Terrestrial and Aquatic Invertebrate Survey at Land North of Tata Steel
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TERRESTRIAL & AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE SURVEY AT LAND NORTH OF TATA STEEL, LLANWERN, NEWPORT Bowden Hall, Bowden Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 6ND Tel: 0161 465 8971 [email protected] www.rachelhackingecology.co.uk CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Page 2 2. METHODOLOGY 3 3. RESULTS 6 4. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 29 REFERENCES 30 APPENDIX 1 – TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATE RAW DATA – TO BE COMPLETED APPENDIX 2 – AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE RAW DATA 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rachel Hacking Ecology Limited was commissioned in 2018 by Mott MacDonald to undertake a terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate survey of linear parcel of land north of Tata Steel, Llanwern, Newport. 1.2 The survey area is approximately 4km in length by 80m in width (see Figure 1). The site currently comprises numerous reens, woodland and scrub with tall, ruderal herb and low-growing ruderal vegetation on ballast. The site lies adjacent to the Gwent Levels – Redwich and Llandevenny Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and 1km from both Gwent Levels – Whitson SSSI and Gwent Levels – Nash and Goldcliff SSSI. The Gwent Levels are renowned for their aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate assemblages. Figure 1 showing the site north of Tata Steel edged in red 1.4 An invertebrate scoping survey visit was undertaken in May 2018 to assess the site for its suitability to support invertebrate assemblages. Following the scoping visit, recommendations were made to survey a number of the freshwater habitats and stretches of the terrestrial habitats for invertebrates. The results will inform the need for further survey and provide baseline information which will feed into the mitigation and compensation package. 2 2.0 METHODOLOGY 2.1 Following the scoping survey visit, and by assessing habitat information provided by Mott MacDonald, the following terrestrial habitats were sampled: • Tall, Ruderal Vegetation • Bare Ground (Open Mosaic Habitat) • Woodland 2.2 At each of the above sites, the following terrestrial invertebrate survey methods were used: • Sweep-netting – A robust insect net was used to sweep the vegetation. For scrub this involved sweeping the net against high branches. Sweeping was also carried out along the ground to collect low-flying invertebrates. • Hand-searching – This involved searching under fallen wood, in grass tussocks, sieving through the leaf-litter and searching beneath bark. • Pootering – A pooter was used during all the above methodologies to catch smaller invertebrates which would otherwise have been missed. 2.3 The aquatic sampling took place at 19 reens, which were chosen to provide a good cross-section of reen types on site. 2.4 Where aquatic invertebrate surveying took place, the following methods were used: • Direct observation - The water surface and emergent vegetation were searched for evidence of egg cocoons, reed beetles and similar genera and evidence of feeding or egg-laying, such as cut sections of floating leaves. • Pond-netting – The reens were netted for aquatic invertebrates using a heavy-duty pond-net. All sections of the watercourse were netted, including within submerged vegetation and within emergent vegetation, by sweeping the vegetation into the water. The water was netted until no new species were being caught. 3 2.5 Surveying concentrated on specific invertebrate orders, all of which contain ecological indicator species. Within some orders, only certain families have been included in the survey scope due to the habitats present and the survey techniques used across the site. The following terrestrial orders were surveyed for: • Diptera (true flies) • Coleoptera (beetles) • Lepidoptera (butterflies and day-flying moths) • Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) • Hemiptera (true bugs – mainly shieldbugs and capsid bugs). 2.6 The aquatic surveys concentrated the following orders: • Tricladida (flatworms) • Hirudinea (leeches) • Mollusca (snails and mussels) • Malacostraca (shrimps and hoglice) • Ephemeroptera (mayflies) • Plecoptera (stoneflies) • Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) • Hemiptera (aquatic bugs) • Coleoptera (water beetles) • Megaloptera (alderflies) • Trichoptera (caddisflies) • Lepidoptera (freshwater moths). 2.7 Andy Harmer and Sam Harmer undertook the field work. Two visits were made, in July and August 2018. All survey methods were used during all visits. All invertebrates caught were potted in 70% ethanol to be identified later, unless identification could be made in the field, in which case the animal was released. 