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Somerset IDB Biodiversity Action Plan 2010

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Somerset IDB Biodiversity Action Plan 2010 SOMERSET IDB BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN April 2010 Somerset IDB Biodiversity Action Plan Somerset IDB Biodiversity Action Plan 2010 Parrett Drainage Board Lower Brue Drainage Board Drainage Boards Lower Axe Drainage Board covered Upper Brue Drainage Board Upper Axe Drainage Board Anne Halpin, Ecologist IDB Lead officers Philip Brewin, Ecologist This Biodiversity Action Plan has been prepared by the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium for five Drainage Boards in Somerset. The Plan has been produced in accordance with the requirement in the Implementation Plan of the DEFRA Internal Drainage Board Review for all Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) to produce their own Biodiversity Action Plan by April, 2010. The Plan also demonstrates the commitment of the Boards to fulfilling their duties, as public bodies under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, to the conservation of biodiversity. Many of the routine activities of the Somerset IDBs already benefit biodiversity, not least their water level management and watercourse maintenance work. The intention is to integrate current good practice and biodiversity actions into the Board activities, such as annual maintenance programmes and capital works projects, to help further the conservation of biodiversity in Board areas. Implementation of the actions listed in the habitats, species and procedural action plans will be principally achieved though the implementation of IDB Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) and minor changes to IDB watercourse maintenance practices. As part of their work on the new WLMPs, the Somerset IDBs have developed a 3 - 5 year programme of water level management improvements for wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Somerset. This is an ambitious programme for the IDBs that, when implemented, will deliver significant gains for wetland biodiversity in Somerset. We would welcome appropriate involvement in the delivery of the Plan from interested organisations, companies, and individuals. You can contact us about this Biodiversity Action Plan by writing to the following postal or email address: Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium 1 Church Street Highbridge Somerset TA9 3AE email: [email protected] Tel: 01278 789906 Fax: 01278 793443 Further information is available on the Board’s website: http://www.somersetdrainageboards.gov.uk/ Page 2 of 67 CONTENTS IDB BIODIVERSITY – AN INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 What is Biodiversity? ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 The Importance of Conserving Biodiversity ........................................................................................ 5 1.4 The Biodiversity Action Planning Framework ..................................................................................... 5 1.5 The International Context .................................................................................................................... 5 1.6 The National Context........................................................................................................................... 5 1.7 The Local Context ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.8 Internal Drainage Boards and Biodiversity .......................................................................................... 6 1.9 The Aims of the IDB Biodiversity Action Plan ..................................................................................... 6 THE IDB BAP PROCESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.10 The Biodiversity Audit.......................................................................................................................... 7 1.11 Evaluating and Prioritising Habitats and Species ............................................................................... 7 1.12 Setting Objectives, Targets and Indicators ......................................................................................... 7 1.13 Monitoring and Reporting .................................................................................................................... 7 1.14 Review Progress ................................................................................................................................. 8 THE BIODIVERSITY AUDIT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 1.15 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 9 1.16 Local Biodiversity Action Plans ........................................................................................................... 9 1.17 IDB Biodiversity Audit Boundary ......................................................................................................... 9 1.18 Sources of Data - Habitats .................................................................................................................. 9 1.19 Sources of Data - Species .................................................................................................................. 9 PLAN AREA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.20 The Drainage Districts ....................................................................................................................... 10 1.21 Geology ............................................................................................................................................. 10 NATURE CONSERVATION SITES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 1.22 Landscape ......................................................................................................................................... 11 1.23 Statutory Nature Conservation Sites ................................................................................................. 12 1.24 Local Sites (Non-Statutory) ............................................................................................................... 17 HABITAT AUDIT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 1.25 Habitat Audit Summary ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.26 Habitats of Importance for the IDBs .................................................................................................. 19 SPECIES AUDIT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 1.27 Species Audit Summary .................................................................................................................... 22 1.28 Species of Importance for the IDBs .................................................................................................. 22 HABITAT ACTION PLANS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 25 1.29 Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh ............................................................................................. 25 1.30 Ditches .............................................................................................................................................. 29 1.31 Ponds ................................................................................................................................................ 33 SPECIES ACTION PLANS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 1.32 Water Vole, Arvicola amphibius ........................................................................................................ 35 1.33 European Eel, Anguilla anguilla ........................................................................................................ 37 1.34 Otter, Lutra lutra ................................................................................................................................ 39 PROCEDURAL ACTION PLAN------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 IMPLEMENTATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 MONITORING AND REPORTING---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 REVIEW PROCESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 REFERENCES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 APPENDIX 1: OVERVIEW OF LOCAL BAP AREAS IN RELATION TO IDB DISTRICTS --------------------- 50 APPENDIX 2: SOMERSET LOCAL BAPS: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 APPENDIX 3: JOINT CHARACTER AREAS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 APPENDIX 4: SCHEDULED MONUMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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