Limestone country: facts and figures

Habitat types in limestone country

The table below lists the broad habitat types that are typical of the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales National Park with the total area of the National Park each type covers and the importance of each one in terms of biodiversity.

A larger version of this table can be downloaded in the Document downloads box.

National and international biodiversity importance

The following table (downloadable in the Document downloads box) lists the national and international importance of limestone country habitats in the Yorkshire Dales National Park:

National importance is defined as those habitats that have, or will have, Habitat Action Plans in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. International importance is defined as those habitats listed in Annex I of the European Habitats & Species Directive 92/43/EEC which sets out those habitats in need of conservation and protection in the European Community area.

The table shows that the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales National Park contains many habitats of national and international importance and is one of the most important areas for these habitats in Europe.

Current issues, opportunities & threats to limestone country biodiversity

As with much of the National Park, the limestone country has changed significantly over the last 50 years due to a substantial increase in sheep grazing levels. Base rich wetlands, calcareous grassland and limestone pavements are best managed through light grazing with cattle. Currently there are only small numbers of farmers who graze cattle in preference to sheep. In a small number of cases fertiliser has been applied to increase the fertility of calcareous grasslands leading to reductions in species diversity. As a result about 30% of the area has been impoverished to such an extent that restoration is now impractical. More recently the decline in biodiversity in limestone country habitats has slowed as a result of more sustainable management carried out by farmers through incentives from environmental land management schemes such as the Environmental Stewardship Scheme and other previous schemes for example, the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Wildlife Enhancement Schemes. These schemes are now all administered by Natural England.

Woodland habitats in the limestone country have declined as a result of a combination of neglect, inappropriate management and grazing pressure from livestock and rabbits. This decline is being reversed through the use of incentives to landowners such as the Woodland Grant Scheme administered by the Forestry Commission and grants from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

Rabbit numbers have increased considerably and have reached or even exceeded pre-myxamatosis levels leading to species loss in all limestone country habitats through grazing pressure. There is currently little rabbit control carried out except in circumstances where woodland planting or management schemes have been agreed.

In addition to the issues above, by far the biggest impact on limestone pavements, limestone rock outcrops, cliffs and scree has been quarrying and removal of limestone pavement for garden rockeries. There are a number of large quarries still working in the Park under existing planning permissions but it is unlikely that further permission will be granted to extend the area of these or to create new quarries. Virtually all of the limestone pavements in the Yorkshire Dales National Park are now covered by Limestone Pavement Orders which makes it illegal to remove or damage limestone from these sites. This has lead to a considerable reduction in removal for garden rockeries although a small amount of illegal removal still takes place. The Limestone Pavement Action Group is campaigning for a ban on the sale of water worn limestone to remove the demand for this product.

In recognition of the national and international importance of the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales large areas of the most important habitats have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Additionally, the Ingleborough Limestone Complex and the Craven Limestone Complex covering over 11000 ha have been proposed as Special Areas of Conservation under the European Union Habitats Directive in recognition of their international importance. These designations will lead to better protection of important habitats through legislation and co-operative working with land owners and managers.

Increased use of the countryside for recreation can be ecologically damaging due to footpath erosion, trampling and the physical damage caused by large numbers of people together with disturbance to wildlife particularly during the breeding season. There are, however, considerable benefits in enabling managed access to the countryside for the full cross-section of the human community as it provides an opportunity to educate and raise awareness of biodiversity and countryside issues. Conserving biodiversity is very dependent on the support of a well-informed human community with a sense of belonging and a genuine involvement in the process.