DB Specific Record

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***SWAAG_ID***	709
Date Entered	27/03/2013
Updated on	28/03/2013
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Tree Site Record
Record Type	Botanical HER
Site Access	Public Access Land
Record Date	16/03/2013
Location	Orgate Scar
Civil Parish	Marske
Brit. National Grid	NZ 0945 0215
Altitude	325m
Geology	Sheer cliff of Richmond chert strata overlying The Main Limestone
Record Name	Orgate Scar. Yew dominant woodland on the face and top edge of the Scar.
Record Description	Orgate Scar is the western section of Clints Scar which extends some 500m west of the wall forms the western edge of Limekiln Wood. Orgate Scar is a fully exposed, open and west facing limestone cliff in contrast to the Eastern section of Clints Scar which is well wooded. This record is the Part Four of a SWAAG Record in Five Parts each Part recorded on a separate record which together are intended to provides a photo portrait of the relict woodland which survives on and below Orgate Scar. The five parts to this Photo Record of Orgate Scar are defined as follows. SWAAG Record No 195 Part One A: An introduction to the Ash and Yew Dominant Woodland on and below Orgate and Clints Scars as seen in Early Summer. SWAAG Record No 700 Part One B: An introduction to the Ash and Yew Dominant Woodland on and below Orgate and Clints Scars as seen in Late Winter. SWAAG Record No 702 Part Two: Relict Limestone Ash Woodland below Orgate Scar, comprising photofile of ash trees selected to be representative of the final survivors of species rich limestone ash woodland once present across the whole of the fell side below Orgate Scar, now scattered old trees on open rocky scree and flower rich stony pasture. SWAAG RECORD No 708 Part Three: Four very large Yew trees and one ash tree all rooted at the top of the limestone scree below the cliff. SWAAG Record No 709 this record, Part FOUR: The Cliff Edge Yews and Trees of Other Species on the face of Orgate Scar. SWAAG Record for Part Five will follow when the vegetation has been fully recorded this summer.
Dimensions	See photographs.
Geographical area	Swaledale North Bank Catchment
Species	Ash, Yew, Elder, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Rowan, Ivy
Common / Notable Species	See Part Five of this Record, SWAAG Record To follow.
Additional Notes	Orgate Scar is the western section of Clints Scar and extends for a distance of 500m west from the wall which forms the boundary between Orgate Scar and Clints Scar at NZ09520208. This Recored will provide a photographic record of the trees which grow on the face of the cliff and on the top edge of the cliff. The vegetation on and below Orgate Scar will be recorded as Part Five of this Five Part Record, see SWAAG Record No - To follow. The yew trees which grow below the cliff, at the top of the scree below Orgate Scar, have been recorded on the previous SWAAG Record, No 708. The wind sculpted and stunted Yew Trees recorded here on the top edge of this exposed cliff are of exceptional interest. The petrified remains of several very large and ancient yew trees still remain on the cliff where they once grew, semi fossilised and impervious to rot or wind.
Image 1 ID	4299 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	Orgate Scar in summer. View westward.
Image 2 ID	4300 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description	Orgate Scar in summer. View westward.
Image 3 ID	4302 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	Wind sculped yew at top of Scar with Blackthorn.
Image 4 ID	4303 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description	Blackthorn at top edge of the Scar with unripe sloes. Fungal attack prevented any sloes from developing in 2012.
Image 5 ID	4304 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description	The Scar from below.
Image 6 ID	4305 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description	The Scar from below.
Image 7 ID	4306 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description	Petrified remnant of an ancient yew, long dead, with living yew growing from the same root system.
Image 8 ID	4307 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description	Mature yew on face of the cliff.
Image 9 ID	4309 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description	Young ash tree on the face of the cliff. The question now exists as to whether this young ash tree will survive Ash Die Back pathogen.
Image 10 ID	4310 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description	Petrified remains of a large yew tree , long dead. Impervious to rot and insect damage, the semi fossilised remains of old yews persist on the cliff until torn away piece by piece by high winds.