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St Leonard's Forest SSSI

Coordinates: 51°03′25″N 0°16′19″W / 51.057°N 0.272°W / 51.057; -0.272
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St Leonard's Forest SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationWest Sussex
Grid referenceTQ 212 301[1]
InterestBiological
Area85.4 hectares (211 acres)[1]
Notification1987[1]
Location mapMagic Map

St Leonard's Forest SSSI is an 85.4-hectare (211-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Horsham in West Sussex.[1][2] The SSSI is in two separate areas, with the western part being in the 289-hectare (710-acre) Forestry Commission managed St Leonard's Forest.[3]

Much of the forest is deciduous woodland, which is dominated by pedunculate oak, silver birch, common birch and beech. The humid microclimate of a narrow valley has allowed mosses and liverworts to survive which indicate continuous woodland cover for the past 5,000 years. Butterflies include the rare purple emperor.[4]

There is public access to the western part of the site.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: St Leonard's Forest". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Map of St Leonard's Forest". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  3. ^ "St Leonard's Forest". Forestry Commission. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  4. ^ "St Leonard's Forest citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2019.

51°03′25″N 0°16′19″W / 51.057°N 0.272°W / 51.057; -0.272