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Base-rich or alkaline wetlands are areas of low lying ground which receive water and nutrients from the soil, rock and groundwater as well as from rainfall and are also known as fens. They are generally small in extent and are usually associated with areas of surface water movement such as springs, rills and flushes. In limestone country they are fed by mineral – enriched calcareous (lime or base-rich) water. Base-rich fens in the Yorkshire Dales National Park support a number of important plants which are characteristic of these lime-enriched conditions. These include the nationally scarce Bird’s eye primrose, of which the Yorkshire Dales has a significant proportion of the UK population.
Small base-rich wetlands are of very high biodiversity importance. Consequently in a recent review, upland flushes, fens and swamps has been added to the UK list of priority habitats for biodiversity action.
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Bird's eye primrose in
