| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
.jpg) | |
| Location | Oxfordshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SP 392 165[1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 27.45 hectares (67.8 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1989[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks is a 27.45-hectare (67.8-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south of Stonesfield in Oxfordshire.[1][2][3]
This site is composed of steeply sloping valleys and banks. Most of it is unimproved Oolithic limestone grassland and scrub, but there is also an area of semi-natural beech-wych elm ancient woodland. This area forms one of the largest remnants of such grassland type in the UK.[3] The five units of Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks SSSI are Church Street, Baggs Bottom, The Common, Stockey Bottom, and the River Evenlode.[4] The site is managed by the Thames Solent area team.[5] The grass in Stonesfield Common is mainly upright brome, and herbs include field scabious, greater knapweed, lady's bedstraw and pyramidal orchid.[3] The main habitats present in the SSSI are broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland lowland, and calcareous grassland.[1] Soils in this site are typically calcareous with stoneless, clayey soils.[3] Fauna in the area includes the small blue butterfly Cupido minimus, colonies of the marbled white Melanargia galathea butterflies, and invertebrate territories such as those of the white-legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes.[3]