HANDOUT 3
Understanding more about Historic Parkland
Historic Landscape Project – Southeast
Managing Parkland with Environmental Stewardship
1. What is Natural England?
· Government’s adviser on the natural environment
· Provides practical advice on how best to safeguard England’s natural wealth for the benefit of everyone
· Remit to ensure sustainable stewardship of the land and sea so that people and nature can thrive
· Responsibility to see that England’s rich natural environment can adapt and survive intact for future generations to enjoy
NE works with farmers & land managers; business & industry; planners & developers; national & local government; interest groups & local communities to help them improve their local environment.
2. UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP)
· Published in 1994
· UK Government’s response to signing the Convention on Biological Diversity at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit
· Set out a programme for conserving the UK’s biodiversity
· Led to the production of action plans to help many of the UK’s threatened species and habitats to recover
UK BAP - 2007
UK Government, with devolved administrations, adopted a new shared vision for biological conservation: ‘Conserving Biodiversity – the UK Approach
Work to embed consideration of biodiversity includes the statutory conservation bodies as the main delivery agents ie Natural England
Review of UK BAP
There are 1150 species and 65 habitats that meet the BAP criteria at a UK level. There are several key BAP habitats found in parkland.
3. Lowland wood pasture and parkland Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)
Products of historic land management systems
Represent a vegetation structure rather than being a particular plant community
· Typically consists of large, open-grown or high forest trees (often pollards) at various densities, in a matrix of grazed grassland, heathland and/or woodland floras
· Most common in southern Britain
· Important because of:
· Number and continuity of ancient (veteran) trees
· Associated distinctive saproxylic (wood eating) fauna (invertebrates – beetles/insects)
· Epiphytic flora (lichens, mosses, liverworts & fungi)
· Bats, birds and may preserve indigenous tree genotypes
Included in the BAP are:
· Lowland wood pasture and parkland derived from medieval forests and emparkments, wooded commons, 16th to 19th century parks
· Parklands - 19th century and later where they contain much older trees derived from earlier landscape
· Under or unmanaged areas with veteran trees in a matrix of secondary woodland or scrub
· Where veteran trees exist but land use is different – arable, forestry, amenity land
These areas are outstanding at a European level and sites are frequently of national historic, cultural and landscape importance.
Objectives and proposed targets:
· Protect and maintain the current extent of Lowland wood pasture and parkland (10-20,000 ha) in favourable ecological condition
· Initiate a programme to restore 2,500 ha of derelict Lowland wood pasture and parkland to favourable ecological condition by 2010
· By 2002 initiate expansion of 500 ha in appropriate areas to help reverse fragmentation and reduce the generation gap between veteran trees.
The key components of the Wood pasture and Parkland BAP habitat are
· Veteran Trees
· Mosaic of grazed pastures or heathland
Secondary components:
· Standing water
· Rivers and streams
3.1 Trees
3.1.1 What is an Ancient Tree?
A tree that has passed beyond maturity and is old in comparison with other trees of the same species.
Characteristics:
· Crown growing downwards
· Very wide trunk
· Hollow trunk
· Stag-headedness
· Fungi
· Cavities (where branches broken)
· Rough bark
· ‘Old’ look
· Aerial roots
Girth measurements (at 1.5 m high) as a guide:
Sycamore, lime, chestnuts, elm, poplar, beech, crack willow ~4.5m
Oak, ash, Scots pine, alder ~3m
Hornbeam, holly, field maple, rowan, yew, grey and goat willow, cherry ~2.5m
Birch ~1.5m
Hawthorn ~90cm
Ancient or Veteran Tree?
All ancient trees are Veteran trees, not all veterans are ancient.
Veterans may be a young tree with a relatively small girth in contrast to an ancient tree, but bearing the ‘scars’ of age such as decay in the trunk, branches or roots, fungal fruiting bodies, or dead wood.
A veteran tree has developed some of the features found on ancient trees, not necessarily as a consequence of time, but of its life or environment. Veteran features provide wildlife habitats.
