Site Code
Country: United Kingdom
Central coordinates: 50.63333333o [50o 37' 59" North], -3.98333333o [3o 58' 59" West]
Administrative region: South West (South Devon)
Area: 26801 ha
Altitude: 70 - 600
Site Description
Bovey Valley Woodlands including Becka Falls and Yarner Wood, Holne Wood, Walkham Valley, Wistman's Wood,
Buckland-in-the-Moor,Dendles Wood - The sites selected have been chosen for the large number of old forest lichen species listed on the Western Scotland Index of Ecological Continuity (WSIEC). These woodlands are important as they support many lichens with a blue-green photobiont such as species of Collema, Fuscopannaria, Leptogium and Parmeliella. These species are distributed within the ABZ from Portugal to western Norway, but Western Scotland provides the European headquarters for many of these species.
Whiddon Deer Park - Ancient parklands are rare within and European context, with the British Isles support the vast majority of the resource. Originating from Medieval and Tudor times there main purpose was to provide a source of food and fuel for their owners. They often encompassed areas of ‘waste’ including ancient woodland. The sites selected have been chosen for the large number of old forest lichen species listed on the New Index of Ecological Continuity (NIEC) 37/70 and the East Scotland Index of Ecological Continuity (ESIEC), and represent the geographical differences between the more oceanic types from Cornwall, Devon, Wales and Scotland and the more lowland types from Dorset eastwards.
Botanical Significance
Noted for lichen and habitat interest.
Bovey Valley, Walkham Valley, Whiddon Deer Park, Wistman's Wood, Buckland-in-the-Moor, Dendles Wood -Rare and threatened lichen within the sites selected include: Fuscopannaria sampaiana (IR), Leptogium burgessii (IR, Aii), L. cochleatum ( VU, IR), L. saturninum (VU, IR), Parmeliella testacea (IR) and Polychidium dendriscum (VU, IR).
Additional vascular plant interest as identified through BSBI consultation: Dartmoor is a nationally important area with populations of many nationally scarce and rare species. In addition to those listed below many other species have locally important populations within the boundary of the NP: Vaccinium oxycoccos, V. vitis-idea, Botrychium lunaria, Carex curta, Huperzia selago, Lycopodiella clavatum, Hymenophyllum tunbridgense, etc
Anagallis minima,
Asplenium obovatum,
Asplenium septentrionale,
Carex Montana,
Chamaemelum nobile,
Cuscuta epithymum,
Drosera anglica,
Erica ciliaris,
Euphrasia anglica,
Euphrasia vigursii,
Hymenophyllum wilsonii,
Hypericum linariifolium,
Hypericum undulatum,
Lotus subbiflorus,
Ludwigia palustris,
Lycopodiella inundata,
Melittis melissophyllum,
Neottia nidus-avis,
Orobanche artemisiae-campestris,
Platanthera bifolia,
Platanthera chlorantha,
Potentilla argentea,
Radiola linoides,
Scleranthus annuus,
Sibthorpia europaea,
Teesdalia nudicaulis,
Viola lacteal,
Wahlenbergia hederacea
Management guidance notes
Component sites:
Black-a-tor Copse,
Bovey Valley Woodlands including Becka Falls and Yarner Wood,
Buckland-in-the-Moor
Dartmoor; South Dartmoor Woods
Dendles Wood,
Holne Wood,
Shaugh Bridge,
Walkham valley,
Whiddon Deer Park,
Wistman's Wood
Noted for lichen and habitat interest.
Additional feature of interest
Graphina pauciloculata. 1
Notes
None