Grasslands
The University of Sussex campus is home to a rare and important chalk grassland area, a cornerstone of Sussex ecology that is managed and conserved by the Grounds team.
Falmer campus has a number of grassland parcels that are managed in various ways, including naturalised and wildflower meadows, chalk grassland and tussocky grassland with tall herbs and ruderal vegetation. There are also a number of amenity grasslands and lawns scattered throughout the campus (teaching and residential buildings). The various management regimes for grasslands are shown on our Meadow Management map.
Chalk Grassland
Approximately 80% of the UK's chalk grassland habitat has been lost since the Second World War, making the chalk grasslands of the South Downs one of the rarest habitats in the country. Examples of this habitat type can still be found on campus; there are remnants of chalk grassland on the slopes opposite Swanborough East, and a significant expanse to the northwest of campus behind Jubilee.
Chalk grasslands can support a diversity of rare flora and fauna, such as the Adonis blue butterfly and its foodplant, Horseshoe vetch. Estimates suggest that up to 60% of the UK's butterfly species can be found on the chalk grasslands of the South Downs. Chalk grasslands cover 4% of the South Downs National Park, but more than a third of these sites cover less than a hectare, making efforts to preserve and restore chalk grassland on and around campus especially important.
To assist this cause, excavated soil and chalk rubble from the East Slope student village site was moved and distributed over the West Slope area to create a new chalk grassland habitat. This was scheduled and undertaken in summer 2018 when the first stage of the student village was completed, with the first flowering plants expected to emerge this year.
This area previously consisted of species-poor and semi-improved grassland, which will be effectively improved with a mix of wild sunflower seeds appropriate to the habitat, many of which directly sourced form nearby chalk grasslands. The creation of this habitat will bring biodiversity benefits to this area, supporting intricate plant communities with many specialised species that are directly dependent on the habitat.
Wildflower Meadows
Specially maintained meadows on campus are known to support rare wildflowers. Smaller patches of wildflower located along Science Park Road and Car Park support pyramidal orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis) and white helleborines (Cephalanthera damasonium).
Other areas of wildflower meadow provide a unique mix of species; the meadow outside of the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) contains annuals such as toadflax and cornflower. Up to 40 species of wildflower have been recorded in the meadow areas here; as well having a strong visual impact, these wildflowers are hugely beneficial to pollinating insects.
Amenity Grassland
Amenity grasslands are those that are regularly mown and intensively managed by the Grounds team, such as lawns, recreational grounds and playing fields. Due to this frequent and intensive management, the biodiversity value of amenity grassland tends to be low. These areas typically support a low number of wildflower species and lack habitat diversity and structure.
However, these grasslands can still provide a number of benefits for biodiversity if handled correctly, without losing their value as recreational areas. Short grass that becomes tussocky and damp provides ideal foraging habitat for the song thrush and pied wagtail, and as a result the Grounds team leaves clippings on the grass during maintainence to support their growth.
This also includes leaving less intensively managed 'buffer zones' along borders between amenity grassland and other habitat types, providing cover and shelter for small animals and protecting adjacent habitats from damage. Species diversity should also increase in these buffer zones; additional wildflower and grass species will be of benefit to pollinators and other invertebrates.