Scrub

An area of ash scrubland
Image by Roger Henson

Scrub habitats are extremely rare in the Yorkshire Dales. Small and scattered examples dominated by hawthorn occur on steep gill sides. On deeper soils hazel becomes dominant. Other species associated with these habitats are rowan, ash and sycamore. Small areas of scattered open gorse habitats occur infrequently. There is also a limited amount of juniper scrub which occurs mainly in Swaledale on the steeper slopes and gill sides. There is also an outlying juniper wood on the limestone of Moughton, within the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve. Scrub is of high biodiversity value.