Ancient anthills, fascinating fungi, lichens, hawthorns and cluster clover all part of Dunster Acid Grassland Habitat ...
Acid Lowland Grassland
The Dunster Estate’s parkland contains areas of unimproved species-rich acid grassland mostly of the sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina), common bent (Agrostis capillaries) and sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) type. Amongst the many species present in the grassland is the nationally scarce clustered clover (Trifolium glomeratum).
There is an abundance of large anthills formed by the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus). There is also a diverse fungal flora with waxcaps (Hygrocybe sp.) species being well represented, including the pink meadow cap (Hygrocybe calyptriformis).
There are also areas of bracken and bramble (Rubus fruticosus) and scrub including some veteran elder (Sambucus nigra) and hawthorn (Cratageus monogyna) which add to the diversity of the site and enhance the habitat for the invertebrate and lichen species in particular.