Competition Details and Project Specification
title: - CHARACTERISATION OF SOIL STRUCTURAL DEGRADATION UNDER GRASSLAND AND DEVELOPMENT OF measures to AMELIORATE ITS impact on biodiversity AND OTHER SOIL FUNCTIONS.
Competition Code: / CTE0822Date for return of tenders: / 4:00 pm on 6October 2008
Address for SID3 submission:
(the Competition Code must be shown on the envelope and the tender submitted in line with the instructions in the attached guidance, otherwise your tender may not be accepted) / Mrs Elizabeth James
Defra
Area 5D
3-8 Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2HH
Number of electronic & hard copies required: / 1 copy on CD-ROM or 3½” disk, plus
6 hard copies
Contact for information relating to this project specification: / Name: Dr Phil Goodliffe
Tel no: 020 7238 5009
E-mail:
Proposed ownership of Intellectual Property (contractor or Defra): / Contractor
Proposed start-date (if known): / 1 December 2008
Proposed end-date (if known): / 30 November 2012
BACKGROUND
There is growing evidence, particularly from EA studies in S.W. England, that soil compaction may be causing problems for a range of interests including biodiversity, flood management, water resources, soil, water and air quality.
These problems may include constraints on the restoration of diverse grassland plant communities. Invertebrate populations may also be adversely affected, resulting in reductions in the abundance, diversity and accessibility of prey for birds, particularly in wet grasslands. There have also been reports of compaction affecting plant communities, especially along hedgerows. To date, there is little information on the effects of compaction on the soil microbial community.
With regard to air quality, there are questions about the effect of compaction on the fate of nitrogen from manures applied to land. Changes caused to microbial communities could influence the conversion of nitrogen from spread or injected slurries.
These problems are likely to adversely impact on the achievement the objectives of agri-environment schemes in England and Walesand there is therefore a need to improve our understanding of soil compaction particularly in grassland. The first stage of this process was a scoping study, BD2304 “SCOPING STUDY TO ASSESS SOIL COMPACTION AFFECTING UPLAND AND LOWLAND GRASSLAND IN ENGLAND AND WALES”.
Details of this scoping project can be found here:
together with the final reportand associated appendices:
RESEARCH NEEDS
Following the completion of BD2304, this new proposed study aims to better understand the nature of soil structural degradation on enclosed grassland and to identify and evaluate physical (including mechanical) and biological measures that may be used to alleviate its negative impacts.
The study should prioritise identification and evaluation of measures which could be incorporated into agri-environment schemes in England and Wales. Measures for the Entry Level Stewardship scheme in England would need to be simple and address an easily identified problem; for theHigher Level Stewardship,identification and remediation measures can be more complex.
Any study conducted should be contextualised among the grassland compaction problemsin a range of soil typesthought to be at risk(e.g. surface smearing, near-surface pans, deeper compaction). Detailed experimental study on, and amelioration treatments of,the most important problems are likely to be preferred.Grassland under grazed permanent pasture and/or grassland under a silage regime can be considered for inclusion. It will be important to stratify for the level and nature of the compaction.
The remediation techniques considered do not all need to be mechanical in nature; biological measures including the introduction of selected plant species could also be applied to reduce the susceptibility of existing grassland to compaction. Consideration of biological measures should include an assessment of the palatability of introduced species for livestock. The evaluation of the use of mechanical methods to alleviate existing compaction should, where possible or appropriate, take account of a need to protect archaeological features and reduce potential losses of soil carbon.
The scale of the experiments should be appropriate for the project aims, but may include small scale experimentation to increase the scope of the project outcome.Tenders should demonstrate a consideration of appropriate techniques and methods for detecting and measuring soil compaction particularly when it is not at the soil surface.
The Tender should indicate how any impact of compaction, protection from compaction, and remediation of compaction, on vegetation composition and palatability, invertebrates and soil biota, and livestock production would be assessed. Emphasis should be on an understanding of the ecological processes/mechanisms involved to facilitate generic recommendations to be developed.
RESOURCES
It is expected that this project will last at least 4 years. More than one project may be funded. The closing date for the submission of tenders (SID3) is16:00 pm on Monday 6thOctober.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Late applications will be returned unopened. Applications by fax or e-mail are not acceptable; however, an electronic version of the application (CD-ROM or 3½” disk) should be submitted with the signed hard copies.
Bidders will be expected to have extensive knowledge of past and on-going related research relevant to England and Wales and to take this into account in their bids. No specific further information is available, as all bids will be assessed against this specification. No advice can be provided about the relative merits of different scientific approaches. However, if you need further information about general issues relating to this competition, please contact:
Dr P Goodliffe
Natural Environment Science Division
Defra
Area 3D
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel: 0207 238 5009
Details of Defra’s research programme can be found on the Defra website at The application form, general, general advice on preparing bids, and standard terms and conditions for Defra research contracts are included in the Open Competition pack of which this specification forms a part.