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Upland Commons of South-East Wales Natural Re- Sources Management Plan Non-Technical Summary October 2015

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Upland Commons of South-East Wales Natural Re- Sources Management Plan Non-Technical Summary October 2015 Upland Commons of South-east Wales Natural Re- sources Management Plan Non-technical Summary October 2015 A Nature Fund project A 10-year natural resources management plan for the South East Wales Uplands - to integrate biodiversity, ecosystem services and the Water Framework Directive with long term, sustainable, economic land management through sustainable management of the commons, recreation and tourism. vide, to meet the needs of present generations Introduction of people without compromising the ability of Background future generations to meet their needs. This, of course, includes the well-being and needs of To address the continuing decline in Welsh bi- those who manage and make their living from odiversity, the Welsh Government established the land. This plan will be a valuable tool for the Nature Fund in July 2013 to support land- local authorities, land users and other stake- scape-scale biodiversity projects which also holders to inform decision-making in the sus- provided benefits to the economy and local tainable management of natural resources communities. Seven areas of Wales were se- within the study area. lected as priority for action, including the up- lands of South-east Wales. South-east Wales uplands study In 2014, Torfaen County Borough Council ob- area tained a Nature Fund grant for the Eastern Val- leys Uplands Project to build on and develop The project study area consists of a 380km2 the excellent work carried out for the Blae- area within the South-East Wales uplands navon World Heritage Site Forgotten Land- (area above 200m), and includes parts of five scapes Programme. The Eastern Valleys Up- local authority areas - Blaenau Gwent, Caer- lands Project consists of three inter-related el- philly, Merthyr Tydfil, Torfaen and the part of ements: Monmouthshire covered by Brecon Beacons National Park (Figure 1). The northern half is 1. Production of a ten year Natural Resource upland plateau dissected by seven, narrow, Management Plan (NRMP), using the eco- steep-sided river valleys. The southern half is systems approach (a strategy for the inte- more varied with four uplands separated by grated management of land, water and liv- areas of hilly lowland and broader river val- ing resources that promotes conservation leys. There are 16 large commons on the up- and sustainable use in an equitable way) land plateaus, with scattered farms. There are for the management and utilisation of the many urban and industrial areas in the valleys. uplands (land over 200 m alti- tude) of South-east Wales with particular emphasis on common land. 2. Capital projects to achieve social, economic and environ- mental benefits in the up- lands. 3. Outreach work to raise aware- ness, share best practice and agree a regional methodology for upland land management, training, wildlife conservation, access and tourism. This non-technical summary pre- sents the results of the first of these elements, a Natural Re- source Management Plan for the Uplands of South-east Wales. Natural resource management is the management of natural re- sources such air, water, soil, plants and animals with the ob- jective of maintaining and en- hancing the resilience of ecosys- Figure 1. Study area and upland commons. tems and the benefits they pro- Common land Physical geography ‘Common land’ is so-called where landowners The underlying rocks are part of the South allow certain people with registered rights to Wales Coalfield. This is composed of a large use their land in specific ways, such as grazing basin of sedimentary rocks with the youngest, livestock or gathering wood. These people are upper layers at the surface in the centre and referred to as ‘commoners’, and the practice of progressively older deeper layers (with the using commons is referred to as ‘commoning’. main coal seams) exposed around the edges. Commoners’ rights are usually attached to a Overlying the base-rock in many areas are particular farm or property. Most of the com- surface layers of recent materials derived from mons in the study area are designated as the actions of glaciers and from river alluvium. ‘urban commons’ (i.e. originally designated by Soils are mostly poor quality, acidic and damp, Urban District Councils), which give the public but vary from shallow calcareous soils over rights to use the commons for ‘quiet enjoyment limestone to deep peat. The highest point in and recreation’. the study area is 581 m at Coity Mountain, and Many commons are important for agriculture in the climate of the uplands is generally cool Wales, providing grazing for sheep, ponies and and damp. cattle, as well as being valuable for wildlife, The geology, soils and climate play a large recreation and scenic resources. The legal re- part in determining the biodiversity, the eco- strictions on use of the upland commons and systems and the land management and