Wiggenhall St. Germans
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TF588138 | — | Favourable | 5.23 | 2009-01-23 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Peatland / Mire
Description
Description Wiggenhall St Germans was one of the first sites in Britain to be investigated for sea level studies using pollen and foraminifera analyses. The sequence of deposits is dominated by fine grained clastic sediments intercalated by three peat layers and with a thin basal peat. The site is important both historically and for future research. Detailed analysis of the whole sequence of deposits together with radio-carbon dating will provide much useful palaeoenvironmental and chronological information.