 113 aquatic and bankside vascular plant species have been recorded from the field ditches, rhynes and deep arterial watercourses.A diverse invertebrate fauna is associated in particular with ditches that have a good submerged plant community.The water beetle fauna is exceptionally rich, with the nationally rare species "Hydrophilus piceus" and "Hydrochara caraboides" together with the rare soldier flies "Stratiomys furcata" and "Odontomyia ornata".