agri- lack of intensive agricultural management have cultural use of the area. been key factors in maintaining their biodiversi- ty and character. Biodiversity and nature conserva- tion Existing natural resources The study area contains sites that have been designated for their nature conservation value Natural resources are anything that people use under European and national legislation, the that comes from nature, and include land, largest of which is the Blorenge Site of Special plants and animals, soil and water. The re- Scientific Interest (SSSI), which contains large sources in the uplands need to be effectively areas of heathland, a habitat which is im- managed for the future, taking into account portant for many species of flora and fauna changes in land use patterns and climate. associated with uplands. The majority of the commons within the study area have been designated as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) which are of county ecological importance but are not afforded statutory protec- tion. The most widespread habitat in the study area is improved grassland, rep- resenting the main agricultural re- source. Bracken, acid grassland and heathland are also widespread with significant areas of conifer forest and some broad-leaved woodland. Six habitats were selected as ‘priority’ Figure 2. Searching for Silurian moth caterpillars on upland bilberry for action in the plan for their biodiver- heath in April 2015. The caterpillars came out to feed at night on bil- sity value and their association with berry to avoid being eaten by birds. species of importance in the uplands: upland heathland, bog, flush and spring, marshy grassland, calcareous grassland and standing/running water. Upland heathland is the most extensive of these habi- Cultural and historic herit- age The study area is of very high value for its cultural and historical herit- age. Due to the abundant mineral resources, the area was of major importance in the industrial revolu- tion, transforming the surrounding landscape with mines, quarries, spoil tips, industrial ponds, railways and tram lines. Although the coal, iron and steel industries have large- ly gone, evidence of these indus- tries remain and the old quarries and mines, and their associated Figure 3. Lapwing – a species in decline in the uplands. spoil tips, are an integral part of the historic landscape. The Blaenavon area has been designated as a tats in the study area, with an area of 29km2, UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural while bog and calcareous grassland each cov- and historical importance. Thus, it is essential er less than 1km2. to balance land management for nature con- The uplands of the study area support a wide servation with the maintenance of the ele- range of animals and plants, each with a spe- ments that make up this important historical cific distribution, related to the habitats and cli- landscape. mate. Five species were selected as ‘priority’ Land use, agriculture and com- for action in the plan for their nature conserva- tion value and association with upland habi- moning tats: red grouse, northern lapwing, brown hare, Around the upland commons, farms vary in Silurian moth and marsh fritillary butterfly. Oth- both size and type. Smaller commons tend to er important species in the study area include bats, otters, barn owls, white- beams and wax cap fungi. Ecosystem services Ecosystem services are the benefits provided to people by natural re- sources and ecosystems. The key ecosystem ser- vices within the study area are provision of food, glob- al climate regulation Figure 4. Bog pool on Mynydd Maen Common – bogs provide valuable ecosystem ser- through carbon storage, vices such as water regulation and carbon storage. regulation of water supply, water quality and flooding, recreation and provision of habitats for wildlife. Other important ecosystem services include have mixed farm types with more part-time op- provision of fuel (biomass), renewable energy erations, while the larger commons support and fibre, pollination, erosion prevention, tour- bigger full-time farms. Sheep are the main ism, health and well-being and landscape. stock type, with fewer but variable numbers of cattle. There is widespread participation in Glastir – the Welsh Government’s agri- Changes in the Management of the Commons The practice of grazing an- imals on common land ap- pears to be in decline in the study area. As grazing animals have a strong in- fluence on the type of veg- etation and habitats in up- land areas, further chang- es in the numbers of ani- mals will have profound effects. Indeed, these ef- Figure 5. Former mine on common land above Abersychan. fects may already be seen: the expansion of habitats such as dense environmental scheme. Grazing is in decline bracken and scrub may be directly attributed to on most commons, and there is concern declines in grazing levels. Without grazing, it is amongst commoners regarding the future of possible that many areas of heathland that are commoning, with few young farmers taking up important for upland species such as red the practice.
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