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13 Lancashire Plain and Valleys
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This Natural Area is an intensively-farmed area with arable, horticulture and dairy farming. Despite this, many fragmented remnants of once extensive habitats remain. The mosslands of the Lancashire Plain, now mostly drained for agriculture, still retain some fragments of the once extensive peat bogs. A few flower-rich meadows and fen-meadows survive, representing a once widespread habitat now mostly lost through agricultural intensification. Ancient woodlands are scattered through the valleys characterised by broadleaved deciduous trees such as oak and ash. Lakes and reservoirs support nesting waterfowl during the summer months.
This Natural Area is also significant for wintering waterfowl because of its proximity to several internationally important estuaries; large flocks of wintering waders and wildfowl feed and roost on the farmland along the coastal plain. The grazing marshes of the coastal plain also support nesting waders such as lapwing and redshank during the summer months. The numerous field ponds scattered across the boulder clay of the Fylde, and extending south into Chorley, support numerous populations of the great crested newt. Populations of water vole are also present in the network of field drains of the coastal plain. The arable areas continue to support sporadic populations of field 'weeds' such as corn marigold, and purple ramping-fumitory and farmland birds including corn bunting and grey partridge, though all have suffered declines in recent decades.
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Natural Area profile available - Size 563.2 kb
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