Mendip Woodlands
Site details
Location of Mendip Woodlands SAC/SCI/cSAC
Note:
When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.
Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site
| 9180 Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines * Priority feature |
| Mendip Woodlands in south-west England is a relatively extensive example of Tilio-Acerion forests on limestone. It is a cluster of three ash-dominated woods on Carboniferous limestone. A rich variety of other trees and shrubs are present, including elm Ulmus spp. and, locally, small-leaved lime Tilia cordata. At Ebbor Gorge elm rather than lime is mixed with ash Fraxinus excelsior in a steep-sided gorge; at both Rodney Stoke and Cheddar Wood lime and ash are found on rocky slopes with patches of deeper soil between the outcrops. Ferns characteristic of this woodland type, such as hart’s-tongue Phyllitis scolopendrium and shield-ferns Polystichum spp., are common. The site is in the centre of the range of common dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius and holds a large population of this species. |
Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site
Not applicable.
Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site
Not applicable.
Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection
Not applicable.
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