Condition of SSSI units

Compiled: 01 Aug 2010

See the SSSI glossary for an explanation of terms.

Region	County	District	Main habitat	Staff member responsible for unit	Unit number	Unit ID	Unit area (ha)	Latest assessment date	Assessment description	Condition assessment comment	Reason for adverse condition
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	1	1001843	115.27	31 Jul 2001	Unfavourable recovering	Main part of woods in good condition. Some works to tracks. Knotweed been sprayed along main channel.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	2	1001844	100.02	08 Oct 2003	Favourable	Varied structure & composition. Some thinning of beech/larch plantation. Good regenerationof birch, hazel, ash and some oak in most clearings, in a few with sycamore ans elsewhere some beech but currently at low frequency and % of shrub layer. Elm still present in understorey. Abundant dead wood. A few japanese knotweed (& 1 himalayan) shoots opposite Rockford Inn. Very rare rhododendron bushes mainly upstream of Rockford on steep banks.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Bracken	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	6	1001852	28.74	27 Jul 2010	Unfavourable recovering	Assessed dry heath (13/8/09) and bracken habitat for fritillary butterflies (22/5/2010) forming a distinctive element of the larger woodland area (which is assessed and reported elsewhere) forming a mosaic with other areas of scrub and acid grassland (U3). Only 3 samples taken in heath, only one passes all attribute thresholds, others fail on excessive Ulex gallii and low ericoid cover. Some areas of abundant anthills in grassy SW facing slopes. In valley bottom birch colonising vigourously and signs of grazing are rare. Bracken areas 8/9 samples passing: Violet density, Violet age classes, Bracken litter, Bracken surface topography. 3 preferred surfaces present. Bare ground only ephemerally exposed in a low grass sward, apart from along linear animals tracks. Ground layer comprising low bracken litter and frequent violets beneath medium and sometimes high frond sward. Scrub rare, less than 10% and composed of western gorse, hawthorn and bramble. One record of High Brown Fritillary in this Unit during the current monitoring cycle, 1 on 6.vii.2007 (BC member). Pearl-bordered Fritillary was seen in some numbers Additional comments: south-facing slope on the eastern side of Holden Head excluded from assessment due to a relatively recent fire. The exclosed field in the north-west corner of the unit was also excluded. It is being grazed along with the field south of the A39 (outside of the SSSI) and in addition to 3 sheep in the field at least another 98 have access. The rest of the unit is grazed separately and only 1 sheep was noted.The area is now grazed across the road with Barna Barrow as part of a landscape resttoration scheme. Managed under ESA Scheme
South West	Devon	North Devon	Bracken	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	7	1001853	24.75	04 Jul 2002	Unfavourable recovering	Rhododendron on steep slopes. Subject of past control - further work needs doing. No HBF bracken cutting done - none planned following NT Advisor visit. Slopes to west colonising with trees/scrub.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	8	1001850	23.44	29 Mar 2010	Unfavourable recovering	Desk based assessment. HLS now signed,
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	9	1001845	5.56	14 Mar 2002	Favourable	Steep old oak coopice, but more diversity of structure and species than usual. Regeneration present. Relatively high lichen diversity. Some scattered beech.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	10	1001846	11.01	15 Feb 2008	Unfavourable recovering	HLS agreement now operating. Grazing pattern improved.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	11	1001847	2.21	12 Mar 2003	Unfavourable no change	Oak standards over some hazel and birch. Top of woodland overgrazed, partly poaching at field edge and partly more widespread bare ground and lack of field or shrub layer. Lower parts of woodland have excellent structure with narrow floodplain with mainly young ash, some alder and Salix..	Overgrazing
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	12	1001848	11.72	18 Mar 2002	Unfavourable no change	Dense oak, beech & sycamore mainly N facing shady wood with occasional larch and rhododendron. Sycamore and beech regeration. Some deadwood. Too shady for good development of lichens. Unfavourable due to lack of structure, presence of abundant beech, sycamore and rhododendron.	Inappropriate scrub control
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	13	1001849	2.71	18 Mar 2002	Favourable	Spindly oak coppice, with sparse understorey. Occasional beech. Favourable for its type!
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	14	1024449	2.78	20 Jul 2010	Unfavourable recovering	HLS now signed which will lead to rhododendron control and creation of small clearings involving larch felling.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Earth heritage	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	15	1019516	1.42	22 Jul 2009	Favourable	Original visit with geological speccialist 8/10/08. Further visit 21/7/09. Conclusion that the site was overall favourable. What meshing / bolting / grouting / dentition there has been is at present not great enough to impact upon the interest. However, any more meshing of large exposures could become a problem. Some vegetation clearance will be necessary in some areas in the near future (i.e. next few years).
South West	Devon	North Devon	Dwarf shrub heath - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	16	1026764	10.70	27 Jul 2010	Unfavourable recovering	10 points coincident with heathland interest in this unit were sampled, which forms a mosaic of bracken slope, scree and Ulex scrub at the edge of the Watersmeet woods. The largest area of this exists on the flatter ground towards the top of South Hill Common, with some other fragments on the steeper slopes to the west. No samples pass all attributes, mainly failing on excessive cover of Ulex gallii, Erica cinerea as the only ericaceous dwarf shrub present and a lack of early successional growth. Bryophytes/lichens – 8/10; Dwarf shrub cover – 10/10 but >25% group i indicators 1/10 and >50% group ii indicators 7/10 (although could be a naturally Ulex-dominated form of H8); Dwarf shrub indicators – 0/10 only E. cinerea and at one sample V. myrtillus; Non-native species – 10/10 Bracken – 10/10 no evidence of bracken invading dwarf shrub stands as Bracken slopes excluded from assessment; Trees and scrub – 10/10 just single seedling whitebeam (sample 1) and oak (sample 2); Weedy species – 10/10; Soft rush – 10/10; Sensitive area burning – 8/10 two areas burnt on steep slope above woodland edge in southern part of unit; Intense disturbance estimate – Up to 10% of area burnt (marked on map) but >5% were pure stands of gorse with no ericaceous dwarf shrub cover; Growth phases – pioneer vegetation only a small part of 3/10 samples, building 3/10, mature 6/10, late mature 1/10; Grazing – 13 sheep inside the unit but favouring the grassy areas with little sign of browsing on heath vegetation. Unit being grazed along with field to west where there were a further 37 sheep; Bare ground – 10/10. Managed under ESA scheme.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	17	1027076	1.32	05 Dec 2000	Favourable	Generally in good codition with diversity of structure. Few beech and tiny amount of rhododendron on steep slope above bridge and small patch of knotweed below bridge only concerns. Advice given through SMS.
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-hansen	18	1028248	1.64
South West	Devon	North Devon	Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland - upland	Flemming Ulf-Hansen	19	1028249	2.61	11 Jun 2004	Unfavourable recovering	Rhododendron all cut and treated under MA. Some v. short regrowth on a small % of stumps and one or two isolated seedlings/protrate stems seen which will be mopped up in Autumn follow-up.