Church Ings

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.9035, -1.0968

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

North Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SE594456 — Favourable 7.06 2011-07-19

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
cuckoo Unknown

Description

Description Church Ings comprises two unimproved alluvial flood meadows, adjacent to the River Ouse at Acaster Malbis in the Vale of York. These meadows are of particular importance for their neutral grassland plant community which is an increasingly rare habitat type, threatened nationally as a result of drainage and agricultural improvement. The sward includes a variety of characteristic plant species, with great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, common bistort Polygonum bistorta, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, red fescue Festuca rubra, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and common sedge Carex nigra. Where ground conditions are wettest there are stands of brown sedge Carex disticha. The nature conservation interest is dependent upon the maintenance of a high water table and on management by mowing for hay followed by aftermath grazing.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera LC grass poaceae
meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis LC grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis LC herb brassicaceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata LC herb plantaginaceae
bistort Polygonum bistorta Not listed in GB list herb polygonaceae
meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris DD herb ranunculaceae
great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis LC herb rosaceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi LC herb carophyllaceae
brown sedge Carex disticha LC sedge cyperaceae
common sedge Carex nigra LC sedge cyperaceae

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