Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors SSSI
Encyclopedia
Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors SSSI is a 1083 hectare
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
, England
notified in 1967. It is close to the villages of Edington
and Catcott
.
It is part of the Brue Valley Living Landscape
conservation
project. The project commenced in January 2009 and aims to restore, recreate and reconnect habitat
. It aims to ensure that wildlife is enhanced and capable of sustaining itself in the face of climate change
while guaranteeing farmers and other landowners can continue to use their land profitably. It is one of an increasing number of landscape scale conservation
projects in the UK.
The site consists of low lying land south of the River Brue
, which floods on a regular basis; land north of here is included in the Tealham and Tadham Moors
SSSI. The site is managed by Somerset Wildlife Trust
and includes the Catcott Lows National Nature Reserve
, Catcott Heath and Catcott North.
A variety of fauna are found due to the varied soil types and management practices. Unimproved swards include meadows dominated Meadow Thistle
(Cirsium dissectum), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum flavum) and similar species, and Southern Marsh-orchid
(Dactylorhiza praetermissa). In the wetter areas Rushes and Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) are found. Catcott Heath is noted for its rare vascular plants including Marsh Pea
(Lathyrus palustris), Milk-parsley (Peucedanum palustre) and Marsh Fern
(Thelypteris thelypteroides). A total of 127 aquatic and bankside vascular plant species have been recorded in the field ditches, Internal Drainage Board
maintained Rhyne
s and deep arterial watercourses.
The botanically rich water channels support a diverse invertebrate fauna including water beetles Haliplus mucronatus and Hydrophilus piceus. The rare soldier fly (Stratiomys furcata) is found, and there are good numbers of dragonflies and damselflies.
The range of plants and inverterates support many bird species including Golden Plover
(Pluvialis apricota), Lapwing
(Vanellus vanellus), Snipe
(Gallinago gallinago) and Dunlin
(Calidris alpina). Other vertebrate species present, include the Otter
(Lutra lutra), Grass Snake
(Natrix natrix) and Common Frog
(Rana temporaria).
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
notified in 1967. It is close to the villages of Edington
Edington, Somerset
Edington is a rural village, situated on the north side of the Polden Hills in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England.Either side of it lie the villages of Chilton Polden and Catcott, and north of it is the small village of Burtle...
and Catcott
Catcott
Catcott is a rural village and civil parish, situated close to Edington to the east of Bridgwater on the Somerset Levels to the north of the Polden Hills in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England.-History:...
.
It is part of the Brue Valley Living Landscape
Brue Valley Living Landscape
The Brue Valley Living Landscape is a UK conservation project based on the Somerset Levels and Moors and managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust. The project commenced in January 2009 and aims to restore, recreate and reconnect habitat...
conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
project. The project commenced in January 2009 and aims to restore, recreate and reconnect habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. It aims to ensure that wildlife is enhanced and capable of sustaining itself in the face of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
while guaranteeing farmers and other landowners can continue to use their land profitably. It is one of an increasing number of landscape scale conservation
Landscape scale conservation
Landscape scale conservation is a concept that has arisen, primarily in the UK since the mid-1990s, in response to both the challenges of climate change and a perceived excessive focus on site based conservation...
projects in the UK.
The site consists of low lying land south of the River Brue
River Brue
The River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England, and reaches the sea some 50 km west at Burnham-on-Sea. It originally took a different route from Glastonbury to the sea, but this was changed by the monastery in the twelfth century....
, which floods on a regular basis; land north of here is included in the Tealham and Tadham Moors
Tealham and Tadham Moors
Tealham and Tadham Moors is a 917.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Wedmore in Somerset, notified in 1985.Land south of this site is included in Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors SSSI....
SSSI. The site is managed by Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Somerset, England.The trust, which was established in 1964, aims to safeguard the county's wildlife and wild places for this and future generations and manages almost 80 nature reserves. Examples include Fyne Court, Westhay Moor,...
and includes the Catcott Lows National Nature Reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, Catcott Heath and Catcott North.
A variety of fauna are found due to the varied soil types and management practices. Unimproved swards include meadows dominated Meadow Thistle
Cirsium
Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more accurately known as Plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera in having feathered hairs to their achenes...
(Cirsium dissectum), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum flavum) and similar species, and Southern Marsh-orchid
Southern Marsh-orchid
The Southern Marsh Orchid or Leopard Marsh Orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid....
(Dactylorhiza praetermissa). In the wetter areas Rushes and Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) are found. Catcott Heath is noted for its rare vascular plants including Marsh Pea
Lathyrus palustris
Lathyrus palustris is a species of wild pea known by the common name marsh pea. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a perennial herb with leaves made up of oval-shaped or oblong leaflets a few centimeters long. It has branched, coiled tendrils. The plant bears an inflorescence of...
(Lathyrus palustris), Milk-parsley (Peucedanum palustre) and Marsh Fern
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae is a family of about 900 species of ferns.The ferns are terrestrial, with the exception of a few which are lithophytes . The bulk of the species are tropical, although there are a number of temperate species....
(Thelypteris thelypteroides). A total of 127 aquatic and bankside vascular plant species have been recorded in the field ditches, Internal Drainage Board
Internal Drainage Board
An internal drainage board is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts...
maintained Rhyne
Rhyne
A rhyne , rhine/rhyne , or reen is a drainage ditch, or canal, used to turn areas of wetland at around sea level into useful pasture....
s and deep arterial watercourses.
The botanically rich water channels support a diverse invertebrate fauna including water beetles Haliplus mucronatus and Hydrophilus piceus. The rare soldier fly (Stratiomys furcata) is found, and there are good numbers of dragonflies and damselflies.
The range of plants and inverterates support many bird species including Golden Plover
Eurasian Golden Plover
The European Golden Plover is a largish plover. This species is similar to two other golden plovers. American Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominiica, and Pacific Golden Plover, Pluvialis fulva, are both smaller, slimmer and relatively longer-legged than European Golden Plover, and both have grey...
(Pluvialis apricota), Lapwing
Lapwing
Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...
(Vanellus vanellus), Snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
(Gallinago gallinago) and Dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
(Calidris alpina). Other vertebrate species present, include the Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
(Lutra lutra), Grass Snake
Grass Snake
The grass snake , sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake is a European non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.-Etymology:...
(Natrix natrix) and Common Frog
Common Frog
The Common Frog, Rana temporaria also known as the European Common Frog or European Common Brown Frog is found throughout much of Europe as far north as well north of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and as far east as the Urals, except for most of Iberia, southern Italy, and the southern Balkans...
(Rana temporaria).