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Current Status and Prospects for Threatened Habitats in England

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Current Status and Prospects for Threatened Habitats in England Department of the Environment tentinerstv"rrt-t---- - _ • t set ....10-•wn 1::t„ .... sead••••.. or. • ry Current status and prospects for threatened habitats in England Part 2 Calcareous grassland landscapes IMMIIMMISIMESSSINIIIMMISMENPOISSIMI ITE/ERM/UCPEcontract report to the Department of the Environment Current status and prospects for threatened habitats in England Part 2 Calcareous grassland landscapes Edited by C J Barr Institute of Tenestrial Ecology Merlewood Research Station Grange over Sands Curnbria LA116JIJ This Reportis one of a series describingworkon threatenedhabitats CONTRACT commissionedby the Departmentof the Environment Views No. CRO102 expressedin it do not necessarilyconcidewith thoseof the Department 1996 =nal= 1•111110,—IMMIMIMMINNIMINNIIIMIIIMISMIll CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVESUMMARY Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION:PURPOSEAND CONTEXT OF THEREPORT 5 CJ Barr,ITE Chapter 2 BACKGROUND:THEIMPORTANCEOF CALCAREOUSGRASSLAND 8 EnvironmentalResourcesManagementLtd Chapter 3 DEFININGTHECALCAREOUSGRASSLANDMASK 18 TW Parr,JUllyett,MHornung,FGerard,KRBull,RCoxandNJ Brown,ITE Chapter 4 ECOLOGICALCHARACTERISTICSOFTHECALCAREOUS GRASSLANDMASK 20 CJHallamandRG HBunce,1TE Chapter 5 HISTORICALCHARACTERISTICSOFTHECALCAREOUS GRASSLANDMASK 46 MThieman,ArchaeologyUnit,UniversityofLancaster Chapter 6 PRESSURESFORCHANGE:ATMOSPHERICPOLLUTION 50 TW Parr,JUlyett,MHornung,F Gerand,KRBull,RCox,J RHall and NJ Brown,ITE Chapter 7 PREDICTINGCHANGES IN CALCAREOUSGRASSLANDVEGETATION 54 RHunt,RColasantiandj Hodgson,NERCUnitofComparativePlantEcology UniversityofSheffield Chapter 8 SUMMARYOF THREATSAND POLICYRESPONSES 60 EnvironmentalResourcesManagementLtd Chapter 9 SUMMARYAND CONCLUSIONS 70 C JBarr,ITE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 75 REFERENCES 76 APPENDICES Appendix1 TechnicalAppendixto Chapter3 - Definingthecalcareousgrasslandmask 82 Appendix2 TechnicalAppendixandTablestoaccompanyChapter4 84 Appendix3 TechnicalAppendixandTablestoaccompanyChapter5 93 Appendix4 TbchnicalAppendixand FigurestoaccompanyChapter7 99 EMMENIOMMEMMIMISIMMMEMIMIM1011= EXECUTIVESUMMARY Survey designation type, but 90% of calcareous grassland habitats was designated. A In 1992, the Department of the greater proportion of the hard limestone Environment commissioned a research areas in the mask were designated (65%) project to investigate the threatened than in the more extensive soft limestone habitats occurring within the landscape areas (56%). types included in the original Countryside Stewardship Scheme, of which calcareous In addition to the core calcareous grassland was one. The general aim of the grassland vegetation, areas of other project was to build on the work of the grassland categories that might have been Countryside Survey 1990, to examine in modified from calcareous grassland more detail the distribution and quality of (modified calcareous grassland) were these habitats within the landscape types identified. Other land uses such as in England. This forms a basis against woodland and more intensive agriculture which future ecological changes, resulting have been long modified but may still from changing policies or specific contain elements of a recognisable initiatives, may be compared and calcareous grassland flora. measured. Area (ha) The first step was to define the current Calcareous grassland habitat 41 300 geographical extent, and potential future Modified calcareous grassland extent, of the calcareous grassland vegetation types 750 000 landscape type. The broad geographical Calcareous grassland mask 2 634 300 extent of the existing and potential areas was determined by geological characteristics (solid and drift) and Objective measures of vegetation altitude. The resulting database of 1 km (recorded in quadrats) have been related squares was called the 'calcareous to quality criteria, to provide an empirical grassland masle. evaluation of the quality of calcareous grassland vegetation in different parts of The next step was to characterise the the calcareous grassland landscape. calcareous grassland mask in terms of Using at least two separate measures of each of the quality criteria, the four survey ecology, landscape features and archaeology. The 1lan squares were strata were ranked. Based on quadrat information, calcareous grassland in the stratified according to limestone type (soft or hard) and designation status designated soft limestone stratum ranked (designated or non-designated). Squares highest for 13 of the 17 measures, and the designated hard limestone stratum was in these four strata were then randomly the highest in the other four (including sampled, and land cover, vegetation in quadrats, landscape