The Management Plan for Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve 2015-2025
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The Management Plan for Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve 2015-2025 For further information on Loch Fleet NNR please contact: The Reserve Manager Scottish Natural Heritage The Links Golspie Business Park Golspie Sutherland KW10 6UB Tel: 01738 771100 Email: [email protected] The Management Plan for Loch Fleet NNR Foreword Loch Fleet is a well-known tidal basin on the northeast coast of Scotland, 3km south of Golspie and 8km north of Dornoch. It is an extensive coastal reserve containing the most northerly estuary on the east coast of Scotland along with the adjoining dunes, links and native pinewood. These habitats sustain a wealth of wildlife throughout the year. The estuary and tidal basin support large numbers of waders and wildfowl and it is particularly important during the autumn and winter months when impressive, flocks gather in the sheltered waters to feed on the bountiful mud flats. During summer months, ospreys can be seen fishing in the channel, while harbour seals haul out on the sandbanks close to the south shore all year round. Balblair and Ferry Scots pine woods support a number of scarce woodland plants. Of particular importance is one-flowered wintergreen, but other pinewood specialities, twinflower and creeping lady's-tresses are also found. Ferry wood supports a rich lichen and fungi community with large lichen glades scattered throughout the wood. The dunes and links are a mosaic of coastal grasslands and lichen rich heaths. During the summer months, these support a variety of coastal grassland breeding birds as well as day flying moths and butterflies. Loch Fleet is one of a suite of NNRs in Scotland. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are managed. Every NNR is carefully managed both for nature and for people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage. ‘The Story of Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve’ is a companion publication which has more information about Loch Fleet NNR and its history. The Story provides the foundation for managing the site and is recommended reading for those wishing to understand more about the management of this very special place. In 2014, we carried out a review of our last plan for Loch Fleet NNR (2007-2013 extended to 2014). This, together with management plan workshops and specialist advice, was used to develop our future management proposals and inform the preparation of a draft 1 Management Plan for 2015-2025, which we opened for public consultation. Your feedback was collated in a Consultation Report which is available from the SNH office and was used to inform the completion of this Management Plan. The first section of this Plan gives our vision for Loch Fleet, describing how we would like to see the Reserve in 2025. It specifies our objectives for management and outlines projects planned to deliver these objectives. During the final year of the plan, we will review our progress against this plan to determine the future direction of our management on the reserve. 2 Contents Foreword 1 Maps of Loch Fleet NNR 4 1 Our Vision for Loch Fleet NNR 6 2 Natural Heritage Management 7 3 Management for People (VM) 14 4 Property Management 17 5 Summary 18 3 Maps of Loch Fleet NNR Location map 4 Reserve map 5 1 Our Vision for Loch Fleet NNR Our vision for Loch Fleet in 2025 The tidal Loch Fleet basin provides ideal habitat for a diverse range of winter waterfowl and coastal breeding birds. Coastal bird habitats remain free from disturbance and detrimental activities and are in excellent condition. Salt marshes, sand-dunes and shingle ridges support natural coastal grassland and heath communities rich in wild flowers and lichens. There are extensive areas of high quality lichen-rich heaths supporting fragile scarce lichen species. The Scots pine trees are of mixed age and the woodland is developing a natural character with some mature wide-crowned pine trees. There is a typical native ground flora hosting healthy populations of scarce pinewood plants and extensive areas of luxuriant lichens. Loch Fleet is accessible for people to enjoy, learn about and appreciate its diverse natural heritage. Local people continue to take pride in the reserve and are involved in caring for it. We continue to work in partnership providing volunteering opportunities and a variety of guided walks. Changes to habitats and species through the unavoidable impact of climate change and coastal processes are built into the management planning process. 6 2 Natural Heritage Management Protected Areas and features Loch Fleet was designated as a NNR in 1998 through an agreement between the landowners, Sutherland Estates and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The area covered by the agreement is 1057.21 hectares (ha). The NNR is managed in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The natural heritage interests at Loch Fleet are of UK and European importance. The reserve is part of the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site of the same name. Both recognise the site’s importance in contributing to support internationally significant numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders, breeding osprey and a number of individual species of wintering birds listed in the table below. The RAMSAR site also includes specific coastal habitats. The reserve is part of Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The SSSI extends beyond the NNR across Coul Links, to the south of Loch Fleet. The SSSI protects a range of coastal habitats, e.g., sand dune, Scots pine woodland, vascular plants and breeding birds. Table 1: Protected features and Protected Areas overlapping Loch Fleet NNR Feature Protected Area Intertidal mudflats and sandbanks Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Reefs Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), non- Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Greylag goose (Anser anser), non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Saltmarsh Loch Fleet SSSI Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Sand dune Loch Fleet SSSI Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Waterfowl assemblage, non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet RAMSAR Wigeon (Anas penelope), non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Curlew (Numenius arquata), non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Dunlin (Calidris alpina alpina), non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA 7 Feature Protected Area non-breeding Teal (Anas crecca), non-breeding Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA Breeding bird assemblage Loch Fleet SSSI Eelgrass beds Loch Fleet SSSI Eider (Somateria mollissima), non-breeding Loch Fleet SSSI Native pinewood Loch Fleet SSSI Sandflats Loch Fleet SSSI Vascular plant assemblage Loch Fleet SSSI Whilst managing Loch Fleet NNR we have to take account of our legal obligations and Government policy to manage the features that are listed as important in a European or international context. This management plan has been appraised accordingly, and where a project listed in the plan is likely to have a significant effect on one or more of the qualifying features of the SACs and/or SPA, we will carry out an ‘appropriate assessment’. This includes all projects, whether they are direct habitat management or providing a new visitor facility on the Reserve. We will only proceed if they do not adversely affect the integrity of the SAC and/or SPA. Likewise, we will also take account of obligations to manage features that are valued as important in a British context, as well as features that are locally important. 8 Objective NH1: Woodland habitats: Improve the condition of the pine woodland by improving the structure classes and tree species diversity whilst maintaining suitable habitat for important pine woodland communities. Loch Fleet has extensive Scots pine woodland, which requires sensitive, but active management to maintain both it and it associated special woodland plants. These rare woodland plants are part of the special interest of Loch Fleet’s Scots pine wood. We intend to support ongoing monitoring, and will re-survey the woodland to inform on current and future management. Non-natives species such as Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine, beech and rhododendron will be controlled to minimise their regeneration and to allow native species to develop. Grazing animals will be controlled throughout the duration of plan to ensure they are kept in balance with the woodland habitats. Both woods will be thinned according to the current plan to improve the structural diversity of the pine wood. Dead wood habitat will be encouraged to benefit the woodland ecosystem. Projects planned to deliver Objective NH1 during life of plan: Undertake SCM and Site Check on pine woodland and vascular plant NH1.1 assemblage. Remove regeneration of non-native species as per management agreement, but NH1.3 identify and maintain selected beech trees with amenity/ visual value. Thin Ferry Wood following best practice management for one-flowered NH1.4 wintergreen and lichen heath Increase proportion of native broadleaved trees within both Ferry and Balblair NH1.5 Wood. Control grazing animals if damage is noted in line with the management NH1.6 agreement. Actively create dead-wood resource throughout Ferry and Balblair Woods away NH1.7 from public areas (e.g. paths and roads) for enhanced woodland ecology. Demonstrate the woodland management best practice in Balblair Wood and Ferry NH1.8 Wood to other interested land managers. Survey Ferry Wood to establish extent of one-flowered wintergreen & twinflower NH1.9 populations. Consider increasing the twinflower population by extending the distribution within NH1.10 Balblair Wood by supplementary planting and creating suitable habitat.