Current Status in the SW

Definition¹

Hard and soft rock formed at the junction between the land and the sea where a break in slope is formed by slippage and/or erosion by the sea. Soft rock cliffs are often characterised by slips, areas of slumped cliff face that gradually become vegetated; hard rock cliffs are often characterised by sheer faces with small but important plant communities and ledges that provide important nesting areas for seabird colonies.

Cliff form is dependent on geology, configuration of the coastline, condition of the shore and the nature of wave attack. The region has a wide variety of cliff forms from the high flat topped chalk cliffs of south east Dorset to the low gently sloping terraced cliffs of south east Cornwall. This range of forms, coupled with the variety of geology, leads to a wide range of habitat types including grassland, heath, wetland, scrub, woodland and open rock communities, al influenced to varying degrees by maritime conditions.

There will be some complementary coverage within a number of Habitat and Species Action Plans for this region, including those for heathland, neutral grassland, calcareous grassland, urban and early gentian.

Current Extent¹

Examples of important sites in the South West¹

• Godrevy Head to St Agnes, The Lizard, Penwith (Cornwall)
• Pentire-Marsland-Clovelly Coast (Cornwall/Devon)
• Berry Head to Sharkham Pont, Prawle Point to Start Point, Bolt Head to bolt Tail, Sidmouth to Beer, Lundy (Devon)
• Axmouth to Lyme Regis (Devon/Dorset)
• Isle of Portland to Studland Cliffs West Dorset Coast and Ware Cliffs, Bournemouth Bay Cliffs (Dorset)
• Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast, Exmoor Coast (Somerset)
• All (Isle of Scilly)
  

Habitat Loss¹

Associated Species¹

• Puffin
• Peregrine
• Guillemot
• Shag
• Sand Lizard
• Brown-banded carder bee
• a weevil Cathormiocerus brittanicus
• light feathered rustic moth
• Episinus maculipes - a spider
• Early Gentian ( Vascular plant)
• Slender Century ( Vascular plant)
• Thrift ( Vascular plant)
• Lundy Cabbage ( Vascular plant)
• Goldilocks ( Vascular plant)
• Leujeunea mandonii (liverwort)
• Weissia multicapsularis (moss)
• Acualon triquestrum (moss)
• Weissia perssonnii (moss)

Current factors affecting the habitat in the SW

Interruption of natural processes of erosion, by defences or cliff stabilisation projects. Many of the unique maritime habitats and species of the coast are dependent on such processes which provide bare ground for colonisation.

Abandonment of traditional farming practices and highly selective grazing leading to a decline in maritime grassland and heath and eventual succession to woodland.

Ploughing and re-seeding, silage production, fertilisers and overgrazing above the cliff line leading to a loss of diversity, and reducing the semi-natural cliff vegetation to a very narrow strip.

Visitor pressures and recreational activities can have detrimental effects on cliff vegetation and nesting birds; dog walking can also conflict with grazing management

Invasive non-native species such as Rhododendron and hottentot fig Carpobrotus edulis .

Lack of information on the extent of the various habitat types, invertebrates and appropriate forms of management

UK biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

South-west biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

OBJECTIVE 1
Ensure that cliff habitats are managed (where appropriate) in such a way as to conserve and enhance important habitats and populations of key species

TARGET: ongoing

OBJECTIVE 2
Ensure that natural processes of erosion continue to operate on all areas of conservation interest

TARGET: ongoing

Current Action

The coastline of the South West has long been recognised as being of outstanding importance fro nature conservation. This is reflected by the number of coastal SSSIs and the high degree of protection afforded to coastal areas in the planning system

Although not directed specifically at cliffs, MAFF's ESA and Countryside Stewardship schemes can be very useful in providing a corridor of semi-natural habitat from intensively farmed cliff land and in the re-introduction of grazing and cutting management to abandoned cliffs, under both schemes

The National Trust is involved in 38 coastal grazing schemes in Devon and Cornwall. Some of these schemes are using old breeds owned by the Trust but many are actually using suitable farm stock such as Scots Blackface sheep or Devon cattle. It is anticipated that the lessons learned from these grazing schemes will provide a significant contribution to our knowledge of appropriate management techniques.

Shoreline Management Plans are in preparation for long stretches of coastline of the South West peninsula. These documents deal with coastal defence and could thus have a major impact on the biodiversity of the sea cliffs and slopes in the region.

The work of the South West Coast Path Association is important to the management of recreational pressure on the coast, and the raising of public awareness about coastal issues. A new Coast path Strategy is in production.

Groups such as the Climbing Liaison Group on the Lizard and Portland and Purbeck have been set up to address conflicts between recreation and conservation interests, in an attempt to minimise damage to cliffs of the area; disturbance to breeding birds is also reduced by zoning climbing activities.

Much work is being done in Exmoor National Park to remove Rhododendron from large areas of coastal heaths.

Ensure all sites of county importance for wildlife are identified as CWS (by 2000)

LEAD: WTs
PARTNERS: EN, LAs, HCT

Ensure existing funding of management continues (ongoing)

LEAD: EN, MAFF
PARTNERS: NT

Advisory

Pool knowledge of sea cliff and slope management techniques to disseminate information (ongoing)

LEAD: NT
PARTNERS: EN, WTs, HCS, HCT

Ensure inappropriate uses of this habitat are addressed through liaison with user groups and the production of agreed codes of conduct (by 2000/ongoing)

LEAD: LAs
PARTNERS: WTs, RSPB, HCS, HCT

Design and implement a research programme on appropriate management techniques to identify suitable management techniques (by 1999)

LEAD: EN
PARTNERS: NT, WTs, HCT

Design and implement a survey programme to identify localities with specialised chalk cliff splash zones algal; communities, areas important for invertebrates, and to map the extent of the various habitat types (by 1999)

LEAD: EN, WTs
PARTNERS: JNCC, LAs

Continue educational work already carried out (ongoing)

LEAD: HCS
PARTNERS: LAs, NT

Ensure management of South West coastal path enables habitat management to take place, and provides information and interpretation for path uses (ongoing)

LEAD LAs, SWCPA
PARTNERS: NT

Benefits

• Maintenance of the character of the South West coast has huge positive implication for the region's economy, particularly through tourism
  
• Provide opportunities fro green tourism initiatives
• Cliff slopes act as refugia fro recolonisation of intensively farmed land when this is brought back into appropriate management
• Provide potential sites for chough re-introduction