Stoke Common Meadows
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU064903 | — | Favourable | 10.26 | 2021-06-14 |
Habitats
Description
Description Stoke common meadows is a botanically diverse area of unimproved neutral grassland in the Upper Thames Basin. The site comprises two herb rich hay meadows, a habitat type which is severely threatened throughout England by modern agricultural practices. Field boundary hedges are of importance as a breeding locality of an uncommon and declining butterfly, the brown hairstreak Thecla betulae. Ditches adjacent to the hedges and two small ponds are also present. The gently sloping site lies at an altitude of approximately 95 metres and has seasonally waterlogged soils derived from impermeable Oxford Clay. A shallow ridge and furrow system causes significant variations in hydrology across the site which is reflected in the plant communities present. Traditional management for hay with aftermath grazing has allowed a diversity of plants to flourish on the site. The meadow ridges support a range of grasses and sedges characteristic of neutral soils including large populations of sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra, common bent Agrostis capillaris, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Other plants occurring frequently are common knapweed Centaurea nigra, field wood rush Luzula campestris, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, bugle Ajuga reptans, red clover Trifolium pratense and tufted vetch Vicia cracca. Also present are locally uncommon species considered indicative of a long period of uninterrupted traditional management such as devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and betony Betonica officinalis. The meadow furrows are much wetter than the ridges and therefore support a different assemblage of plants including tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis, compact rush Juncus conglomeratus, jointed rush J. articulatus, creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens and greater bird's foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus. The boundary hedges contain a variety of woody species including blackthorn Prunus spinosa, the larval food plant of the brown hairstreak butterfly. Successful breeding in this species is dependent upon the continuation of non intensive hedgerow management. Whilst little recording has been carried, out it is likely that the grassland, hedges, ditches and ponds at Stoke Common Meadows support a range of birds, insects and other fauna.
Species mentioned
Show the 24 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas
W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas
W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub
Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Show 40 indicator speciesHedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum