Big Hyde Rough

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.6728, -2.2015

Also within

Staffordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SJ864083 Favourable 11.43 2017-03-07

Description

Description Big Hyde Rough is an ancient woodland to the west of Wolverhampton. It is an example of a valley alder wood on base rich soils derived from the underlying Keuper marl. The woodland canopy is dominated by alder Alnus glutinosa, pedunculate oak Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus excelsior with locally abundant field maple Acer campestre and scattered wych elm Ulmus glabra. The shrub layer contains hazel Corylus avellana, crack willow Salix fragilis, grey willow Salix cinerea, elder Sambucus nigra and dogwood Cornus sanguinea. The species rich ground flora includes ramsons Allium ursinum, pendulous sedge Carex pendula, sanicle Sanicula europaea, enchanter’s nightshade Circaea lutetiana, dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. Better drained areas of the wood support ash, oak and hazel in association with a species poor ground flora containing bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and bracken Pteridium aquilinum. Parts of these areas have been planted with larch Larix sp. Adjacent to the stream running through the wood is an area of ungrazed marshy grassland with tall herbs such as hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi with some invading tree and shrub species, demonstrating a natural succession to woodland.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
ramson Allium ursinum LC herb liliaceae
enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana LC herb onagraceae
hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum LC herb asteraceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
sanicle Sanicula europaea LC herb apiaceae
ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi LC herb carophyllaceae
pendulous sedge Carex pendula LC sedge cyperaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
elder Sambucus nigra LC shrub caprifoliaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
alder Alnus glutinosa LC tree salicaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
wych elm Ulmus glabra LC tree ulmaceae
grey willow Salix cinerea LC tree shrub salicaceae
crack willow Salix fragilis Not listed in GB list tree shrub salicaceae

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