Limestone Grassland
Bloody cranesbillThe Project includes extensive areas of limestone grassland created from woodland. These were created and are maintained by a long history of sheep and cattle grazing.
The area contains an exceptional diversity of grassland swards, ranging from hard-grazed open grasslands through to tall herb-rich grasslands in woodland margins and around screes and pavement.
Rock roseWhere grazing is less intense the most species-rich grasslands exist, with bloody cranesbill (above, right), small scabious and rock rose (left).
For more information on plants in this habitat, see Grassland plants in the Nature in the Dales section of the website.
Limestone Springs and Flushes
The Project area is one of the best areas in the UK for limestone springs and flushes.
Bird's-eye primrose
Grass of ParnassusLimestone springs arise from the underlying limestone substrate in many locations. These are characterised by mats of brown moss. Tufa is commonly deposited at these springs. The spring communities include bird’s-eye primrose (above, left), grass of Parnassus (above, right), butterwort and occasionally, yellow saxifrage.
The Plants of springs and flushes section of Nature in the Dales on the website provides more information on the plants found in this habitat.
Woodland
Woodland at Colt Parknear Ingleborough
Where grazing is absent areas of woodland dominated by ash occur, typically with a hazel under layer and a species-rich ground flora including dark-red helleborine, giant bellflower, columbine and herb Paris.
More information is available in Woodland plants, a section of Nature in the Dales on this website.
Limestone Pavement
Limestone pavementscenery
The area contains 33 of the 50 botanically richest pavements in the UK.
The limestone pavements range from those where grazing is completely excluded to areas within intensively grazed land. Where grazing is light the pavements support a rich and diverse flora including a range of scarce species such as limestone fern (below, left), baneberry, lily of the valley (below, right) and rigid buckler fern.
Limestone fern
Lily of the valley
Visit the Limestone pavement plants page of Nature in the Dales on this website for more information.
Malham Tarn
Malham TarnMalham Tarn is the highest marl lake in the UK.
It is characterised by submerged beds of stoneworts alongside a range of pondweed species.
The white-clawed crayfish occurs in the Tarn and related upland streams, along with a population of bullhead fish.
Associated with the Tarn is a large area of species-rich alkaline fen with broad-leaved cottongrass (below, left) and alpine bartsia. Bog bean (below, right) can be seen at the Malham tarn Nature Reserve.
Further information about these and other plants at Malham Tarn can be found on the Marsh plants and Bog plants pages of the Nature in the Dales section of this website.
Cotton grass
Bog bean