3.1.2 Veteran/Ancient tree habitats
A veteran tree provides habitats for a wide range of plants and animals:
· Invertebrates
· Fungi
· Mosses, lichens, liverworts and ferns
· Reptiles and amphibians
· Mammals and birds
3.1.3 Invertebrate habitat requirements
1. Major deadwood, sunbaked - Longhorn beetle
2. Upper crown limb, small cavities – bird, bats roost and hornets nest
3. Crown limb, large cavities – stiletto flies, click beetle, darkling beetle, barn owl roost
4. Fungal growth on limb – wood awl flies, false ladybirds
5. Snag/stub – large surface area for egg laying
6. Bark with fungal infection – cardinal beetles
7. Suspended broken limb – large surface area for eggs
8. Weak fork with included bark – nest for mammels and micromoths
9. Water-filled rot hole – hoverflies and water beetles
10. Sap on bark – sap beetles, fungas gnats
11. Scar tissue on old wound – bark beetle, false scorpions and spiders
12. Bracket fungi – shining fungus beetles
13. Delamination of wood – beetles
29. Lightning strike – flat bugs, false weevil and smoke flies
18. Basal cavity – lesser stag beetle and crane flies
19. Rot hole in trunk – rhinoceros beetle and crane flies
3.1.4 Fungi habitat requirements
· No fertilisers
· Low levels of disturbance around the base
· Light grazing can encourage numbers
· Avoid disturbing leaf litter as supresses inappropriate fungal species
· Clear excessive ivy growth which can smother some species
3.1.5 Moss and lichen habitat requirements
These are general comments, there are very many species of mosses and lichens that can grow in varying levels of pollution/light etc but in general where the following conditions exist the sites are particularly species rich:
· Low pollution
· Varying levels of light
· Sheltered areas
· Relatively high humidity levels (water source)
· An undisturbed environment (some lichens especially take an exceptionally long time to colonise a site)
· All the niche microenvironments a veteran tree affords
Best trees for moss are oak, ash, field maple and beech. Lichens can of course also be found on rock formations.
3.1.6 Factors affecting lowland wood pasture and parkland
· Lack of younger generations of trees
· Breaks in continuity of dead wood habitat, loss of dependent species
· Neglect/loss traditional tree management techniques (e.g. Pollarding) leading to tree collapse or felling
· Loss of veteran trees through disease or other stress
· Removal of veteran trees and dead wood due to safety and tidiness
· Damage to trees and roots from soil compaction and erosion by livestock
· Changes in ground-water levels leading to water stress
· Isolation and fragmentation of remaining sites
· Pasture loss through conversion to arable and other land uses
· Pasture improvement – reseeding, deep ploughing, fertilizers, pesticides
· Inappropriate grazing levels
- Undergrazing: loss of habitat structure through scrub invasion
- Overgrazing: bark browsing, soil compaction, loss of nectar plants
Some of the individual wood pasture habitat components are BAP habitats in their own right
· Grassland
· Woodland
· Open standing water (canals and ponds) and rivers and streams
3.2 Species Rich Grassland
Defined (within the NE survey done as a precursor to creating a stewardship agreement – the Farm Environment Plan or FEP process) as containing two of the following
· Less than 10% rye grass and clover
· Holds more than 15 species per m2
· More than 30% sedges or wild flowers (excluding clover and buttercup)
Factors affecting species rich grassland
· It is permanent grassland and has been for some considerable time as it takes time for the species to develop
· The soil has a low nutrient status as high soil fertility favours dominant grasses
· Grazing or cutting is required to prevent invasive species such as taller grasses
Key Management Messages
· Light grazing in spring and summer or
· Managed hay cutting in late July and then again in September
· Cuttings should be turned in the field and then removed so as not to smother new growth
3.3 Woodlands
Defined (in the FEP process) as ‘vegetation dominated by trees more than 5m high when mature, which forms a distinct canopy.’
Ancient woodland is a site that has been managed as woodland continuously since accurate mapping began in 1600’s.
Ancient woodland is more prevalent on historic landscapes and provide the most habitat opportunities. Indicator species and features for ancient woodland are:
· Sinuous boundaries
· Internal and external ditches or boundary banks
· Ancient trees
· Bluebells, dog’s mercury, tutsan, primrose, wood sorrel, wood speedwell, wood anemone, yellow pimpernel, sweet woodruff
· Archaeology of past woodland management
In the past, almost all woodland was coppiced, ie wood is harvested every 5-20 years for fuel, building materials etc.
