What is the status of the 7 sisters country park?

Question

greenbelt, scientific interest etc?

Answer 1

conservation area, to be exact its voluntary and marine.

Answer 2

Current Status and Distribution

Current estimates put the amount of lowland calcareous grassland left in the United Kingdom at 33,000 to 41,000 ha with the bulk of the resource being found on chalk (25,000 to 32,000 ha). The South Downs forms one of the major areas of chalk grassland in the UK, the extent of the habitat being some 4,000 ha (around 1,500 in Hampshire; 2,500 in Sussex).

Chalk grassland, once widespread on the South Downs, now covers only an estimated 3% of the area. A massive decline in sheep grazing this century, and corresponding conversion to arable farming, are the main factors leading to the disappearance of the habitat. The once extensive grasslands of the south-facing dip slope have mostly been ploughed up. Chalk grassland is now largely confined to the steeper slopes, such as along valley sides and notably the steep north-facing escarpment. To the east, the escarpment is typically open and contains a high proportion of chalk grassland, but further west the escarpment becomes progressively more wooded.