Protecting Rampisham Down: A Unique Site of Special Scientific Interest

1. Evidence in Support of the Notification of Rampisham Down as a Site of Special Scientific Interest on behalf of Dorset Wildlife Trust Miles King FLS MCIEEM Senior Ecologist Footprint Ecology • Part of a • nationwide network • of Wildlife Trusts

2. Dorset Wildlife Trust • Founded in 1961. • Over 25000 members. • Own/Manage 41 Nature Reserves across Dorset. • “Our vision is for Dorset's environment to be richer and wildlife for everyone. We aim to rebuild Dorset's biodiversity, increasing the variety and amount of wildlife in the county. We also aim to inspire people to care about wildlife and to get involved in nature conservation. We act as wildlife champions, protecting our natural heritage against threats and promote sustainable living.”

3. Biodiversity 2020 • ‘halt overall biodiversity loss, support healthy well-functioning ecosystems and establish coherent ecological networks, with more and better places for nature for the benefit of wildlife and people’ • Outcome 1A: By 2020 establish better wildlife habitats with 90% of priority habitats in favourable or recovering condition • Outcome 1B: No net loss of priority habitat

4. Unimproved Grasslands • Since 1940 98% of England’s wildlife-rich semi-natural grasslands has been lost. • Just 60% of Lowland Acid Grassland has been notified as SSSI (NE State of the Environment Report 2008) • Unprotected grasslands continue to be lost to agriculture, development and neglect. • The condition of unprotected grasslands is poorer than protected grasslands.

5. Lowland Acid Grassland • Supports a wide range of flowers, but also very important for Bryophytes Lichens and Fungi. • SSSI guidelines (chapter 18) grassland fungi. • Very few grasslands have been notified for fungi, an omission recognised in NE notification Strategy. • All sites should be notified (minimum standard). • Also important for invertebrates, vertebrates and birds.

6. Rampisham Down • The largest area of unimproved lowland acid grassland (priority habitat) in Dorset. • One of the largest areas of unimproved lowland acid grassland in England. • Vast Majority of Lowland Acid Grassland occurs in mosaic with lowland heathlands on acidic soils – Dorset Heaths, New Forest, Thames Basin Heaths etc. • Rampisham is very unusual as an example of Lowland Acid Grassland on drift soils over a calcareous substrate ie chalk. • Gives rise to unusual mosaics of acid and calcareous communities. “chalk heath”. • Corn Bunting and Adder recorded on site.

7. National Vegetation Classification • From SSSI Selection Criteria (Part B Operational Approach & Criteria). • A standardised countrywide description of the range of variation [of vegetation] the SSSI series is required to represent. (2.7.1) • A reference system of nodal points in a complex, multi-dimensional field of variation in vegetation, so that any particular stand can be identified either as representing one nodal point, or as occupying an intermediate position between 2 or more nodal points. (2.7.2) • A fundamental point to grasp is that, because vegetational variation in the field tends to be continuous, many stands will be intermediate in characteristics between abstract nodal types. These intermediates are usually of equal conservation value to the type examples and so merit similar representation: (2.8)

8. How well defined is U4? • Lowland examples are not mentioned in The SSSI Grassland Guidelines • U4 mostly (completely?) sampled from upland fringe sites. • U4a – 172 samples taken. • U4b – only 35 samples taken • U4c - only 18 samples taken – all from upland sites. • cf MG5 137 MG5a, 42 MG5b, 15 MG5c.

9. Atypical U4 • U4 at Rampisham is atypical (between nodes). Unsampled in the NVC. • Elements of U4c, though scattered. U4c preferentials: • Luzulacampestrisabundant through U4a and U4b. • Carexcaryophylleaabundant in U4a, occasional in U4b • Galiumverumoccasional-locally abundant in U4b. • Lotus corniculatusfrequent in both U4a and b. • Briza media locally occasional in U4a • Stachysofficinalisrare in U4a • Campanula rotundifoliarare in U4a • Absence of Succisapratensisand Lathyrusmontanusreflects local conditions/management.

10. Species Richness • NVC floristic tables • U4a – average 22 (range 7 -62) • U4b – average 20 (range 11-39) • U4c – average 28 (range 18-42) • Rampisham survey • U4a 12.9 (range 8-15) 17-21 (Biron/Cooch) • U4b 12.2 (range 8-16) • Suboptimal management in recent years.

11. Conclusion • Lowland Acid Grassland is very rare in England, but only just over half is protected within SSSIs. • Lowland Acid Grasslands continue to be lost to development, agriculture and neglect. • Rampisham Down is a very important site for wildlife. • It is unique in Dorset as a survival of a large area of unimproved lowland acid grassland, on calcareous bedrock. • Plant communities are atypical & this adds to its value. • In addition to its botanical value, it is likely to support a wide range of other species, especially Fungi..