Ruttersleigh
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| Ruttersleigh | |
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| Area of Search | Somerset |
| Grid Reference | ST250165 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 97.0 hectare (239.7 acre) |
| Notification | 1991 |
| Location Map | English Nature |
Ruttersleigh (grid reference ST250165) is a 97.0 hectare (239.7 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the north-facing slope of the Blackdown Hills. in Somerset, notified in 1991.
This site comprises a mosaic of broadleaved woodland, scrub, bracken, mires and unimproved grassland which provides the habitat for several species of butterfly which are now scarce in Britain. The site is also important for its lichens. The ground flora includes a number of species normally found only in ancient woodland such as Woodruff (Galium odoratum) and Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa). Wood Horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum), which is rare in Somerset, is abundant and widespread on this site also being found in the areas of Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum). The epiphytic lichen flora is also typical of ancient woodland and includes species such as Lobaria pulmonaria. The nationally scarce Opegrapha corticola and the nationally rare Chaenotheca stemonea also occur. The woodland rides and glades provide ideal habitat for the nationally scarce Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis) butterfly, this site having by far the strongest colony known in Somerset. The grassland provides habitat for the nationally scarce Marsh Fritillary (Eurodryas aurinia) butterfly. The breeding birds include Nightingale (Luscinia megarhyches), Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix). Adder (Vipera berus), Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica), Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) and Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) have all been recorded from the site.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Ruttersleigh. English Nature. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
SSSIs: Aller and Beer Woods | Aller Hill | Asham Wood | Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill | Babcary Meadows | Barle Valley | Barrington Hill Meadows | Berrow Dunes | Black Down and Sampford Commons | Brean Down | Bridgwater Bay | Briggins Moor | Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors | Chancellor's Farm | Cheddar Complex | Cheddar Reservoir | Cheddar Wood | Cleeve Hill | Cogley Wood | Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill | Curry and Hay Moors | Deadman | Draycott Sleights | Dunster Park and Heathlands | East Polden Grasslands | Ebbor Gorge | Edford Woods and Meadows | Exmoor Coastal Heaths | Fivehead Woods and Meadow | Freshmoor | Friar's Oven | Ge-mare Farm Fields | Great Breach and Copley Woods | Grove Farm | Hardington Moor | Hestercombe House | Holme Moor & Clean Moor | King's Sedgemoor | Kingdown and Middledown | Kingweston Meadows | Lang's Farm | Langford Heathfield | Langmead and Weston Level | Long Lye | Long Lye Meadow | Longleat Woods | Millwater | Moorlinch | Nettlecombe Park | North Brewham Meadows | North Curry Meadow | North Exmoor | North Moor | Old Ironstone Works, Mells | Perch | Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh | Postlebury Wood | Priddy Pools | Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood | Quantocks | Quants | Ringdown | River Barle | Rodney Stoke | Roebuck Meadows | Ruttersleigh | Severn Estuary | Shapwick Heath | Sharpham Moor Plot | South Exmoor | Southey and Gotleigh Moors | Southlake Moor | Sparkford Wood | St. Dunstan's Well Catchment | Stowell Meadow | Street Heath | Tealham and Tadham Moors | Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands | Twinhills Woods and Meadows | Vallis Vale | Walton and Ivythorn Hills | West Moor | West Sedgemoor | Westhay Heath | Westhay Moor | Wet Moor | Whitevine Meadows | Windsor Hill Marsh | Wookey Hole | Woolhayes Farm
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