Hunder Beck Juniper
Encyclopedia
Hunder Beck Juniper is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
in the Teesdale
district of south-west County Durham
, England
. It lies between the Balderhead
and Blackton Reservoir
s and adjoins the Cotherstone Moor
SSSI to the south.
The site, which is situated on the east bank of the Hunder Beck, is notable as one of only three in County Durham where there are significant stands of upland juniper, Juniperus communis
, scrub, a vegetation type which is particularly uncommon in the North Pennines.
On the upper slopes the juniper is associated with species-rich acid grassland, which is dominated by sheep's fescue, Festuca ovina, common bent, Agrostis capillaris
, heath bedstraw, Galium saxatile
, and tormentil, Potentilla erecta. A locally rare fern, moonwort, Botrychium lunaria
is one of the less common species.
Where the juniper is densest, the vegetation has a woodland character, with rowan, Sorbus aucuparia
, and ash, Fraxinus excelsior, among the tree species present in small numbers, but though juniper of a variety of ages is present, there is no evidence of recent regeneration.
On the shallower slopes, the juniper is associated with a species-poor acid flush vegetation that is dominated by rushes, Juncus spp
.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
in the Teesdale
Teesdale (district)
Teesdale was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council was based in Barnard Castle and it was named after the valley of the River Tees....
district of south-west County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, 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...
. It lies between the Balderhead
Balderhead Reservoir
Balderhead Reservoir is a reservoir in Baldersdale, County Durham, England. It is one of a chain of three reservoirs on the River Balder, a tributary of the River Tees, which it joins at Cotherstone, about 5 miles to the east....
and Blackton Reservoir
Blackton Reservoir
Blackton Reservoir is a reservoir in County Durham, England. It is situated in Baldersdale, about 4 miles west of Cotherstone, where the River Balder joins the River Tees.It is owned by Northumbrian Water and supplies water for Teesdale....
s and adjoins the Cotherstone Moor
Cotherstone Moor
Cotherstone Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district in south-west County Durham, England. It is an extensive area of moorland which extends almost the entire length of Baldersdale, from the confluence of the River Balder with the Tees at Cotherstone...
SSSI to the south.
The site, which is situated on the east bank of the Hunder Beck, is notable as one of only three in County Durham where there are significant stands of upland juniper, Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis, the Common Juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.-...
, scrub, a vegetation type which is particularly uncommon in the North Pennines.
On the upper slopes the juniper is associated with species-rich acid grassland, which is dominated by sheep's fescue, Festuca ovina, common bent, Agrostis capillaris
Agrostis capillaris
Agrostis capillaris is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family . It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world...
, heath bedstraw, Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile or Heath Bedstraw is a plant species of the genus Galium. It is related to Cleavers ....
, and tormentil, Potentilla erecta. A locally rare fern, moonwort, Botrychium lunaria
Botrychium lunaria
Botrychium lunaria is a species of fern known by the common name common moonwort. It is the most widely distributed moonwort, growing throughout the Northern Hemisphere across Eurasia and from Alaska to Greenland, as well as parts of the Southern Hemisphere including South America and Australia...
is one of the less common species.
Where the juniper is densest, the vegetation has a woodland character, with rowan, Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia , is a species of the genus Sorbus, native to most of Europe except for the far south, and northern Asia...
, and ash, Fraxinus excelsior, among the tree species present in small numbers, but though juniper of a variety of ages is present, there is no evidence of recent regeneration.
On the shallower slopes, the juniper is associated with a species-poor acid flush vegetation that is dominated by rushes, Juncus spp
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
.