Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Table 2 – Bird species associated with fen habitats Name Scientific name Period of occurrence in the UK 1 Protection in law and policy 2 Preferred habitat features and season of use 1 Mute Swan Cygnus olor All year Vegetated margins of open water bodies The species shows a preference for waterbodies where there are extensive shallows with much floating, bottom, and emergent vegetation. Garganey Anas querquedula Dabbling Duck e.g. Mallard Teal Wigeon Pintail Diving Waterbirds e.g. Tufted Duck Pochard Coot Great Crested Grebe Anas platyrhynchos Anas crecca Anas penelope Anas acuta Aythya fuligula Aythya ferina Fulica atra Podiceps cristatus Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Mar-Sep Sch 1; Sch1(NI) All year Significantly greater numbers in the non-breeding season Aug- Apr All year Significantly greater numbers in the non-breeding season Aug- Apr Vegetated margins of open water bodies Favours narrow or well compartmented, sheltered, and shallow standing fresh waters, merging into grassland, floodland, or other wetland, with plenty of floating and emergent vegetation, but not too tall or dense, unbroken, fringing cover. Vegetated margins of open water bodies Grazed or cut fen in floodplain Most species prefer waterbodies with more or less dense fringing vegetation, with ready access to secure and sheltered resting places. The waterbodies may be small pools or shallow sheltered parts of much larger open waters. Some species, e.g. Wigeon, do prefer much more open landscapes e.g. tracts of flooded grassland across which to forage. When breeding and in the flightless stage of post-breeding moult, birds seek the protection afforded by dense marginal or emergent vegetation and swamps with little open water. Vegetated margins of open water bodies In the non-breeding season, favour shallow open waterbodies where they forage upon submerged aquatic resources, plant and animal matter. Most species will tolerate fairly restricted open waters with dense marginal vegetation. Breeds at similar sites where nests are located over shallow water or on ground never far from water; usually in thick cover. All year Vegetated margins of open water bodies Prefers open standing waters usually 0.5–5 m deep. When breeding, prefers ample, but not too dense, emergent aquatic vegetation, especially fringing, with some submerged bottom cover and limited floating growth. On large sheets of water, prefers shallow sheltered bays with islets or fronting reedbeds. All year Vegetated margins of open water bodies A preference is shown for shallow and small waterbodies with muddy bottoms and margins, often with dense growth of submerged aquatic plants. It will tolerate water surfaces covered in extensive floating vegetation so long as diving and swimming is not inhibited. Outside the breeding season, the species preferences extend to more open and exposed waters 279
280 Bittern Botaurus stellaris All year Greater numbers in the non-breeding season Sep - Mar Ann 1; Sch 1; Sch1(NI); UKBAP Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Favours wetland areas or fringes overgrown with tall emergent vegetation, especially reed, giving dense cover close to shallow standing open waters, including small pools and channels. For breeding needs extensive (the majority of birds use reedbeds >20 hectares) undisturbed wet reedbed, with good fish populations. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea All year Sch1(NI) Vegetated margins of open water bodies Prefers shallow standing or flowing waters, with good fish or amphibian populations. Nests in tall trees. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Common Crane All year Ann 1 Vegetated margins of open water bodies Prefers shallow standing waters, with good fish or amphibian populations. Nests in trees. Oct-Mar Ann 1; Sch 1; Sch1(NI) All year Greater numbers in breeding season Mar- Aug Ann 1; Sch 1; Sch1(NI) Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Roosts communally outside the breeding season, in rank ground vegetation in fen, marsh and reedbed areas. Outside the breeding season they forage over fen, marsh and flooded grassland Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Roosts communally outside the breeding season, in rank ground vegetation in fen, marsh and reedbed areas. In both summer and winter, the species forages over reedbeds, fen, marsh and flooded grassland. Nests are normally in reedbeds, in other wetlands with tall emergent vegetation and few or no trees. The reedbeds or wetlands can be extensive, or small (less than 1 ha in size). All year Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Favours a composite of fresh water, flat, usually muddy ground, and dense, fairly tall aquatic vegetation. The mosaic of habitat is further enhanced by the close proximity of trees such as willow or other fringing scrub, and of drier patches. Apr-Oct Ann 1; Sch 1 Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Usually found in fairly extensive wetlands, including floodlands, with very shallow fresh water, not oligotrophic, interspersed with ample stands of low plant cover. All year Vegetated margins of open water bodies Prefers waters sheltered by woodland or tall emergent plants, and most with small open waterbodies Grus grus All year Ann 1 Reedbeds and mixed fen swamp Breeds in open, swamp areas, where the adults have a good all round view, within a reed and fen mosaic. Outside the breeding season also uses floodplain wetlands and agricultural land.
