Site Code
Country: United Kingdom
Central coordinates: 52.94987724o [52o 56' 59" North], -2.65196811o [2o 39' 7" West]
Administrative region: West Midlands (Shropshire)
Area: 32 ha
Altitude: 109 - 113
Site Description
Brown Moss is an area of former heathland, now largely colonised by woodland, with a series of 13 shallow pools. It is a lowland area of acidic soil, clay, peat and sand. The surface consists of drift deposits made up largely of gravely sands with impermeable clay deposits in the depressions (Edwards, 2007). No buildings exist on the site, though privately owned residential buildings are present on the periphery (Edwards, 2007). The site contains one of the few remaining quaking bogs in Shropshire. The semi-natural broadleaved woodland component of the site consists largely of trees which have grown up since the cessation of grazing in the 1950/60s. There are some older and much larger oaks and birch and a few rowan scattered around the site. A number of Pinus sylvestris and Abies procera were planted in 1967 adjacent to pool 4 by the area of acid grassland (Edwards, 2007). Scrubland within this site consists mainly of willow (Edwards, 2007). Brown Moss is thought to exhibit below average growing season length for the region, as frosts and ice have been observed throughout most of the day when in adjacent areas there is no occurrence after late morning, (Jones 1987, in Edwards, 2007).
Brown Moss differs from the other North Shropshire Mosses by consisting of a series of pools set in an area of heathland and woodland, rather than an expanse of peat. It has been suggested that the site may once have been peat covered, but that peat removal in the past has led to the present site conditions (Natural England, n.d.).
Botanical Significance
The nationally scarce, European endemic, L. natans has been known to occur at Brown Moss for several years. This species is rare/threatened within a European and global context (Edwards, 2007). This site has been recognised for its importance in swamp and fen plant communities, which include species such as bottle sedge (Carex rostrata) and bladder sedge (C. vesicaria) The site once contained the nationally threatened Pilularia globulifera, which was last seen in 1976 (Edwards, 2007). Oenanthe fistulosa was last seen on this site in 2006, and is classified in the Red Data book as Near Threatened (NT). The nationally rare liverwort Riccia canaliculata is also present on this site. It was recorded 1977, 1978, 1981 and 2003, when it was found in the draw down zone round pool 6 (N.B. same pool as C.helmsii). This is a Red Data Book species (classified as vulnerable), and is listed in the Shropshire BAP (Edwards, 2007).
Noted for vascular plant interest.
Management guidance notes
Noted for vascular plant interest.
Notes
None