CHOBHAM COMMON NNR - Surrey Wildlife Trust

There are some thirty-five ponds of varying size on the Common, which support a
rich invertebrate fauna. The less acidic ponds on the margins of the site support
amphibians. Most are of recent origin although the Fishpool complex was a medieval
carp pond.
A variety of NVC MG5 crested dog’s-tail grass-knapweed Cynosurus cristatus-
Centaurea nigra type grasslands occur on the margins of the site including Little
Heath and Burrowhill Green, on road verges and on areas of heathland verge along
fire breaks and the edges of hardened fire tracks. They act as important nectaries for
invertebrates and Deptford pink Dianthus armeria occurs in one of these areas.
Carr woodlands occur in several of the bog areas with NVC W5 alder-greater tussock
sedge Alnus glutinosa – Carex paniculata type wet woodland at Monks Walk, Old
Slade and Fishpool and with the more frequent NVC W1 grey willow-marsh bedstraw
Salix cinerea- Galium palustre wet woodland elsewhere. In areas where little
management has occurred this grades into NVC W4 silver birch-purple moor grass
Betula pendula-Molinia caerulea woodland. Betula pendula-Molinia caerulea
woodland is prevalent on many of the damp margins of the Common where it grades
into NVC W10 pedunculate oak-bracken-bramble Quercus robur- Pteridium
aquilinum- Rubus fruticosus woodland.
At Monks Walk and elsewhere there are dense stands of Scots Pine with no ground
flora.
Most of the woodland in the area is of recent origin. The few areas of older
secondary woodland that occur on and around the Common (including the Barrow
Woods) are dominated in the canopy by sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) with
scattered beech (Fagus sylvatica and oak (Quercus spp.) and occasional stands of
Scots pine, the shrub, field and ground layers are either absent or are composed
entirely of Rhododendron ponticum. Although some interesting fungi are found in
these areas, and the over-mature trees and lack of human visitors may benefit some
of the shyer breeding birds, this climax has by far the lowest ecological value of any
of the communities found on Chobham Common.
1.5.2. Plants
Three hundred and ninety vascular plant species have been recorded on the site.
The wet heath and mire communities support excellent assemblages of wetland
plants including the nationally scarce marsh gentian Gentiana pneumonanthe, and
the Surrey rarities hare’s-tail cotton grass Eriophorum vaginatum, bogbean
Menyanthes trifoliata, and royal fern Osmunda regalis. Other wetland species include
round-leaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia, oblong-leaved sundew Drosera
intermedia, bog asphodel Narthecium ossifragum, bog pimpernel Anagallis tenella,
common cotton grass Eriophorum angustifolium, heath spotted orchid Dactylorhiza
maculata, and saw-wort Serratula tinctoria. Of most note is the marsh club moss
Lycopodiella inundata, which is classified as nationally scarce, is protected under
schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and is a BAP priority species.
The dry grassland areas are quite diverse and support the nationally scarce mossy
stonecrop Crassula tillaea and Dianthus armeria which is classified as nationally
vulnerable, is protected under schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The better areas of secondary woodland support a typical W10 woodland flora.
Mistletoe Viscum album a Surrey rarity occurs on the site.
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