Abbey St Bathans Woodlands

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.8377, -2.3411

Also within

Berwickshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Unfavourable No Change (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Lichen assemblage Unfavourable No Change 2005-03-31
F2 Upland oak woodland Unfavourable No Change 2007-02-09

Habitats

Ancient woodland

Description

ABBEY ST BATHANS WOODLANDS Abbey St Bathans Woodlands Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), located adjacent to Abbey St Bathans approximately 21 km west of Eyemouth, is a composite site comprised of seven woodland compartments which occur along the valleys of the Monynut Water and Whiteadder Water. Together the woodland compartments constitute more than one third of the remaining ancient deciduous woodland in Berwickshire. The SSSI is also one of the most important woodland sites in the Borders district for its rich lichen flora and supports several locally rare and declining species. The separate woodland compartments vary in size and character and cover a range of woodland types, including dry sessile oakwood with birch and juniper, mixed oak-elm-hazelwood with ash and flushed birch-alderwood. Despite extensive woodland clearances across Scotland during the 12th Century Abbey, St Bathans Woodlands SSSI has had continuous woodland cover throughout historical times. Associated with the woodlands is a rich lichen flora including several nationally scarce species such as Micarea myriocarpa, Lecania cyrtellina and Psilolechia clavulifera. The site also supports the ancient woodland indicator species Loxospora elatina and Pertusaria hemisphaerica.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
no common name Lecania cyrtellina LC lichen no common name
Loxospora elatina LC lichen sarrameanaceae