Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

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Fen harvester use in the Broads
Reed harvester based on
the RSPB Reserve at on
the Inner Tay Estuary SSSI,
Scotland (A. McBride).
The European Union funded ‘New Wetland Harvests’ project which
ran for three years from 1997 developed and demonstrated the use
of a highly specialised mechanical harvester with very low ground
pressure, designed to cope with wet, soft and uneven terrain of high
environmental sensitivity.
Fen Harvester (Broads Authority)
Effects on conservation interest – species diversity has increased
significantly following a harvester cut on previously abandoned sites
and others classified as species-poor stands of tall reed-dominated
vegetation.
Costs – machinery running costs and costs associated with removing
cut material from site by blowing are high, but still lower than hand
mowing if the costs of removing cut vegetation are taken into account.
Revenue costs for cutting with the fen harvester are approximately £2-
3,000 per hectare
Limitations – there are a number of sites in the Broads and elsewhere,
which either the blower cannot access, or where the size of the site
prevents the use of the pipeline. This limits the application of the
harvester quite significantly. The proximity of outlets such as suitable
burning facilities is also a limitation.