Culm Grassland is a type of species-rich moorland which is formed where heavy clay overlies carboniferous rock, forming an impervious barrier to water with the land tending to be flat or gently sloping. This results in boggy, acidic land of low agricultural value, with a wide variety of flora, which is rich in habitats for many endangered species. The modernisation of agriculture, with government grants for draining land has destroyed over 92% of this valuable habitat since the mid 20th century. Culm Grassland is a habitat unique to North Devon and North Cornwall.

The flora tends to be dominated by purple moor grass or rush. Wildflowers thrive on the culm, including devil’s bit scabious, birdsfoot trefoil and a number of species of orchids. Some scrub is an important element of the habitats contained within the culm, but if not managed correctly, culm grassland can get overrun with scrub or soft rush and lose much of its habitat value.

It is not really accurate to describe culm as a type of habitat. It is really a patchwork of different habitats which combine to provide a multitude of niches for different species, many of which require more than one habitat to survive. A bird for instance may require open grassland to feed in, but scrub as a nesting site. It is the combination of these different habitats which make the culm so valuable.

As well as its habitat value, culm grassland acts as a natural method of flood management. The vegetation and the peaty soil that forms, act like a sponge, soaking up the water when it rains and slowly releasing it into the rivers below. This prevents the sudden surges of water that result from heavy downpours. The area of culm that Devon Culm is prioritising, mainly feeds the Little Dart river, which is a tributary of the Taw river. As such, restoring the culm in this area will reduce flooding along the route of the two rivers, all the way to Barnstaple. This will become more important over time as climate change brings us more dramatic weather events.

Culm Species Identification

Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum

Bog pimpernel Anagallis tenella

Bugle Ajuga reptans

Common valerian Valeriana officinalis

Cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix

Devil’s-bit scabious Succisa pratensis

Fen bedstraw Galium uliginosum

Greater bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus

Great Burnet Sanguisorba officinalis

Hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum

Sharp-flowered rush Juncus acutiflorus

Jointed rush Juncus articulatus

Lesser skullcap Scutellaria minor

Lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula

Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica

Marsh bedstraw Galium palustre

Marsh cinquefoil Potentilla palustris

Marsh marigold Caltha palustris

Marsh pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris

Marsh valerian Valeriana dioica

Marsh violet Viola palustris

Meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria

Southern marsh orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Heath Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata

Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria

Ragged Robin Silene flos-cuculi

Rough Hakwbit Leontodon hispidus

Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria

Slender St John’s Wort Hypericum pulchrum

Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica

Tormentil Potentilla erecta

Water mint Mentha aquatica

Wavy-leaved St John’s Wort Hypericum undulatum

Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris

Whorled Caraway Carum verticillatum

Purple Moor-Grass Molinia caerulea

Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca

Flea Sedge Carex pulicaris

Oval Sedge Carex leporina

Carnation Sedge Carex panicea

Star Sedge Carex echinata

Cotton-grass Eriophorum angustifolium

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Bank: The Cooperative Bank
Account Name: Devon Culm
Sort Code: 08-92-99
Account Number: 67265260

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Charity Name: Devon Culm
Registered charity number: 1198963
Address:
Bulworthy Project
Rackenford
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 8DL

Please help us to protect and enhance habitats on the culm measures. The more money we raise, the more effective we can be at promoting biodiversity and abundance.

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