Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

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12.7 Valuing the true worth of fens Understanding and appreciation of ecosystem services and the many benefits of fens which cannot be readily quantified in economic terms has developed considerably, but recent research suggests that wetland conservation managers currently have a tendency to stick to familiar ground when identifying and realising the value of fens and other wetlands. On behalf of the Wetland Vision for England Project, McInnes (2007) reviewed six local Wetland Vision plans in relation to their recognition and use of the ecosystem services concept as a part of their planned resource and management strategy. He found that: – Reference was made to direct provision of environmental products and services, and environmental regulation services, but there were numerous potential services which were not mentioned. – More information was given on cultural than other services, and these services were explained more clearly. The language used displayed a much greater empathy with these ecosystem services than with other types, especially for recreational and educational services. – Biodiversity was not the headline objective for all projects; one project had reduction of urban flood risk at its core. The case studies demonstrated that the philosophical choice of ‘either biodiversity or ecosystem services’ had been superseded, with all projects accommodating a breadth of benefits without compromising biodiversity objectives. – There was a clear bias towards the provision of cultural services. Spiritual, inspirational, recreational, aesthetic and educational objectives are considered more important than other ecosystem services. These summarised conclusions suggest that there is almost certainly scope for identifying and realising the value of a wider range of ecosystem services. The research also raises questions which serve as a useful checklist for all those involved in fen management which if followed through, could provide necessary resources for site management whilst safeguarding the interests of conservation and biodiversity. 270 Checklist when considering economic aspects of fen management – Is there more scope for direct provision of fen products compatible with the maintenance of biodiversity? – Are there alternative avenues of funding to realise the value of the carbon sequestration service offered by fens e.g. local carbon offsetting schemes, or use of the government’s SPC concept? – Can the value of the flood attenuation function of a wetland be promoted, quantified and realised whilst maintaining favourable conditions for biodiversity? – What scope is there for encouraging neighbour participation in schemes to reduce hydrological or nutrient problems, for example through a linked or joint RDP application which is more likely to attract support than individual proposals?
12.8 References Dickie, I., Hughes, J. and Esteban, A. (2006) Watched Like Never Before … the local economic benefits of spectacular bird species. RSPB, Bedfordshire. (http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/watchedlikeneverbefore_tcm9-133081.pdf) Lloyd, C.R. (2006) Annual carbon balance of a managed wetland meadow in the Somerset Levels, UK. Agriculture and Forest Meteorology, 138, 168-179. Metcalfe, J.P. (2007) Reed boiler project definition for Wildlife Trusts Centre. Consultant report for CCW. McInnes, R. (2007) Integrating wetland ecosystem services within a 50 year vision for wetlands. Consultant report by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for the England Wetland Vision Partnership. Rydin, H. and Jeglum, J. (2007) The Biology of Peatlands. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 271
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The Fen Management Handbook Edited
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Acknowledgements Production of the
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1. Introduction and Basic Principle
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Estimates of the original coverage
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Guiding principles for fen manageme
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Section 12: Fens from an Economic P
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2.1 Diversity and conservation sign
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Part of Cropple How Mire in Cumbria
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The moss flora of base-rich springs
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Bog bean growing in a transitional
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Mesotrophic openwater transition fe
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Water shrews (Neomys fodiens), also
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2.4.1 Vegetated margins of open wat
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2.4.3 Grazed or cut fen in floodpla
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2.6 Amphibians Amphibians are depen
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The mud snail Omphiscola glabra (12
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Old trees and dead wood Continuous
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Vascular plants Flat-sedge Blysmus
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3. Understanding Fen Hydrology Quan
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Groundwater discharge to fens is us
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Water Table 3.4.1.4 Spring fed fen
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3.5 Factors determining fen type 3.
