Chalkgrassland is the name given to the specific community of plants - both grasses and wildflowers (herbs) - which is able to tolerate the alkaline soil conditions found in areas where the underlying bedrock is chalk.
Thus our remaining chalkgrassland has been identified as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat, and many areas are given additional protection from future mismanagement by being designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Herb-rich chalkgrassland generally requires either continuous light grazing or heavier periodic grazing to keep the sward height down and prevent the encroachment of coarse grasses and scrub.
Chalk deposits are very porous, so the height of the water table in chalk hills rises in winter and falls in summer.
The soil profile of chalkdownland in England is a thin soil overlaying the parent chalk.
Chalkdownland is often unsuitable for intensive agriculture, horticulture or development, because of the nutrient-poor, shallow soil and difficult slopes.
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