Muston Meadows

Muston MeadowsSite of Special Scientific Interest

Location| Leicestershire
Grid reference| SK 825 368[1]
Interest| Biological
Area| 8.8 hectares[1]
Notification| 1983[1]
Location map| Magic Map

Muston Meadows is an 8.8-hectare (22-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Muston in Leicestershire.[1][2] It is also a National Nature Reserve[3][4] and a Nature Conservation Review site.[5]

These ridge and furrow meadows are on soils derived from clay. Herbs include green-winged orchid, lady's bedstraw, yellow rattle, pepper saxifrage and cowslip.[5]

The site is in two different areas, both of which are open to the public.

At Muston Meadows, hay is cut in late summer and over winter the meadow is grazed by cattle.[6] This prevents the meadow habitat from transitioning to forest through ecological succession.[7][8] Some of the plants in the nature reserve only grow in meadows and this kind of habitat is very threatened in the UK; 97% of Britain's wildflower meadows have been destroyed since the 1930s.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Muston Meadows". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
2. ^ "Map of Muston Meadows". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
3. ^ "Designated Sites View: Muston Meadows". National Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
4. ^ "Leicestershire's National Nature Reserves". Natural England. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
5. ^ a b "Muston Meadows citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
6. ^ Grantham Ecology - Muston Meadows
7. ^ Biological Conservation - The Impact of Mowing as a Management Strategy for Wet Meadows on Spider Communities
8. ^ The Telegraph - Sheep Graze London's Royal Parks in Wildflower Meadow Bid
9. ^ The Independent - Nearly all British wildflower meadows have been eradicated, prompting calls for urgent government action

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muston Meadows.

52°55′08″N 0°46′30″W﻿ / ﻿52.919°N 0.775°W﻿ / 52.919; -0.775

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire

Biological|

* Allexton Wood
* Ashby Canal
* Bardon Hill
* Barrow Gravel Pits
* Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods
* Benscliffe Wood
* Blackbrook Reservoir
* Botcheston Bog
* Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir
* Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry
* Breedon Hill
* Briery Wood Heronry, Belvoir
* Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir
* Burbage Wood and Aston Firs
* Cave's Inn Pits
* Charnwood Lodge
* Chater Valley
* Coalville Meadows
* Cotes Grassland
* Cribb's Lodge Meadows
* Croft Hill
* Croft Pasture
* Croxton Park
* Debdale Meadow, Muston
* Dimminsdale
* Donington Park
* Eye Brook Reservoir
* Eye Brook Valley Woods
* Frisby Marsh
* Grace Dieu and High Sharpley
* Grantham Canal
* Great Bowden Borrowpit
* Groby Pool and Woods
* Harby Hill Wood
* Holly Rock Fields
* Holwell Mouth
* Kendall's Meadow
* Kilby - Foxton Canal
* King Lud's Entrenchments and The Drift
* Launde Big Wood
* Leighfield Forest
* Lockington Marshes
* Loughborough Meadows
* Lount Meadows
* Misterton Marshes
* Muston Meadows
* Narborough Bog
* Newton Burgoland Marshes
* Oakley Wood
* Owston Woods
* Pasture and Asplin Woods
* River Eye
* River Mease
* Roecliffe Manor Lawns
* Saddington Reservoir
* Sheepy Fields
* Sheet Hedges Wood
* Stanford Park
* Stonesby Quarry
* Swithland Wood and The Brand
* Terrace Hills Pasture
* Twenty Acre Piece
* Ulverscroft Valley
* Wymondham Rough

Geological|

* Bardon Hill Quarry
* Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods
* Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir
* Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry
* Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir
* Charnwood Lodge
* Cliffe Hill Quarry
* Croft and Huncote Quarry
* Dimminsdale
* Enderby Warren Quarry
* Gipsy Lane Pit
* Grace Dieu and High Sharpley
* Ives Head
* Main Quarry, Mountsorrel
* Newhurst Quarry
* One Barrow Plantation
* Shepshed Cutting
* Sproxton Quarry
* Tilton Cutting

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