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A Survey and Assessment of Soil Ph and Nutrient Status on Sites of High Botanical Value, 2014

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A Survey and Assessment of Soil Ph and Nutrient Status on Sites of High Botanical Value, 2014 A survey and assessment of soil pH and nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Report to Natural England 04 May, 2016 Philip J. Wilson & Belinda R. Wheeler Survey of soil nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Philip Wilson & Belinda Wheeler Dr Philip J Wilson MIEEM – lead author. Pennyhayes, Shute, Axminster, Devon. EX13 7QP. 01297 552434 / 07803 126929. [email protected] Dr Belinda R Wheeler MIEEM Cloudstreet, Brentor Road, Mary Tavy, Tavistock, Devon. PL19 9PY. 01822 810013 / 07801 011150. [email protected] 2 Survey of soil nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Philip Wilson & Belinda Wheeler Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 5 Summary ................................................................................................................... 6 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 9 2 Methods ............................................................................................................ 12 2.1 Vegetation survey ......................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Soil sampling ................................................................................................................. 12 2.3 Condition assessment ................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Soil analysis ................................................................................................................... 14 2.5 Analysis of results .......................................................................................................... 16 3 Results .............................................................................................................. 18 3.1 Sample overview ........................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Problems encountered during the project. ................................................................... 19 3.3 Results from analysis of 2014 results. ........................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Key to results tables ........................................................................................... 20 3.3.2 Differences in soil variables between BAP priority habitats ............................. 20 3.3.3 Differences in soil variables in relation to vegetation condition ....................... 22 3.3.4 Differences in soil variables in relation to management ................................... 22 3.3.5 Differences in soil variables within each BAP priority habitat in relation to NVC stand type, vegetation condition and management type ................................................ 24 3.4 Analysis of the combined dataset from 2012 and 2014 ............................................... 32 3.4.1 Correlations between soil variables .................................................................. 33 3.4.2 Differences in soil variables between BAP priority habitats ............................. 36 3.4.3 Differences in soil variables in relation to vegetation condition ....................... 37 3.4.4 Differences in soil variables in relation to management type ........................... 37 3.4.5 Differences in soil variables within each BAP priority habitat in relation to NVC stand type, vegetation condition and management type ................................................ 38 3.5 Summary of results of differences in soil properties for individual BAP priority habitats and NVC communities, vegetation condition and management type ..................................... 47 3.5.1 Lowland calcareous grassland ........................................................................... 47 3.5.2 Lowland dry acidic grassland ............................................................................. 48 3.5.3 Lowland meadow ............................................................................................... 48 3 Survey of soil nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Philip Wilson & Belinda Wheeler 3.5.4 Lowland heath ................................................................................................... 48 3.5.5 Purple moor-grass and rush-pasture ................................................................. 49 3.5.6 Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh ................................................................ 49 3.5.7 Upland calcareous grassland ............................................................................. 49 3.5.8 Upland meadow ................................................................................................. 50 3.5.9 Habitat condition ............................................................................................... 50 3.5.10 Management type.............................................................................................. 50 4 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 51 4.1 Differences between the 2012 and 2014 surveys ......................................................... 51 4.2 Soils and UK BAP priority habitats ................................................................................ 51 4.3 Soils and NVC communities ........................................................................................... 53 4.4 Soils and vegetation condition ...................................................................................... 56 4.5 Soils and site management ........................................................................................... 59 5 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 61 6 References ....................................................................................................... 64 Appendices ............................................................................................................. 66 Appendix 1. SSSI units from which soil samples were collected in 2014. ................................ 67 Appendix 2. SSSI units listed for sampling from which soils were not collected. ..................... 79 Appendix 3. Samples lost by courier. ....................................................................................... 81 Appendix 4. NVC communities referred to in the text and tables. .......................................... 82 4 Survey of soil nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Philip Wilson & Belinda Wheeler Acknowledgements This project was supported by the Rural Development Programme for England, for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas. We are grateful to the landowners for access permission and to the various landowners, agents and graziers for discussing the management of their sites with us. Natural England advisors provided useful information on site ownership and access. Most fieldwork was carried out by the authors but we would also like to acknowledge the help of our additional field surveyors: Dr Clive Bealey, Dominic Price, Gail Quartly-Bishop, Marian Reed, Jude Smith, Michael Gadd and Nick Stewart. We particularly thank Jonathan Bradley (Lead Advisor of the Evidence Programme Team 2 for Natural England) for his management of this project, his colleague Kathryn Oddie for assistance with project management of the soil analysis, and Susan Ward for circulating letters to site owners. Carol Miltenberg assisted with the submission of samples onto the Natural England system. Marian Reed provided comments on this report. Chris Chesterton, Steve Peel, David Martin and Matt Shepherd of Natural England gave helpful comments on the 2012 report and the draft of this report. NRM Ltd carried out all soil pH and nutrient analysis. 5 Survey of soil nutrient status on sites of high botanical value, 2014 Philip Wilson & Belinda Wheeler Summary 1. Soil chemistry and structure are among the key factors affecting the composition and condition of vegetation. Knowledge of soil conditions is therefore essential when considering the impact of management on vegetation of conservation importance, predicting the outcome of management changes and understanding constraints that might prevent sites achieving favourable condition. Changes in soil properties may under some circumstances be the drivers of change in vegetation condition. 2. In order to better understand the edaphic processes underlying the composition and condition of vegetation of conservation value on statutorily protected sites, and the potential for the restoration to favourable condition of vegetation in unfavourable condition, Natural England commissioned a programme of soil sampling on selected SSSI units during the autumn of 2012. This was intended to complement SSSI condition assessments carried out that year. Results from this survey form the subject of an earlier report. 3. Soils were sampled in four broad habitats: (1) acidic grassland, (2) neutral grassland, (3) calcareous grassland, and (4) fen, marsh and swamp: with samples collected from areas assessed as in favourable and unfavourable condition in some units. The condition of the sampled vegetation was assessed in the field using generic guidelines for the habitat type present.
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