In August 2013 Rampisham Down was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England, in recognition of a very large area of lowland acid grassland occurring on the whole site, together with areas of lowland heath habitat. These have hardly been disturbed since the communications station was installed. The acid grassland is largely agriculturally unimproved and forms the largest area of this habitat in the county of Dorset. Such a site of over is rare in lowland England, and the mosaic of acid grassland and lowland heath habitats is of national significance.