Facts about Chalk Downland

Down or Lowland calcareous grasslands are developed on shallow lime-rich soils generally overlying limestone rocks, including chalk. These grasslands are now largely found on distinct topographic features such as escarpments or dry valley slopes and sometimes on ancient earthworks in landscapes strongly influenced by the underlying limestone geology. Natural England defines Down as below; Down - by which we mean land comprising semi-natural grassland in areas of chalk or limestone geology generally within an open landscape. The typical vegetation type is unimproved grassland often with scattered scrub. It does not include agriculturally improved or semi-improved grassland, but may include areas of scattered trees, dwarf shrubs, streams, springs, or a mosaic of these. The chalk downland is a landscape type which isn't the basis of the legislation although it is what most people "see". Chalk downland is typically calcareous grassland, rolling and steep chalk landscapes. The habitat is formed by grazing animals and its associated landscapes have been formed over millennia by the interaction between wild and domesticated animals and the species. The plant species which thrive are those which are adapted to poor soils and regular grazing, the insects and mammals similarly relate to the plants and hot dry chalk soils. Chalk grassland which is specific to the habitats and the species which live in them. Lowland calcareous grasslands support nationally rare and scarce species such as monkey orchid Orchis simia, hoary rockrose Helianthemum canum and pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris. The invertebrate fauna is also diverse and includes scarce species like the adonis blue Lysandra bellargus, the silverspotted skipper Hesperia comma, the Duke of Burgundy fritillary Hamaeris lucina and the wart-biter cricket Decticus verrucivorus. These grasslands also provide feeding or breeding habitat for a number of scarce or declining birds including stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus and skylark Alauda arvensis. Scrub is frequently associated with calcareous grassland and can contribute to local biodiversity by providing shelter for invertebrates and scrub edge conditions suitable for species such as bloody cranesbill Geranium sanguineum. Dwarf shrubs and herbs characteristic of acid soils are also sometimes associated with calcareous grassland, forming chalk or limestone heath. Limestone pavement is covered in a separate action plan. In Buckinghamshire, these are mainly along the Chilterns chalk escarpment which runs between Luton in Bedfordshire and Wallingford in Oxfordshire. For more background on chalk habitats are found at: http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=12