Calcareous grassland occurs on soils derived from limestone and chalk bedrock, with a pH greater than 7, and supports a particularly diverse range of plants, including many species not found on regular (neutral) grassland. Limestone in southern England is found in the Cotswold and Mendip Hills, and in some coastal regions, while chalk underlies the South Downs, the North Wessex Downs and Cranborne Chase. Such grasslands have a long history of use, especially for sheep grazing, and this, together with the prevailing dryness due to the fast-draining substrate, results in generally short turf.
