Lowland Calcareous Grassland

Lowland Calcareous Grassland- Sedgemoor


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Dorset

Wiltshire

Calcareous Grassland SW

Lowland Calcareous Grasslands UK

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Key factors

Extent/Distribution

The total area of lowland calcareous grassland in Sedgemoor is about 350 ha.

By far the largest concentration is found to the north of the district on a ridge of limestone from Brean Down on the coast to Cheddar Gorge on the eastern boarder of the district. Examples of calcareous grassland here range form large blocks with limited scrub to smaller and more scattered stands interrupted by dense scrub, bracken and heath.

Other sites with calcareous grassland in the district are smaller in patch size and tend to be fragmented by more intensive agriculture. Areas with examples of these sites include Brent Knoll, the Polden Hills and Cannington Park.

As with the national resource the large majority of calcareous grassland in Sedgemoor has been designated as SSSI (68%). [tables are available in LBAP showing distribution]. All of these sites are found in the Mendip limestone ridge described above. A further 113 ha (32% of the total resource) is found in smaller sites and have been assessed as CWS quality.

Threats

Agricultural intensification including the application of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and other pesticides, re-seeding and ploughing up for conversion to arable land use.
Reduced stocking rates due to farm specialisation towards arable cropping has led to the dominance of coarse grasses such as tor grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) and false oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius), and the invasion by scrub and woodland. This has led to considerable losses of calcareous flora and fauna.
Localised overgrazing has been known in Sedgemoor but is a less significant threat than under grazing.
Development activities, particularly mineral and rock extraction, has greatly reduced the former extent of this habitat. Road and house building have also contributed to the decline.
Recreational pressures, especially at sites such as Brean Down, Crook Peak and Cheddar Gorge, can cause soil compaction problems that lead to floristic changes.
Atmospheric pollution and climate change effects have yet to be fully assessed.

Action Plan Objectives

[see targets]

Action Plan Targets

Arrest the depletion of the existing unimproved lowland calcareous grassland (350 ha) .

TARGET: Ongoing

Identify and initiate rehabilitation management for all significant areas within SSSI where conservation conditions are unfavourable.

TARGET: 2005

Secure favourable conditions at sites outside of SSSI for 30% of the area ( 34 ha ).

TARGET: 2005

Aim to achieve this for as near to 100% of the area as is practicable (113 ha).

TARGET: 2015

Re-establish lowland calcareous grassland for wildlife value at targeted sites ( 9 - 11 ha).

TARGET: 2010

Current Action

The Somerset Wildlife Trust's Wildlife Sites Liaison Officers have been giving advise regarding calcareous grassland management as part of an ongoing programme to visit owners and managers of CWSs in the district.

Management agreements to conserve calcareous grassland on SSSIs have been made between owners and occupiers and EN.

The purchase and management of calcareous grassland remains a priority of the Somerset Wildlife Trust; a site on the Mendip ridge was purchased by the Trust in 1998.

The National Trust, who own substantial amounts of the habitat have continued to carry out botanical survey work on the resource and are actively managing it to enhance the biodiversity of the area.

Proposed Action

Policy and legislation

Develop and implement a strategy to preserve, restore and expand the cover of calcareous grassland. Take account of the need to ameliorate the negative effects of isolation, fragmentation and generally small patch size. ACTION: SDC, EN, SWT, NT

Support initiatives to conserve calcareous grassland within Sedgemoor development plans and the planning process, including any potentially detrimental developments. ACTION: SDC

Management

Secure the uptake of positive management with owners and occupiers of SSSI and CWS to achieve favourable conservation conditions. ACTION: EN, WSLO, FWAG

Consider the management of at least one calcareous grassland site as a Local Nature reserve ACTION: SDC

Support developments to mitigate against under grazing of calcareous grassland. ACTION: MAFF, NFU, WSLO, FWAG

Ameliorate the harmful effects of recreational pressures by implementing appropriate visitor management. EN, NT, SWT

Encourage the development of site based management plans to include the conservation needs of calcareous grassland. ACTION: EN, SWT, NT, ARC

Continue to encourage, develop and disseminate best practice for calcareous grassland management, in particular the integration of conservation management into agricultural practice. ACTION: WSLO, FWAG, MAFF, EN

Produce guidelines for appropriate methods with which to establish new areas of calcareous grassland of wildlife value. ACTION: WSLO, FWAG, MAFF, EN

Identify and establish potential demonstration sites with proven conservation and agricultural credentials. These might be from the private or public sector, and should be linked with existing agri-environmental schemes. ACTION: MAFF, NFU, CLA, FWAG, WSLO

Research and monitoring

Complete the vegetation survey coverage of lowland grasslands in Sedgemoor with the aim of identifying the full extent of the resource in the district. SERC, EN

Develop and implement appropriate monitoring and review, to assess the progress towards implementing this action plan. ACTION: SDC, EN, SERC

Contribute information on the lowland calcareous grassland action plan, and the important species dependent on the habitat, to a World Wide Web site. Aim to improve the access to information on this habitat. ACTION: SERC

Education and awareness raising

Explore opportunities to promote the importance of calcareous grassland in the scientific and popular press. ACTION: SWT, SDC, EN

Encourage appropriate public access to calcareous grassland sites to help promote a greater awareness of the value of this habitat. ACTION: SDC, SCC

Introduce wildlife interpretation boards at targeted sites to encourage the sustainable enjoyment of the calcareous grassland sites. ACTION: EN, NT, SWT

Progress

[no information currently available]