Along the
South Downs way |
Grasslands are great examples of how man and nature can work together. They
are 'managed' landscapes. Through centuries of farming and grazing, rich habitats
have been created where wildlife can thrive.
| | The
South Downs |
The southern boundary of West Sussex is the South
Downs, a magnificent range of rolling chalk hills grazed by sheep and cattle. The
Downs stretch for 90 miles across Sussex and into Hampshire. The South
Downs Way, a long distance bridleway, follows the crest of the hills from Winchester
to Beachy Head at Eastbourne. It provides splendid views of this Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as a wealth of delightful rural hamlets and
villages to discover.  Geology
The
South Downs is comprised of tilted layers of relatively soft chalk containing
bands and seams of flint.
Both the chalk and the flint are the remains
of animals and plants from the Cretaceous period over 100 million years ago. The
soils of the South Downs are mostly thin, well drained and rich in calcium. This
soil type, called rendzina, only allows slow rates of plant growth, and is largely
responsible for the diversity of small, low-growing herbs in this area.  Man's
intervention
The South Downs looks like the quintessential English landscape
of rolling green hills but man's intervention has had a major impact on the landscape. Hundreds
of years ago man cleared huge areas of woodland to make way for grazing animals. The
resulting grasslands became rich in wild life, moths, butterflies, plants and
birds. Nature watchers should look out for a wide range of moths including
the brightly coloured pink and green Elephant Hawk Moth, the Large Yellow Underwing
and the Blood Vein.  Plant
and animal paradise
The South Downs is very rich in plant species. Nearly
half of the orchid species native to Britain occur in the grassland and woodland
of the South Downs. Orchids include early the Spider Orchid, the honey-scented
Musk Orchid, the Bee, and the Early Purple. Other plants which flourish
are the Round-Headed Rampion and the rare Early Gentian which like calcium rich
soils. The South Downs Natural Area is also rich in animal species due
to the wide variety of countryside from arable fields to chalk cliffs, wetland
and ancient woodland. Bird species include Grey Partridge, Lapwing, Stonechat,
Linnet and Skylark. Peregrines breed on the chalk cliffs whilst the plateau
and scarp woodlands and scrub are home to birds such as the Nightingale and Nightjar. Also
look out for Foxes, Badgers, Deer and Rabbits.
 Managed
landscapes
Grasslands such as the South Downs are great examples of how
man and nature can work together. They are 'managed' landscapes. Through
centuries of farming and grazing, rich habitats have been created where wildlife
can thrive. If it wasn't for this management most of our grasslands would
simply return to scrub and eventually woodland. The downlands of southern
England and in particular Heyshott Down in West Sussex are perfect examples. Photographs courtesy of the Murray Downland
Trust. | 
