NEW FOREST - HABITAT MANAGEMENT |
The mosiac of the New Forest (Top) Pearl bordered fritillary.
The power of volunteers enables an in-depth look into habitat management and biodiversity. Barbara Smith explains
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aluable studies focusing on plants and insects have taken place in the New Forest, thanks to the efforts of a team of locally recruited volunteers. The project, a collaboration between the Trust and the Natural History Museum, looked at the contrasting effect on biodiversity of the two principle vegetation management techniques employed in the New Forest, namely burning and cutting. Forty-four volunteers
were recruited and trained to carry out vegetation surveys, soil pit searching, soil sampling, pitfall trapping, sweep-net sampling and invertebrate identification. As a result some of the volunteers are now highly skilled. Despite the miserable weather throughout the summer last year, data from 107 sites across the New Forest was collected, obtained from 642 quadrats of vegetation and soil pits, and 1,926 insect sampling events.
The key findings were: Using JNCC indicator targets to estimate heathland condition, burnt sites were generally in better condition when compared with swiped sites, with more heathland species and a ‘desirable’ vegetation structure.
Heathland specialist insects such as the small heather weevil were associated with older burnt sites.
Dartford warbler. © Dave Kjaer
The vegetation in burnt sites (top) was in better condition than swiped sites.
The insects that are food for the Dartford warbler (right) were more numerous on swiped sites and were associated with grass. This underlines the importance of a mosaic of heath and acid grassland patches for Dartford warblers.
The meadow grasshopper was associated with swiped sites.
It would be an excellent legacy for the project if the data could form the basis of a long-term monitoring programme to detect future change, and to expand to look at the effects on reptiles. There have been huge educational benefits, with a New Forest natural history road show delivered to local schools and talks given at a ‘Nature Live’ event at the Natural History Museum and at the British Ecological Society.
The green tiger beetle was found more frequently on burnt sites. Species associated with grassland, such as the meadow grasshopper, and arable systems, tended to be associated with swiped sites. However, many insect species were not affected by management type at all.
Choice of management treatment can be crucial in determining the balance of species and there is potential to improve heathland habitats through targeted management.
Key facts
44 volunteers 107 sites 642 plots of vegetation and soil pits were surveyed
1,926 insect sampling events More information Natural History Museum www.nhm.ac.uk New Forest National Park www.newforestnpa.gov.uk
The project was part-funded by the New Forest National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund in partnership with the Verderers of the New Forest through Environmental Stewardship as part of the Rural Development Programme for England and with the National Trust.
Habitat can be improved through targeted management.
Overall a mix of management treatments is likely to benefit biodiversity within the New Forest, allowing a wider range of species to survive and offering broader opportunities for more widely-dispersing species, such as birds, that may make use of food supplies in more than one habitat. A variety of habitats will benefit widely-dispersing species, such as the goldcrest.
Barbara Smith is a senior
ecologist in our farmland ecology unit. She is leading a Darwin Initiative partnership to increase understanding of crop pollination in India.
GAMEWISE AUTUMN/WINTER 2013 | 23