3.3.1 Wildlife potential of coppiced woodland
Provides habitat for:
· Nightingale and green warbler and other birds
· Certain bees and wasps
· Leaf beetles, weevils, jumping spiders
· Wood ants and leaf mining hoverfly
· Woodland supports more species of butterfly and moth than any other UK habitat
· Bats, wood mice, common shrews and voles
3.3.2 Key Management Messages
· Coppicing and traditional management techniques should be re-introduced into woodland where possible
· Coppicing can also be an effective management technique for archaeological sites in addition to limited removal of trees/saplings
· Many of the species in decline are those reliant on the more open habitat provided in the first few years after coppicing, therefore the length of cycle of coppice should be defined by these species where appropriate
· To achieve optimum habitat, a mosaic of coppiced units at different stages should be managed.
3.4 Standing water habitats
The FEP process has three basic definitions of water habitats:
· Eutrophic waters (mainly in the SE and East)
· Mesotrophic waters (northern England)
· Ponds
Eutrophic is defined as ‘water rich in mineral and organic nutrients that promotes a wide range of plant life especially algae.’ This habitat can be found in lakes, canals, reservoirs and gravel pits.
Mesotrophic is defined as ‘water containing moderate levels of mineral and organic nutrients’
Ponds of high habitat value are defined in the FEP process as:
· Supporting high value species such as great crested newt
· Containing significant collection of 15 or more aquatic species, emergent plants or collections of dragonflies
· Of good water quality and contain some standard species
3.4.1 Wildlife potential for standing water habitats
· Bottom dwelling invertebrates such as snails, water beetles, dragonflies and in some sites freshwater crayfish
· Fish such as roach, tench and pike
· Fennel leaved pondweed, spiked milfoil, yellow water lily and reedswamp (river weed water plaintain is rare)
· Amphibians such as the great crested newt
· Many water-based birds
3.4.2 Factors affecting standing water
· Lakes change naturally over time silting with organic material which suppresses the fertility of the water - therefore occasional de-silting is advisable
· Nutrient enrichment from surrounding farming methods – using fertilisers of changing ground cover can cause the decline of useful species and an increase in invasive species
· Public access and recreational use disturbs the habitat, can trample shoreline vegetation, and stir up sediment
· Fishing and the introduction of none natives such as carp leads to the loss of natural fish and affects plant life and invertebrates
· Introduction of non-native plants and animals such as the signal crayfish that has impacted on the levels of vegetation and introduce the Plague to native crayfish.
3.4.3 Key Management Messages
· Manage public access to sites and site recreation including fishing
· Maintain water levels
· Be aware of surrounding land management and provide mitigation against over enrichment in any water management schemes
4. Environmental Stewardship
An agri-environment scheme open to farmers and other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on their land. Land Managers can include institutions such as schools. It provides farmers and land managers with a financial incentive that supports and rewards them for looking after our:
- wildlife
- landscapes
- historic features
- natural resources (soils and water)
Natural England (NE) manages Environmental Stewardship (ES) on behalf of Defra. Land entered into the ES must be registered on the Rural Land Registry and must be part of the farmed environment.
Farmed environment =
· all farmed land (a ‘whole farm’ scheme)
· other non-farmed land - land may also be entered that does not contribute to the farming system but is still considered part of the farmed environment e.g. large blocks of woodland, parcels of scrub, disused mineral sites, other neglected areas or vulnerable non-agricultural land that would benefit from protective management under ES (e.g. SSSI)
· Land registry has become more flexible so that non-farming land can form the main land use eg Basingstoke canal where the tow path formed the land.
ES has three elements:
· Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) – basic level management options. Promotes good stewardship of the countryside through simple and effective land management
· Organic ELS (OELS) – as above, for organic operatives
· Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) – more complex types of management and capital items, ie the restoration of buildings and parkland, are available.
4.1 Historic Parkland and HLS
Parklands are
· Important historic landscape feature in its own right
· Important areas of permanent pasture especially where they are “islands” in arable landscapes