Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Mildenhall in Suffolk
Rex Graham Reserve is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Mildenhall in Suffolk .[ 1] [ 2] Special Area of Conservation ,[ 3] [ 4] Breckland Special Protection Area .[ 5] [ 6] Suffolk Wildlife Trust .[ 7]
Military Orchid The site is a disused chalk pit , surrounded by woodland, and is primarily of interest for its population of Military Orchids , as over 95% of the United Kingdom population of this species occurs at this site. Other plants found at the site include mezereon , twayblade , pyramidal orchid , ploughman's spikenard (Inula conyzaSouthern adderstongue .
The discovery of a population of Military Orchids at this site occurred in 1955. Prior to this the species had never been recorded in East Anglia , having previously been recorded only in Southeast England . The population then was at least 500 plants, with over 100 flowering spikes; by 1958 the population had reached 2,854 plants, with about 10% flowering, a population level and flowering proportion that were maintained throughout the 1960s. By 1971 however, only 252 plants were present, due to scrubbing over , as a result of the erection of the protective fence. Scrub clearance and removal of some surrounding trees allowed the population to recover, and subsequent counts include 1,115 plants in 1990 and "too many to count" (Harrap and Harrap 2005) in 2000, when 748 plants were recorded flowering.
Genetic analysis of the orchids at Rex Graham has shown that they are distinct from those at the other two English sites, and represent an independent colonisation from Europe.
All land within the site designated as Rex Graham SSSI is owned by the Forestry Commission [ 8]
References
Sources
Harrap, Simon and Annie Harrap (2005) Orchids of Britain and Ireland, a field and site guide ISBN 0-7136-6956-X
External links
52°20′31″N 0°32′53″E / 52.342°N 0.548°E / 52.342; 0.548
Biological
Abbey Wood, Flixton Alde–Ore Estuary Arger Fen Bangrove Wood, Ixworth Barking Woods Barnby Broad and Marshes Barnham Heath Berner's Heath Bixley Heath Black Ditches, Cavenham Blaxhall Heath Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens Bradfield Woods Breckland Farmland Breckland Forest Brent Eleigh Woods Bugg's Hole Fen, Thelnetham Burgate Wood Cavendish Woods Cavenham–Icklingham Heaths Cherry Hill and The Gallops, Barton Mills Chippenhall Green Combs Wood Cornard Mere Crag Pit, Sutton Cransford Meadow Deadman's Grave, Icklingham Deben Estuary Dew's Ponds Edwardstone Woods Elmsett Park Wood Eriswell Low Warren Fakenham Wood and Sapiston Great Grove Fox Fritillary Meadow Foxhole Heath Freston and Cutler's Woods with Holbrook Park Frithy and Chadacre Woods The Gardens, Great Ashfield Gipping Great Wood Glemsford Pits The Glen Chalk Caves, Bury St Edmunds Gosbeck Wood Gromford Meadow Groton Wood Gypsy Camp Meadows, Thrandeston Hay Wood, Whepstead Horringer Court Caves High House Meadows, Monewden Hintlesham Woods Hopton Fen How Hill Track Iken Wood Ipswich Heaths Kentwell Woods Knettishall Heath Lackford Lakes Lakenheath Poor's Fen Lakenheath Warren Landguard Common Laurel Farm Meadow Leiston - Aldeburgh Lineage Wood & Railway Track, Long Melford Lingwood Meadows Little Blakenham Pit Little Heath, Barnham London Road Industrial Estate, Brandon Lordswell Field Maidscross Hill Major Farm Meadow Metfield Meadow Mickfield Meadow Middle Wood, Offton Milden Thicks Minsmere–Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Moat Farm Meadows Monewden Meadows Nacton Meadows Newbourne Springs Newmarket Heath Norton Wood Orwell Estuary Over and Lawn Woods Pakefield to Easton Bavents Pakenham Meadows Pashford Poor's Fen, Lakenheath Potton Hall Fields, Westleton RAF Lakenheath Redgrave and Lopham Fens Rex Graham Reserve Riverside House Meadow Sandlings Forest Sinks Valley, Kesgrave Sizewell Marshes Snape Warren Sotterley Park Sprat's Water and Marshes, Carlton Colville Stallode Wash, Lakenheath Stanton Woods Staverton Park and The Thicks, Wantisden Stour Estuary Sutton and Hollesley Heaths Thetford Heaths Thorpe Morieux Woods Titsal Wood, Shadingfield Trundley and Wadgell's Wood, Great Thurlow Tunstall Common Wangford Warren and Carr Weather and Horn Heaths, Eriswell West Stow Heath Westhall Wood and Meadow Weston Fen Wilde Street Meadow Wortham Ling Geological
Alde-Ore Estuary Aldeburgh Brick Pit Aldeburgh Hall Pit Bawdsey Cliff Bobbitshole, Belstead Breckland Forest Buckanay Farm Pit, Alderton Chillesford Church Pit Corton Cliffs Crag Farm Pit, Sudbourne Crag Pit, Aldeburgh Creeting St Mary Pits Ferry Cliff, Sutton Flixton Quarry Gedgrave Hall Pit Great Blakenham Pit Hascot Hill Pit Holton Pit Hoxne Brick Pit Neutral Farm Pit, Butley Pakefield to Easton Bavents Ramsholt Cliff Red House Farm Pit Red Lodge Heath Richmond Farm Pit, Gedgrave Rockhall Wood Pit, Sutton Round Hill Pit, Aldeburgh Sandy Lane Pit, Barham Stoke Tunnel Cutting, Ipswich Stour Estuary Sudbourne Park Pit Valley Farm Pit, Sudbourne Waldringfield Pit
