-Mendip
| Typical Mendip habitats | ||
| Introduction | Unimproved limestone grassland | Acid dwarf-shrub heath | Ash woodland | ||
Introduction |
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| Long-established
habitats usually support a much more diverse range of wildlife than
those of more recent origin and the more important semi-natural habitats
on Mendip have developed as a consequence of a complex interaction
of underlying geology, soils, aspect, climate, and a range of other
factors. The modern-day Mendip landscape also supports extensive areas of intensively-managed
grazing pasture, particularly on the deep and fertile soils of the
plateau. Agricultural 'improvement' has encouraged application of
fertilisers and re-seeding with rye-grass and other palatable grasses,
giving such swards a characteristic vivid green colour throughout
the year. However, such grasslands have lost most of their original
character and contribute little to the biodiversity of the area.
Many different habitats can be found in the Mendip Hills, but in the context of publicly accessible sites, three are especially characteristic: |
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