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- Flooding - frequency and magnitud
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3.7 Further information and advice
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Groundwater inflow. Groundwater lev
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It is likely that groundwater disch
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Case Study 3.3 Hydro(geo)logical im
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4. Understanding Fen Nutrients Nutr
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nutrients. For example, at high con
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4.2.1 Groundwater and surface water
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4.2.3 Point and diffuse sources of
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Area of acute nutrient enrichment o
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4.4 Classifying water chemistry usi
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4.6 Identifying nutrient enrichment
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Negative indicator species for diff
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Many of the floristic changes which
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Case Study 4.1 Understanding Fen Nu
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5.1 Why do fens need management? In
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5.2 Checklist of key stages in deci
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5.3.3 Scale Although fens are linke
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5.4 Site survey to establish what i
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variability and how these relate to
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- The fauna which inhabit the fen c
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- Prioritise objectives to achieve
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inundation are less likely to be sp
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5.13 References Barsoum, N., Anders
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Case Study 5.2 Fen Management and R
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- 14km of livestock fencing install
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Case Study 5.3 Fen Management and R
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6. Fen Management and Restoration -
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Both the benefits and potentially l
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Cattle forced by flooding to the ed
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At low/medium stocking density, cat
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Goats have narrow muzzles and a fle
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Fens usually feature a range of dif
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Excessive poaching where cattle hav
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extensive areas of wetlands which w
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‘Soft track’ machines, such as
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The design of the pipeline allows f
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Protocol for burning standing reedb
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Long rotation scrub clearance may b
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‘Bird-eye’ and incineration A t
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6.7 Restoring fen meadow Many forme
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Current Management The current mana
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Case Study 6.2 Fen Vegetation Manag
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species diversity of wetland passer
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The temptation to burn large areas
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Outcomes In the eight years that th
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Anglesey sites is now underway supp
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Close grazed short sward of sedges
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Turf cutting Turf cutting has been
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7.1 A framework to assist decision
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Surface water level change e.g. - a
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and the surface to acidify, resulti
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Smaller excavations are preferable
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Morton Lochs, which extend to appro
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Although shallow excavations are pr
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At Leighton Moss in Lancashire, are
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Excavating spoil within the area to
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uilt dams can only be formed in dit
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Case Study 7.1 Fen Water Management
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8. Managing Fen Nutrient Enrichment
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Summary table of key techniques for
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8.2 Managing the source of nutrient
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Marginal interceptor ditch at Cors
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8.3.4 Bund creation In some cases i
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emoval or soil stripping, both of w
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8.5 Monitoring nutrient reduction D
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Recent photo of stripped surface sh
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9.1 Scope for fen creation The Grea
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9.3 What type of fen? New fens can
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9.5 Restraints on fen creation Plan
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9.6 Check list of issues to conside
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9.7 Site assessment Planning and de
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LIDAR maps can provide a general un
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generally more acidic than silts an
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Site visits and careful assessment
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9.8.4 Plastic membranes On sites wi
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Use of seed bombs ‘Seed bombs’
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Experience has shown that the most
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9.10.2 Creation of niches for plant
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Meade, R. & Wheeler, B.D. 2007. Rai
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- On-going measurement of the effec
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with appropriate training. Providin
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10.3 Biological monitoring techniqu
Page 217 and 218: Undesirable species for key NVC com
Page 219 and 220: 10.3.3 Vegetation Mapping An initia
Page 221 and 222: It is good practise to record with
Page 223 and 224: 10.4 Biological monitoring techniqu
Page 225 and 226: for Ornithology, the Bat Conservati
Page 227 and 228: Box 2: Construction, installation a
Page 229 and 230: 10.8 Monitoring surface water flows
Page 231 and 232: - Phytometric tests measure how wel
Page 233 and 234: Storage of data and information on
Page 235 and 236: period, simply because it is design
Page 237 and 238: Another consideration is the likely
Page 239 and 240: 11.1 An historical perspective Poll
Page 241 and 242: Inviting volunteer involvement in f
Page 243 and 244: 11.3.3 Stakeholders ‘Stakeholders
Page 245 and 246: have been designated under access a
Page 247 and 248: 11.6.4 Boardwalks Boardwalks are no
Page 249 and 250: 11.6.5 Water borne access Waterways
Page 251 and 252: - Explore opportunities to stimulat
Page 253 and 254: Case Study 11.1 Fens and people - S
Page 255 and 256: Case Study 11.2 Fens and People - H
Page 257 and 258: 12. Fens from an Economic Perspecti
Page 259 and 260: 12.1.3 Biomass energy and Biofuels
Page 261 and 262: 12.2 Environmental regulation 12.2.
Page 263 and 264: the peat carbon store is depleted t
Page 265 and 266: Another mechanism for funding wetla
Page 267: Whitlaw Mosses in Scotland (see det
Page 271 and 272: Nitrogen fixation conversion of gas
Page 273 and 274: Appendix III - List of species refe
Page 275 and 276: Table 1 - Mammal species associated
Page 277 and 278: 280 Bittern Botaurus stellaris All
Page 279 and 280: Grasshopper Warbler 282 Locustella
Page 281 and 282: Table 4 - Fish species associated w
Page 283 and 284: Table 5 - Legally protected inverte
Page 285 and 286: 288 Community Topogenous fens S24 P
Page 287 and 288: 290 Community S8 Scirpus lacustris
Page 289 and 290: 292 Community M11 Carex demissa - S
Page 291 and 292: 294 Community M23 Juncus effusus /
Page 293 and 294: Appendix V - Legal and regulatory c
Page 295 and 296: 298 Type of Works Guidance for UK C
Page 297 and 298: Appendix VI - Fen management for br
Page 299 and 300: However, three of the four species
Page 301 and 302: Sensitive periods Harvest mice bree
Page 303 and 304: species like bittern, and then drop
Page 305 and 306: Sensitive periods Species breed wit
Page 307 and 308: Great Crested Newt Great crested ne
Page 309 and 310: Appendix VIII - Fen management for
Page 311 and 312: Mollusca (snails, slugs and mussels
Page 313 and 314: Other than for rare or exceptional
Page 315 and 316: There is usually some degree of sub
Page 317 and 318: Management requirements for protect
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Appendix IX - Further reading Secti
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Koerselman, W., Bakker, S.A. & Blom
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Section 5: Fen Management and Resto
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Patzelt, A, Wild, U. and Jörg Pfad
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Index A access 103, 110, 190, 226,
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cutting 114 disposal 117 management
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Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

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