2.8 Following the survey visits, identification of the specimens was undertaken. Rachel Hacking (Principal Ecologist and Cheshire Carabidae recorder) identified the Coleoptera with critical specimens being sent to Mike Denton FRES, a Coleoptera recorder for south Yorkshire. The Diptera specimens were sorted and sent to Stephen Hewitt, an expert Dipterist at Liverpool Museum. Other orders were identified by either Andy Harmer, Rachel Hacking or by other taxonomic experts. All specimens have been retained in the collection of Rachel Hacking. 2.9 The invertebrates are assessed for rarity designations. Red Data Book species are our rarest species and are found in less than 16 10km squares of the National Grid. Nationally Scarce species are known to occur in 100 or fewer 10km squares of the National Grid. If enough is known about the species, i.e. its ecology and distribution, then the Nationally Scarce designation is split into Notable A and Notable B (Na species occur within 16 - 30 10km squares, Nb between 31 – 100 10km 4 squares). Designations are taken from Falk (1991), Foster (2010), Hyman & Parsons (1992) and the NBN Gateway. 2.10 Some species mentioned in the text are considered ‘Local’. These are not scarce but have restricted habitat requirements. Botanical nomenclature follows Stace, 2010. See References for invertebrate nomenclature authors. Survey Constraints 2.11 On all of the sites, static collection techniques were not used (i.e. pitfall traps, yellow bowl traps or malaise traps). This was for a number of reasons. Either it was not possible to set traps within the ground, given that the majority of the substrate is ballast, or the traps would have been in locations that other protected species exist at, such as Great Crested Newt. 2.12 During some site visits, the weather conditions were not optimum for terrestrial invertebrate survey (e.g. rain or strong winds). Therefore, on some of the visits, invertebrates may have been missed. 2.13 The invertebrate survey guidelines recommend that for an optimal assessment, sites are visited once a month between May and August over a number of years. Given that the sampling took place on site over two close months in one year, it is probable that species were missed. 5 3.0 RESULTS GENERAL 3.1 A total of 148 species of terrestrial invertebrate were recorded across the whole survey area in 2018 (see Table 1 for a breakdown of the totals per taxonomic group). Table 1. Total number of species (terrestrial) per taxonomic group Taxonomic group: No. of species: Diptera (true flies) 44 Coleoptera (beetles) 44 Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) 16 Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps) 12 Hemiptera (true bugs) 32 TOTAL NO. OF SPECIES 148 3.2 102 species (plus 3 Genera only specimens) of aquatic invertebrate were recorded across the whole survey area in 2018 (see Table 2 for a breakdown of the totals per taxonomic group). Table 2. Total number of species (aquatic) per taxonomic group Taxonomic group: No. of species: Tricladida (flatworms) 2 Hirudinea (leeches) 4 Mollusca (snails and mussels) 16 + 1 Genus only Malacostraca (shrimps and hoglice) 3 Ephemeroptera (mayflies) 2 Plecoptera (stoneflies) 0 Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) 9 + 1 Genus only Hemiptera (true bugs) 13 Coleoptera (beetles) 49 + 1 Genus only Megaloptera (alderflies) 1 Trichoptera (caddisflies) 2 Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) 1 TOTAL NO. OF SPECIES 102 3.3 From the terrestrial invertebrate total, no legally protected or Red Data Book species were found. 3.4 Five Nationally Scarce species of terrestrial invertebrate were recorded. These were: • Anobium inexspectatum - A woodworm beetle which bores in old Ivy Hedera helix stems. The species has only recently been added to the British list and its range is increasing. This species was recorded from the woodland. 6 • Meligethes fulvipes - A shining black pollen beetle, 2.0-2.4mm long, found on flowers in marshes in southern Britain. This species was recorded from both the tall, ruderal and bare ground habitats. • Hippodamia variegata - A red and black ladybird which is predatory on aphids (Homoptera). Scarce and restricted mainly to dry sandy places, in particular to heathland and the coast. Widespread scattered records around southern Britain but only frequent in the Thames area, in south Wales and in Staffordshire. The species has recently undergone a range expansion and is commoner than its national status indicates. This species was recorded from the bare ground habitat. • Eupeodes nielseni – A hoverfly (Syrphidae), the larvae of which require coniferous woodland and the adults require a range of flowers. The nearest known record is from Mynydd Du Forest to the north of Newport. This species was recorded from the bare ground habitat. • Chorisops nagatomii Bright Four-spined Legionnaire – A soldierfly (Stratiomyidae) which is typical of ex-industrial sites. The nearest known record is from Magor Marsh to the east of the site. This species was recorded from the bare ground and woodland habitats. 3.5 From the aquatic invertebrate