Dry Atlantic coastal heaths with Erica vagans  * Priority feature

(NVC H6 Erica vagans – Ulex europaeus `mixed heath)

All good-quality areas of dry Atlantic coastal heaths with Erica vagans on the Lizard peninsula in south-west England are included in this site. The full range of structural and floristic variation within NVC type H6 Erica vagans – Ulex europaeus heath is covered, ranging from cliff-top heaths rich in maritime species, such as spring squill Scilla verna, to more inland heaths containing abundant bristle bent Agrostis curtisii

Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix

(NVC H5 Erica vagans-Schoenus nigrans, `Tall heath`)

The Lizard peninsula in the extreme south-west of England has a unique type of wet heath, NVC type H5 Erica vagans – Schoenus nigricans heath. This wet heath occurs extensively on poorly-drained soils derived from ultra-basic serpentine and gabbro. It contains unusual mixtures of species characteristic of acid soils growing with species typical of base-rich soils.

European dry heaths

(NVC H4c `Ulex gallii-Agrostis curtsii Erica tetralix sub community `short heath`)

The typical inland, dry heathland on the Lizard is NVC type H4 Ulex gallii – Agrostis curtisii heath, sometimes called ‘short heath’, which differs from other dry heaths in the area which are Annex I type 4040 Dry Atlantic coastal heaths with Erica vagans. These heathlands are dominated by heather Calluna vulgaris and bell heather Erica cinerea. Western gorse Ulex gallii, Cornish heath Erica vagans, cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea and bristle bent Agrostis curtisii can be locally dominant. Good stands of this vegetation type are found on extensive loess deposits.

Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts

(NVC H7 Calluna vulgaris – Scilla verna `rock heath`)

The Lizard, at the extreme south-west tip of England, has been selected for its unusual representation of base-rich igneous and acid metamorphic cliffs. The combination of its complex geology and a southern location has resulted in the diverse nature of the plants and plant communities found here, many of which are particularly species-rich and some of which are rare in the UK. The site includes a typical sequence of cliff vegetation, with a variety of truly maritime plants, which grades into grazed and ungrazed communities on exposed cliffs with dense red fescue Festuca rubra and wild asparagus Asparagus officinalis ssp. prostratus. There are also transitions to heathland, normally dominated by heather Calluna vulgaris and bell heather Erica cinerea, though in addition the Lizard has extensive heath rich in the rare Cornish heath Erica vagans. The Lizard is one of the richest botanical areas in the UK and is of considerable value at EU level, owing to its unusual ecology and outlying representatives of rare species.

Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp.

The coastal peninsula of the Lizard in south-west England supports a nationally unique series of oligo-mesotrophic waterbodies in which high base-status is not due to limestone or shell-sand. The Lizard is partly underlain by igneous serpentine rock which gives rise to calcium-deficient ground waters that are rich in magnesium. Groundwater drains from adjoining wet and dry serpentine heaths to feed the oligo-mesotrophic waterbodies in which another unusual feature is the occurrence of stoneworts Chara species typical of calcareous lakes, together with species normally associated with acid conditions, such as bog pondweed Potamogeton polygonifolius. Stoneworts present include three Red Data Book species – Chara baltica, C. curta and C. fragifera.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

SSSIs are the country’s very best wildlife and geological sites. They include some of the most spectacular and beautiful habitats; wetlands teeming with wading birds, winding chalk rivers, flower-rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote upland peat bogs.

There are over 4,100 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, covering around 8% of the country’s land area. More than 70% of these sites (by area) are internationally important for their wildlife and designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar wetland sites.

SSSI’s are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006.

This legislation gives Natural England powers to ensure better protection and management of SSSIs and safeguard their existence into the future. The Government’s Public Service Agreement target is for 95% of SSSI land to be in ‘favourable’ or ‘recovering’ condition by 2010.

The unique and varied habitats of SSSIs have developed over hundreds of years through management practices such as grazing and forestry, and need active management to maintain their conservation interest. We work with over 26,000 separate owners and land managers, who work very hard to conserve these important sites. Maintaining goodwill and building upon the enthusiasm, knowledge and interest of owners is vital to successfully manage these sites.

There are eight SSSIs on The Lizard – Goonhilly Downs, East Lizard Heathlands, Kennack to Coverack, Coverack to Porthoustock, Caerthillian to Kennack, West Lizard, Mullion Cliff to Predannack and Baulk Head to Mullion.

For more info on SSSIs see here.

National Nature Reserve  

Many of the finest sites in England for wildlife and geology are National Nature Reserves. Almost all are accessible and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature.

There are currently 224 NNRs in England with a total area of over 94,400 hectares, which is approximately 0.6% of the country’s land surface. The largest is The Wash NNR covering almost 8,800 hectares, whilst Horn Park Quarry in Dorset is the smallest at 0.32 hectares.

From The Lizard in Cornwall to Lindisfarne in Northumberland, England’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs) represent many of the finest wildlife and geological sites in the country. Our first NNRs emerged in the postwar years alongside the early National Parks, and have continued to grow since then.

NNRs were initially established to protect sensitive features and to provide ‘outdoor laboratories’ for research. Their purpose has widened since those early days. As well as managing some of our most pristine habitats, our rarest species and our most significant geology, most Reserves now offer great opportunities to the public as well as schools and specialist audiences to experience England’s natural heritage.

The Reserves are a selection of the very best parts of England’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest and it is this underlying designation which gives NNRs their strong legal protection. The majority also have European nature conservation designations.

The Lizard NNR is managed by Natural England and covers nearly 2000ha. It covers areas of West, central and east Lizard including Caerthillian, Kynance Farm, Goonhilly Downs and Main Dale

www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nnr