Gight Woods

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 57.4334, -2.3398

Also within

Aberdeenshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Upland mixed ash woodland Favourable 2013-06-03
F2 Upland oak woodland Favourable 2005-03-31

Description

GIGHT WOODS Gight Woods are located along the banks of the River Ythan, 19 km upstream of Ellon. The woods comprise three separate areas of ancient woodland with some of the largest and least disturbed native woodland in the Aberdeenshire lowlands. The woods have a mixed broadleaved canopy with much ash, oak and birch, both wild cherry and bird cherry and a shrub layer of hazel, blackthorn and willow. In addition to the canopy, the woodland field layer is also indicative of a long history of woodland cover. The slopes support several woodland species which are scarce over much of north-east Scotland, including three-nerved sandwort Moehringia trinervia, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, smooth-stalked sedge Carex laevigata and remote sedge Carex remota.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
moschatel Adoxa moschatellina LC herb adoxaceae
three nerved sandwort Moehringia trinervia LC herb carophyllaceae
smooth stalked sedge Carex laevigata LC sedge cyperaceae
remote sedge Carex remota 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