Cannock Chase

General site character

• Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (0.5%)
  
• Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (76.3%)
  
• Coniferous woodland (12%)
  
• Non-forest areas cultivated with woody plants (including Orchards, groves, Vineyards, Dehesas) (10.5%)
  
• Other land (including Towns, Villages, Roads, Waste places, Mines, Industrial sites) (0.7%)
  

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

• 4030 European dry heaths

  The area of lowland heathland at Cannock Chase is the most extensive in the Midlands, although there have been losses due to fragmentation and scrub/woodland encroachment. The character of the vegetation is intermediate between the upland or northern heaths of England and Wales and those of southern counties. Dry heathland communities belong to NVC types H8 Calluna vulgaris – Ulex gallii and H9 Calluna vulgaris – Deschampsia flexuosa heaths. Within the heathland, species of northern latitudes occur, such as cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea and crowberry Empetrum nigrum. Cannock Chase has the main British population of the hybrid bilberry Vaccinium intermedium, a plant of restricted occurrence. There are important populations of butterflies and beetles, as well as European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus and five species of bats.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

• 4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

• Not Applicable

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

• Not Applicable