Page 1 and 2:
The Fen Management Handbook Edited
Page 3 and 4:
Acknowledgements Production of the
Page 5 and 6:
1. Introduction and Basic Principle
Page 7 and 8:
Estimates of the original coverage
Page 9 and 10:
Guiding principles for fen manageme
Page 11 and 12:
Section 12: Fens from an Economic P
Page 13 and 14:
2.1 Diversity and conservation sign
Page 15 and 16:
Part of Cropple How Mire in Cumbria
Page 17 and 18:
The moss flora of base-rich springs
Page 19 and 20:
Bog bean growing in a transitional
Page 21 and 22:
Mesotrophic openwater transition fe
Page 23 and 24:
Water shrews (Neomys fodiens), also
Page 25 and 26:
2.4.1 Vegetated margins of open wat
Page 27 and 28:
2.4.3 Grazed or cut fen in floodpla
Page 29 and 30:
2.6 Amphibians Amphibians are depen
Page 31 and 32:
The mud snail Omphiscola glabra (12
Page 33 and 34:
Old trees and dead wood Continuous
Page 35 and 36:
Vascular plants Flat-sedge Blysmus
Page 37 and 38:
3. Understanding Fen Hydrology Quan
Page 39 and 40:
Groundwater discharge to fens is us
Page 41 and 42:
Water Table 3.4.1.4 Spring fed fen
Page 43 and 44:
3.5 Factors determining fen type 3.
Page 45 and 46:
- Flooding - frequency and magnitud
Page 47 and 48:
3.7 Further information and advice
Page 49 and 50:
Groundwater inflow. Groundwater lev
Page 51 and 52:
It is likely that groundwater disch
Page 53 and 54:
Case Study 3.3 Hydro(geo)logical im
Page 55 and 56:
4. Understanding Fen Nutrients Nutr
Page 57 and 58:
nutrients. For example, at high con
Page 59 and 60:
4.2.1 Groundwater and surface water
Page 61 and 62:
4.2.3 Point and diffuse sources of
Page 63 and 64:
Area of acute nutrient enrichment o
Page 65 and 66:
4.4 Classifying water chemistry usi
Page 67 and 68:
4.6 Identifying nutrient enrichment
Page 69 and 70:
Negative indicator species for diff
Page 71 and 72:
Many of the floristic changes which
Page 73 and 74:
Case Study 4.1 Understanding Fen Nu
Page 75 and 76:
5.1 Why do fens need management? In
Page 77 and 78:
5.2 Checklist of key stages in deci
Page 79 and 80:
5.3.3 Scale Although fens are linke
Page 81 and 82:
5.4 Site survey to establish what i
Page 83 and 84:
variability and how these relate to
Page 85 and 86:
- The fauna which inhabit the fen c
Page 87 and 88:
- Prioritise objectives to achieve
Page 89 and 90:
inundation are less likely to be sp
Page 91 and 92:
5.13 References Barsoum, N., Anders
Page 93 and 94:
Case Study 5.2 Fen Management and R
Page 95 and 96:
- 14km of livestock fencing install
Page 97 and 98:
Case Study 5.3 Fen Management and R
Page 99 and 100:
6. Fen Management and Restoration -
Page 101 and 102:
Both the benefits and potentially l
Page 103 and 104:
Cattle forced by flooding to the ed
Page 105 and 106:
At low/medium stocking density, cat
Page 107 and 108:
Goats have narrow muzzles and a fle
Page 109 and 110:
Fens usually feature a range of dif
Page 111 and 112:
Excessive poaching where cattle hav
Page 113 and 114:
extensive areas of wetlands which w
Page 115 and 116:
‘Soft track’ machines, such as
Page 117 and 118:
The design of the pipeline allows f
Page 119 and 120:
Protocol for burning standing reedb
Page 121 and 122:
