Longleat Woods

Infobox SSSI


name=Longleat Woods
aos=Somerset
interest=Biological
gridref=gbmappingsmall|ST795435
area=249.9 hectare (617.4 acre)
notifydate=1972

http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
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Longleat Woods (gbmapping|ST795435) is a 249.9 hectare (617.4 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1972.This site includes the Ashen Copse Nature Conservation Review site. This site is a large, ancient, semi-natural, broadleaved woodland with a predominantly high forest structure which is unusual in South West Britain. Over the majority of the site, where soils are poorly drained but not waterlogged, the major canopy-forming tree is Pedunculate Oak ("Quercus robur"), with Ash ("Fraxinus excelsior") being locally common and distributed throughout. Hazel ("Corylus avellana") is the commonest shrub and occurs throughout. A large number of plant species normally found only in ancient woodlands occur, including Broad-leaved Helleborine ("Epipactis helleborine") and Wood Small-reed ("Calamagrostis epigejos"). The breeding bird communityincludes Woodcock ("Scolopax rusticola"), Tree Pipit ("Anthus trivialis"), Wood Warbler ("Phylloscopus sibilatrix"), Redstart ("Phoenicurus phoenicurus"), Buzzard ("Buteo buteo"), Tawny Owl ("Strix aluco"), Greater Spotted Woodpecker ("Dendrocopos major"), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ("Dendrocopos minor") and Green Woodpecker ("Picus viridis"). The breeding invertebrates include White Admiral ("Ladoga camilla"), Silver-washed Fritillary ("Argynnis paphia") and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary ("Boloria selene") butterflies and Hornets ("Vespa crabro"). [cite web | title=Longleat Woods | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1006543.pdf | accessdate=2006-08-17]

References