Grassland Management on the Northmoor Trust Estate
Most of the estate's grasslands are not rich in wild-flowers. The long-term aim is to restore flower-rich grassland communities appropriate to the local soil type. However, it is essential to maintain the dynamic mosaics of short grassland patches where wild-flowers thrive, without losing the equally valuable areas of rough grassland and scrub.
To encourage the establishment of such mosaics the thinner chalky soils of the hillsides are winter grazed at low intensity. In some areas patches of mixed scrub have been planted. On the low lying, fertile Gault clays the grassland is managed as a traditional hay meadow cut in July and aftermath grazed in autumn. The reserve has its own small flock of sheep for this purpose, but cattle from a local grazier are also used.
Grassland Areas
The grassland areas across the reserve are highly variable. This mainly reflects past agricultural management before the area was designated as a nature reserve, but also variations in aspect, soil and hydrology. Four distinct NVC vegetation communities are recognised, although sub-communities are not always clear.
MG7 Rye Grass Ley:
This species poor sown agricultural sward, dominated by Rye Grass (Lolium perenne), would have once dominated the reserve's grasslands. Today it persists only where trampling by the public has prevented or slowed the colonisation of many of the wild flowers found in the more diverse MG6 community described below. It is mainly restricted to the tops of the Hills and along grassland paths.
MG6c Rye Grass/Crested Dogstail grassland - Golden Oat sub-community:
Most of the reserve's grasslands conform to this community. It is derived by the slow colonisation of plants into a MG7 Rye Grass Ley.
In addition to a multitude of grasses, such as Quaking Grass (Briza media) and Golden Oat (Trisetum flavescens), there are many wild flowers. Cowslip (Primula veris) occurs throughout, whereas Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) only grows in damp areas.
Short turf areas maintained by rabbit grazing hold an intimate mix of plants, including Fairy Flax (Linum catharticum), Devilsbit Scabious (Succisa pratense) and Dwarf Thistle (Cirsium acaulon). It is apparent that many of these species are increasing their range across the reserve.
MG1 False Oat-grass grassland:
This rank species poor grassland has developed on areas, such as Castle Hill and parts of Church Meadow, where the soils are fertile and grazing has been minimal. They are dominated by False Oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) which thrives under these conditions. It is associated with coarse herbs such as Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Cleavers (Galium aparine) and Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa).
CG3 Bromus erectus grassland:
A small remnant of this characteristic chalk grassland community occurs on the east facing ramparts of Castle Hill.
This community would once have been more widespread on the hills, but now only survives here because the ramparts were too steep to be ploughed. The vegetation is mainly dominated by an impressive display of tall herbs, including Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) and Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis). Although sparse in their distribution plants characteristic of shorter swards, such as Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata) and Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), also occur.
