Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

– The fauna which inhabit the fen can be as significant, if not more so, than
fen flora in deciding on appropriate management.
– The potential adverse effect of fen management on sensitive species
should always be considered.
– Vertebrates or invertebrates listed as selection features for a designated
site must be given consideration when determining the management
objective for the area.
A few species may require small-scale micro-management to maintain features
necessary for their continued survival on a site. An example is the fen violet (Viola
persicifolia), now restricted to a handful of sites in England, which requires some
degree of disturbance to maintain its population.
The uncommon argent and sable moth (Rheumaptera hastata) which in the
southern part of its range is primarily a woodland species largely associated
with birch, is also found on fen and raised bog with young birch re-growth. A
healthy population of the moth is found at Chartley Moss in Staffordshire, which
is designated as an SAC for transition mire and quaking bog. Appropriate
management of the open fen surface allows more birch to regrow than would be the
case if the site were being managed solely for the benefit of fen vegetation.
5.8.1 Individual fens in the context of the Wetland Vision
The Wetland Vision for England (www.wetlandvision.org.uk) which was
launched in 2008 sets out a 50-year vision for England’s freshwater
wetlands. The Vision was based on looking at what was there
historically, what’s there now and the wetland potential of specific
geographical areas. Maps show where new wetlands could be created
and current wetlands restored. The implementation of the Vision aims
to ensure that wetlands, including fens, remain a valuable component
of the landscape and contribute to both a sustainable society and
landscape. The project is run as a partnership – English Heritage, the
Environment Agency, Natural England, the RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetland
Trust and the Wildlife Trusts. The Wetland Vision can help provide
context and suggest possibilities and habitat priorities in a general area,
including for different types of fen but local visions are likely to be of
more relevance at site level. A database of local visions is included on
the Wetland Vision website.
The North West England wetland vision is an example of a more detailed local
vision (Penny Anderson Associates, 2004, 2006, 2007). It developed decisionrules
based on the principles described above, such as geology, soils, hydrology
and topography, but also based on the location of existing sites that can be made
more secure by creating new wetland, perhaps of a different type, around its
edge. A map was then produced to show where wetlands could be created in the
lowlands of the region, in particular highlighting opportunities to expand and buffer
existing sites.
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