| Arable Farmland Action Plan - Wiltshire |
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| Extent/Distribution Arable farmland is the most abundant habitat in Wiltshire. In 1999, arable farmland occupied 163,113 hectares, representing approximately 50% of the 9 county's area . The north and west of the county are situated over oolite, cornbrash, clays and greensand. Large areas are urbanised (although not in comparison with other parts of the country) but the surrounding farmland supports a diverse range of both flora and fauna. Chalk soils dominate the south, central and eastern part of Wiltshire. Here, arable farming is the major land use, with the exception of the Salisbury Plain training areas. Arable farming has been practised on the chalk lands for over 1-3,000 years and the landscape is characterised by its open, large fields with relatively few trees. An association has been demonstrated between the numbers of rare weed species present at a site and the length of time for which 7 arable farming has been practised (Wilson 1990) . The majority of records for the rarer arable weeds are from these chalk and limestone areas. Between 1975 and 1998, the total area involved in arable production has remained more or less the same. The major changes have been the introduction of setaside, a 13% increase in the amount of wheat sown, and a major 30% decrease in the amount of spring-sown barley. Other changes include:
1 Ensure no further loss or degradation of sites important for arable biodiversity. 2 Increase awareness of soil erosion and diffuse pollution and their implications for biodiversity. 3 Increase the extent of arable land that is managed to benefit arable biodiversity. 4 Achieve favourable management of all known sites of importance for arable biodiversity by 2010. (However, in some circumstances other factors may take precedence). 5 Ensure that the needs of priority species associated with arable habitats are met. 6 Improve knowledge of arable biodiversity in Wiltshire through survey, research and monitoring. 7 Raise awareness of the importance of arable land for biodiversity among agencies, advisors, land managers and the general public. 8 Promote and secure conservation objectives for stone curlews. 9 Promote and secure conservation objectives for tree sparrows. Arable farmland can be defined as all cultivated land and bare fallow. 1. Seek better communication and working amongst all partners. By 2003 2. Promote IFM to all farmers and aim to have 40% practising IFM. By 2005 3. Encourage farmers to choose the most wildlife-friendly set-aside options. By 2010 4. Hold at least three awareness raising events to highlight the problem of by 2010 soil erosion and surface water runoff from farmland and their implications for biodiversity. 5. Aim for 66 pairs of stone curlew breeding in Wiltshire (the current UK by 2010 population is estimated at 150-160 pairs). 6. Achieve an overall breeding productivity for stone curlews of between 0.7 by 2010 and 0.8 young per pair. 7. Increase by 50% the numbers of stone curlew breeding on semi -improved by 2010 grassland. 8. Achieve a 10% annual increase in the number of tree sparrows to 210 by 2006 breeding pairs (estimate is currently 100 - 200 pairs). 9. Achieve a measurable increase in the range of tree sparrows and a total by 2008 winter flock exceeding 600 birds. 10. Colour-ring at least 10% of the current tree sparrow population. By 2003 11. Deliver at least three tree sparrow promotional activities. By 2003 12. Aim for 10% of Wiltshire farmland to be under some kind of 2010 management agreement. 13. Hold five farm walks for the general public to promote farmland by 2010 biodiversity issues. 14. Ensure that 50 farms are growing overwintering seed crops. By 2003 15. Review Wildlife Site criteria to ensure sites important for arable weeds by 2005 16. Revisit and assess suitability for identification as Wildlife Sites all 40 by 2005 sites identified as important for arable weeds in the arable weed audit 10 produced by the RSPB . 17. Secure sympathetic management on 50% of sites identified above. By 2005 18. Encourage the creation of 5 km of 6m arable field margin on appropriate by 2010 soil types. 19. Promote the benefits of nectar crops for invertebrates and seed crops for by 2010 birds on set aside and 6m field margins (These are likely to be targeted at sites with known invertebrate interest). Secure on 200 ha. Key species: Brown hare Legal Salisbury Plain contains the only arable land in the county designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is also a Special Protection Area (SPA) for its bird interest, in particular the stone curlew. The South Wessex Downs, North Wessex Downs, Cotswolds and New Forest are all designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The South Wessex Downs is also an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). Under the Food and Environment Protection Act (1985) it is illegal to spray pesticides into hedge bases, unless there is a specific label recommendation or a specific off-label approval. Under the current procedures for pesticide registration and review, some compounds have statutory label exemptions preventing their use on the outermost 6-metre-wide strips of crops. These restrictions are designed to prevent over-spraying of watercourses and to protect non-cropped habitats. Management Agri-environment schemes
such as the conservation headland option operate on the South Wessex
Downs ESA, and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme promotes the establishment
of 6-metre grass margins around arable fields and mid-field ridges or
"beetle-banks" in large fields. The Organic Farming Scheme is available
to farmers wishing to convert their holdings to organic production.
Evidence is accumulating that organic systems are beneficial to farmland
biodiversity, although an increase in mechanical operations such as
weeding can threaten ground- nesting birds. ! Research & Monitoring Education Policy and legislation Take account of conservation requirements of arable farmland and its associated priority species such as stone curlew and tree sparrow when reviewing and adjusting agri-environment schemes. (NB schemes are multi-objective and sometimes other considerations take precedence).LEAD: DEFRA PARTNERS: All Lobby for simple changes to increase the flexibility of setaside management to help arable biodiversity and to streamline the derogation process. LEAD: All Lobby to decouple the conservation headland payment from the field margins payment under CSS. LEAD: EN PARTNERS: RSPB, FWAG Lobby to include field margin option in the South Wessex Downs All ESA Scheme. LEAD: All Lobby for support for integrated farming options to be included in All agri-environment schemes in Wiltshire. LEAD: All Management
Ensure that habitats adjacent to arable farmland are buffered from the effects of soil erosion and surface water runoff. LEAD: EA, FWAG PARTNERS: DEFRA,WWT Ensure that arable reversion to grassland is avoided on sites where the arable wildlife interest is high. LEAD: DEFRA, BRC PARTNERS: RSPB, FWAG,WWT, MoD Promote the use of agri-environment schemes to provide suitable habitat for stone curlew and tree sparrow. LEAD: RSPB, FWAG,DEFRA PARTNERS: WWT, EN, WOS Promote and encourage active management of setaside land to provide benefits for arable biodiversity, e.g. wild bird cover. LEAD: GCT, FWAG PARTNERS: RSPB, WOS Try to ensure all SSSI and Wildlife Sites are buffered from potentially damaging agricultural operations. LEAD: WWT Establish criteria for the identification of arable Wildlife Sites.
Identify arable Wildlife Sites and add to the Wildlife Site register. LEAD:WSBRC/WWT PARTNERS: WWT, EN, MoD, FWAG,RSPB,DEFRA, Agronomists Research
and monitoring
Develop and implement monitoring schemes for sites at which Devise and implement monitoring schemes for priority species of RSPB, WSBRC arable habitats (refer to key species list). Encourage land managers and advisors to ascertain which priority species , (if any) are found on the sites with which they are involved. LEAD:WOS, WSBRC, EN PARTNERS: RSPB, FWAG WWT
Use BTO/GCT project data to promote the use of certain game crops that are frequently used by other farmland birds. LEAD: GCT PARTNERS: BTO, RSPB, FWAG Raise awareness of the benefits of game cover for other farmland bird species. LEAD: GCT PARTNERS: RSPB, FWAG,WOS Identify, through countywide surveying, the farmland bird hotspots. LEAD: WOS, BTO, RSPB Education
and awareness raising
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