Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | West Sussex |
---|---|
Grid reference | TQ 024 236[1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 205.2 hectares (507 acres)[1] |
Notification | 1986[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
The Mens is a 205.2-hectare (507-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Billingshurst in West Sussex.[1][2] It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I[3] and a Special Area of Conservation.[4] An area of 166 hectares (410 acres) south of the A272 road is managed as a nature reserve by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.[5]
This large area of woodland has diverse breeding birds and rich lichen and fungal floras. There are many rare beetles and a fly which is endangered with extinction, Chelostoma curvinervis. All three British species of woodpecker breed on the site, together with other woodland species such as nightingales, woodcocks and wood warblers.[6]