PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Consisting of 7 000 ha of poor, acidic sandy soil on top of chalk, the Breckland of East Anglia, has long been recognised as an area of high nature conservation value. It contains a priority habitat type (pseudo-steppe grass heath) under the Habitats Directive, only occurring in three other areas in the EU. Its significance lies in the close association of wetlands, heather and grass heaths which flourish in semi-continental conditions unique to Britain. There is a mixture of rare steppe, Mediterranean and coastal species (including nine species listed in the annexes of the Birds Directive). Although traditionally these habitats formed part of an integrated system of land use, these practices have since given way to more permanent intensive agricultural practices. This, together with the more recent threats from conifer plantations, reduction in river flows and aquifer levels resulting from boreholes, as well as urban spread and uncontrolled tourism, has led to loss of habitats and to their fragmentation.
OBJECTIVES
The project’s principal aim was to improve and restore the habitat to a level suitable for grazing under an agri-environment scheme (then an Environmentally Sensitive Area, which has since been replaced by the Environmental Stewardship agri-environment scheme.) This will be achieved through the active management of key Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and some County Wildlife Sites which are of high floristic value. Action will also be taken to survey breeding populations of several Annex I bird species and to co-ordinate the establishment of an action plan on 20 endangered flora species, using the English Nature recovery plan of the region as a basis. Each type of activity will involve close liaison with the local farming community and, where appropriate, the establishment of management agreements. As such the project will have a high demonstration value and should provide a basic incentive for the long-term conservation of the site through the introduction of environmentally friendly farming practices.
RESULTS
The project achieved the following:
Invasive scrub and bracken was cleared and appropriate grazing introduced at 18 sites;
Management covered 2 000 ha, including eight sites within the cSAC/pSPA areas, five SSSIs and four County Wildlife Sites. All of these were within the ESA scheme boundary;
Management plans were prepared for 13 SSSI sites;
Large-scale scrub removal operations were trialled at 3 sites using specialised equipment (a chipper and low ground-pressure vehicle), and proved successful;
Pine trees were removed and there was arable reversion to grass-heath at 2 sites;
94 stone curlew nests were located and farmers were involved in their protection (there was a 15% population increase in the three-year project period);
Woodlark habitat management was undertaken with the Forestry Commission and the Breckland population increased by almost 30% (by inter-row ploughing and adjusting the felling programme);
The felling programme also took account of the needs of nightjars;
Management plans were produced for 20 threatened plant species; and
A monitoring network for ground and surface water levels was established with English Nature and the Environment Agency – this would be used to assess abstraction impacts. The project achieved the following:
Invasive scrub and bracken was cleared and appropriate grazing introduced at 18 sites;
Management covered 2 000 ha, including eight sites within the cSAC/pSPA areas, five SSSIs and four County Wildlife Sites. All of these were within the ESA scheme boundary;
Management plans were prepared for 13 SSSI sites;
Large-scale scrub removal operations were trialled at 3 sites using specialised equipment (a chipper and low ground-pressure vehicle), and proved successful;
Pine trees were removed and there was arable reversion to grass-heath at 2 sites;
94 stone curlew nests were located and farmers were involved in their protection (there was a 15% population increase in the three-year project period);
Woodlark habitat management was undertaken with the Forestry Commission and the Breckland population increased by almost 30% (by inter-row ploughing and adjusting the felling programme);
The felling programme also took account of the needs of nightjars;
Management plans were produced for 20 threatened plant species; and
A monitoring network for ground and surface water levels was established with English Nature and the Environment Agency – this would be used to assess abstraction impacts.