Soil Ecology and Biodiversity
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Bulletin of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Issue 77 | September 2012 Soil Ecology and Biodiversity In this issue Soil Biodiversity, Soil Restoring Heathlands While Assessing the Capacity Management and Minimising Damage to Soils of the Land to Deliver Ecosystem Services Ecosystem Services Welcome Information In the 16th century Leonardo da Vinci observed that “we know more about the movement In Practice No. 77, of celestial bodies than the soil underfoot”. It may well be true some 500 years later September 2012 that we have a better understanding about the physical structure of the universe than we do about soil functions and soil biodiversity. Nevertheless, soil ecology has received ISSN 1754-4882 considerable scientific attention for many decades which is important, given that healthy Editor soils are critical for the provision of ecosystem services and, in turn, soil biodiversity is Mr Jason Reeves ([email protected]) the fundamental component that drives soil functions. Thus the enhancement of soil biodiversity is a key priority for the environment sector generally and a key policy objective Editorial Board for the Environment Agency and Defra. Mr Jonathan Barnes, Mr Matthew Chatfield, Soils are undervalued by society generally in the UK (except by some farmers, foresters Dr Andrew Cherrill, Mr Dominic Coath, and keen horticulturalists!) and even within the communities of planners, environmental Ms Sally Hayns, Dr William Latimer, professionals and landscape designers, probably too few people recognise the importance Mrs Allison Potts, Mr Paul Rooney, of soils for the provision of services such as clean water and flood regulation, habitat for Mr Paul Scott, Miss Katrena Stanhope, fauna, flora and microbial communities and green infrastructure for social uses. Thus the Miss Emma Toovey, Mr Darren Towers IEEM summer conference ‘Enhancing Biodiversity through Soil Management’ organised Opinions expressed by contributors in collaboration with the British Society for Soil Science and the Institute of Professional to In Practice are those of the authors Soil Scientists was a timely opportunity for attendees to learn about current directions of and not necessarily supported by the research in soil ecology and innovative techniques in soil management. Institute. Readers should seek appropriate The presented lectures clearly demonstrated why we as members of IEEM should pay professional guidance relevant to their more attention to soils and why we should seek to influence professions that mainly individual circumstances before following specify the design of new developments and new infrastructure, including master planners any advice provided herein. and landscape designers, and also engage effectively with civil engineers, regulating agencies and land managers generally. This approach will help to ensure that correct soil Information on advertising, including management and the conservation of healthy functioning soil ecosystems are high on the rates and deadlines, can be found at agenda whenever development of greenfield or brownfield sites and creation of green www.ieem.net. The Institute does not infrastructure occurs. accept responsibility for advertising content or policy of advertisers, nor does There is a problem with this proposition because many environmental practitioners have a the placement of advertisements within poor understanding of soils and if we seek to influence others then there is a skills gap that In Practice imply support for companies, needs attention. The Ecological Skills Project Research commissioned by IEEM and delivered individuals or their products or services in July 2011 identified soil science as a skills gap for the environment sector. In view of this advertised herein. please consider adding enhanced knowledge of soils and the ecology of soils in particular, to your suite of specialist professional development requirements. IEEM Office Considering soils from a personal perspective, one of my interests relates to the creation of 43 Southgate Street, Winchester, new green infrastructure on development sites, degraded post-industrial land and restored Hampshire, SO23 9EH, UK mineral workings. Brownfield soils are frequently deficient in soil organic matter and sometimes almost devoid of biological activity. Nevertheless, it is essential for the long-term T: 01962 868626 functioning and sustainability of the soil ecosystem that establishment and retention of E: [email protected] a nutrient cycling regime is achieved through the activity of soil micro-organisms and soil fauna. This issue has been addressed by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) W: www.ieem.net over the past six years through a funded research and development programme In