16.
STAMBRIDGE WOOD SNAILS by BRIAN CRAIG
Stambridge Wood contains 17 species of
snail plus several slugs, an unusually large
number of molluscs for a two hectare woodland
in this district. It borders a small tri-
butary of the river Roach, and is about 400m
upstream of Gt. Stambridge, some two miles
(3km) north-east of Rochford and seven miles
(11km) fr om Southend-on-Sea.
The woodland topsoils are very slightly
calcareous, clayey or silty, of neutral pH
(7 - 7.5) and developed on brickearth over-
lying terrace gravels. Cherry, and in
particular Elm, are the principal trees with
Oak common at the periphery of the wood.
Hawthorn, Elderberry and Holly entwined with
Ivy form the lower canopy, whilst Ivy inter-
spersed with Dogs Mercury, Nettles, Grasses,
Primrose, Moss and fungi comprise the ground
flora.
An internal ditch that runs east-west
through the wood provides the most populous
habitat. The damp bottom and sides are strewn
with decaying twigs and branches and display
many bryophytes. Under rotting wood the
following familiar snails were observed: the
slippery snail (Cochlicopa lubrica), door
snail (Clausilia rugosa), smooth glass snail
(Retinella nitidula), rounded snail (Discus
rotundatus) ,hairy snail (Trichia hispida),,
dwarf snail (Punctum pygmaeum), and prickly
snail (Acanthinula aculeata). In addition
the less well known Carychium minimum, Laurie
cylindracea, Retinella radiatulla and the less
common Ena obscura, were present. The latter
was found on two occasions: once on the
underside of a decaying elm branch, and once