Long rotation scrub clearance may b
Page 123 and 124:
‘Bird-eye’ and incineration A t
Page 125 and 126:
6.7 Restoring fen meadow Many forme
Page 127 and 128:
Current Management The current mana
Page 129 and 130:
Case Study 6.2 Fen Vegetation Manag
Page 131 and 132:
species diversity of wetland passer
Page 133 and 134:
The temptation to burn large areas
Page 135 and 136:
Outcomes In the eight years that th
Page 137 and 138:
Anglesey sites is now underway supp
Page 139 and 140:
Close grazed short sward of sedges
Page 141 and 142:
Turf cutting Turf cutting has been
Page 143 and 144:
7.1 A framework to assist decision
Page 145 and 146:
Surface water level change e.g. - a
Page 147 and 148:
and the surface to acidify, resulti
Page 149 and 150:
Smaller excavations are preferable
Page 151 and 152:
Morton Lochs, which extend to appro
Page 153 and 154:
Although shallow excavations are pr
Page 155 and 156:
At Leighton Moss in Lancashire, are
Page 157 and 158:
Excavating spoil within the area to
Page 159 and 160:
uilt dams can only be formed in dit
Page 161 and 162:
Case Study 7.1 Fen Water Management
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
8. Managing Fen Nutrient Enrichment
Page 171 and 172:
Summary table of key techniques for
Page 173 and 174:
8.2 Managing the source of nutrient
Page 175 and 176:
Marginal interceptor ditch at Cors
Page 177 and 178:
8.3.4 Bund creation In some cases i
Page 179 and 180:
emoval or soil stripping, both of w
Page 181 and 182:
8.5 Monitoring nutrient reduction D
Page 183 and 184:
Recent photo of stripped surface sh
Page 185 and 186:
9.1 Scope for fen creation The Grea
Page 187 and 188:
9.3 What type of fen? New fens can
Page 189 and 190:
9.5 Restraints on fen creation Plan
Page 191 and 192:
9.6 Check list of issues to conside
Page 193 and 194:
9.7 Site assessment Planning and de
Page 195 and 196:
LIDAR maps can provide a general un
Page 197 and 198:
generally more acidic than silts an
Page 199 and 200:
Site visits and careful assessment
Page 201 and 202:
9.8.4 Plastic membranes On sites wi
Page 203 and 204:
Use of seed bombs ‘Seed bombs’
Page 205 and 206:
Experience has shown that the most
Page 207 and 208:
9.10.2 Creation of niches for plant
Page 209 and 210:
Meade, R. & Wheeler, B.D. 2007. Rai
Page 211 and 212:
- On-going measurement of the effec
Page 213 and 214:
with appropriate training. Providin
Page 215 and 216:
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 and 268: Whitlaw Mosses in Scotland (see det
Page 269 and 270: 12.8 References Dickie, I., Hughes,
Page 271 and 272: Nitrogen fixation conversion of gas
Page 273 and 274: Appendix III - List of species refe
Page 275: Table 1 - Mammal species associated
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
Page 319 and 320: Appendix IX - Further reading Secti
Page 321 and 322: Koerselman, W., Bakker, S.A. & Blom
Page 323 and 324: Section 5: Fen Management and Resto
Page 325 and 326: Patzelt, A, Wild, U. and Jörg Pfad
Page 327 and 328:
Index A access 103, 110, 190, 226,
Page 329:
cutting 114 disposal 117 management
show all

Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?