Practice is printed on paper using 100% which investigates the benefits of utilising organic materials to enhance soil ecosystem post consumer de-inked waste. This is development on brownfield land. There is an important role for imported organic materials manufactured by an ISO14001, EMAS and in the form of PAS 100 composts and PAS 110 anaerobic digestates for the improvement Nordic Swan accredited company. of existing poor soils, or in the genesis of manufactured soils, designed to accommodate particular green end-uses. Using these materials can create properly functioning soil © Institute of Ecology and ecosystems that support above and below ground biodiversity. An additional benefit is that Environmental Management in low carbon brownfield soils and soil-forming minerals that initially contain very small amounts of soil organic matter, significant quantities of carbon can be sequestered for at Correction least hundreds of years. The opening article of the June 2012 The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has emphasised that soils are at the core of edition of In Practice (by David Goode) ecosystem services, conveying multiple benefits to society. Please disseminate this refers to the ITE as the ‘Institute of sentiment widely. Transport Engineers’. This is an error and Philip Putwain MIEEM should refer to the ‘Institute of Terrestrial Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Liverpool University Ecology’. This was an editorial error and not Director, Ecological Restoration Consultants Limited the fault of the author. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused. 2 Contents Retrospective Application of the Defra Biodiversity Offsetting Metric Soil Biodiversity, Soil Management to a Development Project in Dudley, and Ecosystem Services West Midlands PG 07 Sheila Ross MIEEM PG 25 John Box CEnv FIEEM Water Vole Mitigation Guidance: Restoring Heathlands While Important Updates for Evidence-Based Minimising Damage to Soils Good Practice Isabel Alonso MIEEM and Derek Gow MIEEM, Richard Andrews CEnv PG 12 Gerard Hawley MIEEM PG 29 MIEEM and David W. Smith MIEEM Soils and Land Capability – Assessing the Capacity of the Are Bat Roosts Being Overlooked? Land to Deliver Ecosystem Services Katherine Bubb GradIEEM, for the National Trust Claire Andrews MIEEM and PG 17 Dick Thompson and Katherine Hearn PG 35 Richard Arnold CEnv MIEEM Remediation of Contaminated Land: Impacts of Recent Changes to the Law and Guidance A Radical Plan to Help the Natterjack? PG 23 Penny Simpson and Luke Mooney PG 40 Chris Gleed-Owen MIEEM 02 Editorial 35 - Are Bat Roosts Being Overlooked? Katherine Bubb GradIEEM, Claire Andrews 03 Contents MIEEM and Richard Arnold CEnv MIEEM 04 News in Brief 40 - A Radical Plan to Help the Natterjack? Feature Articles Chris Gleed-Owen MIEEM 43 - Surveying IEEM Members’ Attitudes to LRCs and 07 - Soil Biodiversity, Soil Management Biodiversity Data and Ecosystem Services Tom Hunt Sheila Ross MIEEM 12 - Restoring Heathlands While 47 Institute News Minimising Damage to Soils 50 Institute Activities Isabel Alonso MIEEM and Gerard Hawley MIEEM 53 New and Prospective Members 17 - Soils and Land Capability – Assessing the Internal Articles Capacity of the Land to Deliver Ecosystem 54 - Enhancing Biodiversity through Soil Management: Services for the National Trust IEEM Summer Conference – 13 June 2012, London Dick Thompson and Katherine Hearn 57 - IEEM House of Lords Event 2012 23 - Remediation of Contaminated Land: Impacts of Recent Changes to the Law and Guidance 60 - Continuing Professional Development Penny Simpson and Luke Mooney 61 - CPD Member Profile 25 - Retrospective Application of the Defra 64 - Volunteers Wanted!! Biodiversity Offsetting Metric to a Development 65 - A Royal Charter and a New Register Project in Dudley, West Midlands John Box CEnv FIEEM 66 Recent Publications & Journals 29 - Water Vole Mitigation Guidance: Important 70 Diary Updates for Evidence-Based Good Practice Derek Gow MIEEM, Richard Andrews CEnv MIEEM and David W. Smith MIEEM 3 News in Brief Defra report on business opportunities to protect New advice services for planning proposals from Natural nature’s services England Defra has released Opportunities for UK Natural England is piloting two new chargeable services to give those developing Business That Value and/or Protect Nature’s planning proposals greater access to the advice of its case officers and wildlife advisers Services, the final report of the Review of at the pre-application stage. Natural England has informally consulted a cross-section of UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) stakeholders, customers and statutory consultees on options for chargeable services to Evidence to Assess Scope for Business develop its proposals and as a result is now introducing the following new and improved Related