC | fern | dennstaedtiaceae |
| wavy hair grass | Deschampsia flexuosa | Not listed in GB list | grass | poaceae |
| corydalis | Corydalis claviculata | Not listed in GB list | herb | fumariaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| bramble | Rubus fruticosus agg. | Not listed in GB list | herb | rosaceae |
| great wood rush | Luzula sylvatica | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| billberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | LC | shrub | ericaceae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| sessile or durmast oak | Quercus petraea | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | LC | tree | rosaceae |
Plant communities
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera 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