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Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: Supplementary Guidance for England

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Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: Supplementary Guidance for England ACCESS AND NATURE CONSERVATION RECONCILIATION: SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDANCE FOR ENGLAND Natural England Contract No. NPR06/01/003 James Lowen, Durwyn Liley, John Underhill-Day and Andrew Whitehouse Date: 5th December 2008 Version: Final (Original produced August 08, amended December 08) Recommended Citation: Lowen, J., Liley, D., Underhill-Day, J. & Whitehouse, A. (2008). Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: supplementary guidance for England. Unpublished report by Footprint Ecology. Commissioned by Natural England. 2 3 Summary This report updates original guidance on the nature conservation impacts of access that was published in 2001. This original guidance focused on access on foot only and focused on the habitats associated with the access element of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act (2000). This update is broader in scope than the original and encompasses a wider range of habitats (a range that now includes the full suite of coastal habitats) and also access by bicycle and on horse back. New sections added to this report include saline lagoons, coastal grazing marsh, rocky shores, seals and a generic chapter on the impacts of cycling an horse riding. We have attempted to retain the headings and style used in the original document, and it is intended that the two documents are used in tandem. As in the original, this report contains sections on habitats, species groups. Used together it is intended that these two documents provide a comprehensive overview of the potential nature conservation implications of recreational access to the English countryside. 4 Contents Summary.................................................................................................................................................................4 Contents..................................................................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................ 15 1. INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE ............................................................................................................... 16 Need for a supplementary guidance .............................................................................................. 16 What the guidance covers ............................................................................................................. 16 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Who the guidance is aimed at ....................................................................................................... 18 2. THE GENERIC EFFECTS OF HORSE RIDING AND CYCLING ON NATURE CONSERVATION ............... 19 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 20 Overview of impacts ...................................................................................................................... 20 Horse Riding ................................................................................................................................. 22 Behavioural response to disturbance ......................................................................................... 22 Habitat Alteration ....................................................................................................................... 22 Direct mortality ........................................................................................................................... 26 Cycling .......................................................................................................................................... 26 Behavioural response to disturbance ......................................................................................... 26 Habitat Alteration ....................................................................................................................... 27 Direct mortality ........................................................................................................................... 28 Implications of research ................................................................................................................ 28 3. LOWLAND HEATHLAND ................................................................................................................................ 30 Introduction and Context ............................................................................................................... 30 Accessibility of Sites with Heathlands ............................................................................................ 30 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 30 General Vulnerability of Sites with Heathland to Direct Impacts arising from Access ..................... 31 Types of Site with Lowland Heathland with Particular Vulnerability to Access Related Issues ....... 33 Associated Interests ...................................................................................................................... 33 Implications of research ................................................................................................................ 34 5 Circumstances in which Statutory Exclusion or Restriction of Access should be Considered ........ 35 Related Concerns ......................................................................................................................... 35 Opportunities Associated with a Statutory Right of Access ............................................................ 35 4. MOUNTAIN AND MOOR ................................................................................................................................. 36 Introduction and context ................................................................................................................ 36 Accessibility of Sites with Mountain and Moor ............................................................................... 36 General Vulnerability of Sites with Mountain and Moor to Direct Impacts arising from Access ...... 36 On and off path use ................................................................................................................... 36 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Increases in path networks and width ........................................................................................ 37 Numbers of visitors and activities ............................................................................................... 37 Sensitivity of plant species ......................................................................................................... 38 Vegetation recovery ................................................................................................................... 39 Other upland interest ................................................................................................................. 39 Types of Site with Mountain and Moor with Particular Vulnerability to Access Related Issues ....... 39 Associated Interests ...................................................................................................................... 41 Implications of research ................................................................................................................ 41 Circumstances in which Statutory Exclusion or Restriction of Access should be considered ......... 41 Related Concerns ......................................................................................................................... 42 Opportunities Associated with a Statutory Right of Access ............................................................ 42 5. LOWLAND RAISED BOG (Active and Degraded) .......................................................................................... 43 Introduction and Context ............................................................................................................... 43 Accessibility of Sites with Raised Bog ........................................................................................... 43 General Vulnerability of Sites with Raised Bog to Direct Impacts arising from Access ................... 43 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 43 Types of Site with Raised Bog with Particular Vulnerability to Access Related Issues ................... 44 Associated Interests ...................................................................................................................... 44 Implications of research ................................................................................................................ 44 Circumstances in which Statutory Exclusion or Restriction of Access should be Considered ........ 44 Related Concerns ......................................................................................................................... 44 Opportunities
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