Limestone scree on MoughtonImage by Roger Henson
The majority of natural cliffs in the Dales occur in limestone areas. Exposed limestone cliffs support species such as wild thyme and blue moor grass in association with specialist cliff species such as common whitlowgrass, hairy rock-cress, thale cress, hoary whitlowgrass and wall whitlowgrass, biting stonecrop and the rare winter hutchinsia. More shaded and sheltered cliffs support ferns such as wall-rue, maidenhair spleenwort, green spleenwort, brittle bladder-fern and lesser clubmoss. Wetter flushed cliffs support marsh hawk’s-beard, Pyrenean scurvygrass, mossy saxifrage and stone bramble. In very sheltered, stable areas more robust flowering plants can occur such as, rock-rose, small scabious, bloody crane’s-bill and marjoram. Limestone screes also support a rich diversity of lime-loving species such as maidenhair spleenwort, wall-rue, herb Robert and more specialist species such as the limestone polypody fern. Limestone rock outcrops, cliffs and scree are of high biodiversity importance. Consequently, this habitat is on the UK list of priority habitats for biodiversity action and has a Local Habitat Action Plan for the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
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