creating environmental improvements through biodiversity

Sustainable Aggregates Creating Environmental Improvements through Biodiversity
the Wildlife Trusts (Ecoscope 2000)’
Statement that vegetation establishment will depend on soil resources, and these are limited in most hard
rock quarries – soil or soil-forming materials can be imported, but in recent quarries the original soils are
often stored
Guidance on setting aims and objectives for quarry reclamations, including for scarce species and BAP target
habitat
Discussion of environmental site designations, including their benefits in providing a guide to locally
appropriate reclamation aims
Statement that local landscape setting and biodiversity should be a primary consideration in reclamation aims
and objectives
Examples of possible ecological reclamation targets for hard rock quarries
Statement that areas proposed for habitat creation may require detailed survey to identify whether any
notable species are already present
Pointers to guidance on Environmental Assessment
Discussion of Environmental Impact Assessment and survey requirements including ecological assessment
Tables of typical detailed site investigations, including vegetation/habitat surveys, faunal surveys, landscape and
visual impact assessment and landscape character assessment
Points out the potential for educational or recreational facilities based on ecological, geological,
archaeological and industrial resources, and the survey needed for this
Points out that more detailed surveys may be needed for selected species e.g. protected species such as
great crested newt
Discussion of outline proposals, review, feasibility assessments and final proposals for reclamations
Discussion of stability issues, restoration blasting and various design techniques
Definition of semi-natural habitats
Discussion of how quarry reclamation can contribute to nature conservation, including BAP targets and
semi-natural habitat creation
Statement that ‘wherever possible, subject to other overriding reclamation objectives, natural colonisation
will generally be considered the preferred and primary ecological reclamation technique’ – this is relevant
particularly to hard rock quarries but should not necessarily be applied to other types of quarry
Discussion of hard rock quarries where natural colonisation is likely to be slow or unviable (e.g. due to harsh
environment, lack of sources of colonisers)
Discussion of habitat creation techniques where natural colonisation is not possible
Table of ecological design considerations
Table of habitat groups and species interests likely to be appropriate for reclamation in hard rock quarries
Worked example of how reference to local and national BAPs can help target habitat creation and actions
that may be required to achieve particular objectives, including using seed of local provenance etc.
Describes and illustrates the relationship of pH and drainage across habitat types (after White and Gilbert,
2003 – RSPB publication)
Pointers to guidance on vegetation establishment (seeding and planting) for habitat creation
Summary of main techniques for vegetation establishment, with pointer to seek advice on the most
appropriate methods for a particular site or scheme
Pointer to information on available vegetation establishment techniques and habitat design
Discussion of carrying out field trials on site
Discussion of temporary landscapes within the quarry and their potential ecological value, value as trial areas,
and value as sources of transplant stock for other areas
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