features and historical three measures of diversity). This features were recorded. Historic features confirms the relationship between designated land and 'good-quality' were also collected from existing archaeological datasets and archives. calcareous gragcland. From examination of historic records, the Cuneat status calcareous grassland mask was shown to contain features from all historic periods, Just 1.6% of the calcareous grassland mask although representation of the Early area was estimated to be calcareous Medieval period is sparse. The frequency grassland habitat. This habitat comprised of features was higher in designated than a range of vegetation types from maritime in non-designated strata. It is not possible and bogs, through a range of grassland to say whether designation status has types, to vegetation becoming dominated helped to preserve sites or whether, by by woody species; 59% of the calcareous contrast, designated sites have been grassland mask contained one or more subject to more intensive examination. 1 building; It was recognised that, without time-series fragmentation as a result of data, it was difficult to assess the effect of encroachment associated with all of the designation. It was not known, for above; example, whether correlations between changes to land use and practices on 'good' areas of calcareous grassland and adjoining lands, particularly some form of designation were because afforestation and agricultural the designation had been effective, or intensification; whether the designation was made recreational use of surviving commons. because of the quality of the calcareous grassland. However, this study provides Prospects for the first time an essential baseline, necessary to conduct future monitoring of To consider what vegetation changes may the effectiveness of designations. take place under different scenarios of perceived threats, the study has made use Threats of the 'Competitors: Stress-tolerators: Ruderals' (C-S-R) classification of Calcareous grasslands are relatively functional types, and the TRISTAR2model insensitive to the acidifying effects of acid which predicts vegetation change in deposition. During the period 1989-91, response to environmental and/or only 18% of all areas within the calcareous management change scenarios. grassland mask was in exceeded areas (ie where the pollutant deposition exceeds Most of the 'core' calcareous grassland the weathering rate of the soil), with vegetation is composed of stress-tolerator higher exceedance rates in the north and competitor/stress -tolerator/ruderal (hard limestone areas). In lowland England species. The remaining vegetation plot as a whole, the soil acidity critical load was types are representative of all other exceeded in 57% of the total area. combinations of functional types. Under current emissions reduction The TRISTAR2model calculated the scenarios, none of the calcareous predicted change in abundance of the grassland maskwould be at threat from functional types, under each of six acid deposition. specimen change scenarios, and an index of vulnerability was produced. The Average atmospheric deposition of calcareous grassland mask consists of a nitrogen (NO. and NH.) in calcareous heterogeneous grouping of calcareous grassland areas is 21 kg nitrogen ha-' yr', grassland, grassland and woodland which is similar to that received by other vegetation, all of which are relatively parts of lowland England (19 kg nitrogen unproductive. In general, differences in ha-' yr-9. High N deposition occurs vulnerability are small but some of the mainly in the northern hard limestone coarser and taller grassland classes areas, where 42% of the area receives appear to be among the most vulnerable. more than 25 kg nitrogen ha-' yr'. Other, wetter grassland classes are under very little threat. The core calcareous These rates of atmospheric N deposition grassland and woodland classes occupy are low compared to average agricultural an intermediate position. inputs and there is no experimental information describing the long-term The results from the field survey and the effects of these rates on calcareous outputs from the vegetation change and grasslands in Britain. However, it is likely atmospheric impact models have been that the low rates of atmospheric N will considered in the light of current policy have a significant effect on community measures. Calcareous grassland is a composition in calcareous grasslands, with valuable habitat, dominated by a non- gradual nutrient enrichment leading to a climax vegetation type. Because the loss of plant species diversity. vegetation is non-climax, intervention is required to prevent calcareous grassland Other threats to calcareous grassland turning into scrub/woodland; calcareous inclixie: grassland therefore requires management landtake for arable use, urban to maintain its condition. The survey expansion, mineral extraction
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