A Re-Evaluation of the Scarce Species at Highgate Common SSSI
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A re-evaluation of the scarce species at Highgate Common SSSI, Staffordshire Focussing on the Aculeate Hymenoptera A. Jukes BSc (Hons) MIEEM October, 2010 Report title: – A re-evaluation of the scarce species at Highgate Common SSSI, Staffordshire Focussing on the Aculeate Hymenoptera By: Andy Jukes BSc (Hons) MIEEM Report number: IS1002 Client : Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Natural England Staffordshire Wildlife Trust contact : Helen Dale (Reserves Manager) [email protected] atural England contact : Tom Holland [email protected] The author would like to thank Jeff Sim and the volunteers of Highgate Common for their help during the survey work and to Natural England for commissioning the survey. A re-evaluation of the scarce species at Highgate Common SSSI, Staffordshire 2 A.Jukes, 2010 [email protected] Contents 1 Background.................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Location......................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Recent history................................................................................................................ 5 1.3 Recent recording history ............................................................................................... 5 1.4 Brief............................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Methodology.................................................................................................................. 6 1.5.1 Sweep netting............................................................................................................ 6 1.5.2 Spot sampling ........................................................................................................... 6 1.5.3 Recording effort........................................................................................................ 6 2 The scarce species.......................................................................................... 8 2.1 Scarce list for assessment (adapted from Jukes, 2004) ................................................. 8 3 Results............................................................................................................. 9 3.1 The scarce species – site status changes ....................................................................... 9 3.1.1 Key species ............................................................................................................... 9 3.1.2 Species not recorded............................................................................................... 11 3.1.3 Species not recorded but in the area ....................................................................... 12 3.1.4 Significant additions to the site inventory.............................................................. 12 3.1.5 Update of scarce species table (aculeates) .............................................................. 13 3.1.6 Update of scarce species (non-aculeate) ................................................................. 13 3.1.7 Incidental recording ................................................................................................ 13 3.1.8 New inventory total ................................................................................................ 13 4 omada fulvicornis DA analysis ............................................................. 15 4.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 15 4.1.1 Nomada fulvicornis ................................................................................................ 15 4.2 Methodology................................................................................................................ 15 4.3 Results ......................................................................................................................... 15 4.4 Comments .................................................................................................................... 15 5 Site quality.................................................................................................... 16 5.1 ISIS.................................................................................................................................. 16 5.1.1 Analysis of ISIS results........................................................................................... 16 5.1.2 So does this mean Highgate Common is less important? ....................................... 17 6 Enville Golf Course ..................................................................................... 19 6.1 Situation....................................................................................................................... 19 6.2 Contiguous management ............................................................................................. 19 7 Management recommendations ................................................................. 20 7.1 Bare ground and short turf.......................................................................................... 20 7.1.1 Bare ground creation............................................................................................... 21 7.2 Flowery areas.............................................................................................................. 23 7.3 Scrub............................................................................................................................ 24 7.4 Roadside verges........................................................................................................... 24 A re-evaluation of the scarce species at Highgate Common SSSI, Staffordshire 3 A.Jukes, 2010 [email protected] 7.5 Public pressure............................................................................................................ 24 8 Recommendations for further work.......................................................... 25 8.1 Species......................................................................................................................... 25 8.1.1 Andrena nigrospina (solitary bee)........................................................................... 25 8.1.2 Meloe proscarabaeus (oil beetle) ............................................................................ 25 8.1.3 Nomada fulvicornis ................................................................................................ 25 8.2 Habitat......................................................................................................................... 25 8.2.1 Enville Golf Course ................................................................................................ 25 8.2.2 Heathland network.................................................................................................. 25 8.2.3 Heathland Partnership............................................................................................. 26 References ............................................................................................................ 27 Annexes................................................................................................................. 28 Figures FIGURE 3.1: MELOE PROSCARABAEUS . OIL BEETLE .................................................. 11 FIGURE 3.2: TIMARCHA TEEBRICOSA . BLOODY NOSE BEETLE . STATUS IS STABLE AND DISTRIBUTION INCREASED ACROSS HIGHGATE COMMON ........................ 11 FIGURE 3.3: LASIOPOGO CICTUS . THE SPRING ROBBERFLY .................................. 14 FIGURE 7.1: MAIN EXPOSURE (A REA 1) IN 2005..................................................... 20 FIGURE 7.2: MAIN EXPOSURE (A REA 1) IN 2010..................................................... 20 FIGURE 7.3: APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS FOR NEW SCRAPES (X1-6) ........................ 22 FIGURE 7.4: ARTIFICIALLY CREATED SCRAPE WITH MANMADE “SNUFFLE HOLES ”. THIS SCRAPE WAS USED BY ADREA IGROSPIA AND IN 2010 ..................... 23 FIGURE 7.5: BURLISH TOP , WORCESTERSHIRE . EXTENSIVE ASTERACEAE FORAGING ....................................................................................................................... 24 A re-evaluation of the scarce species at Highgate Common SSSI, Staffordshire 4 A.Jukes, 2010 [email protected] 1 Background 1.1 Location Highgate Common SSSI is a lowland heathland at the near southern-most tip of Staffordshire located at OS grid reference SO838898. It is located in a shallow, sandstone depression surrounded by plantations and secondary woodland which serves to elevate the depression’s micro-climate. Beyond the site lies a primarily arable landscape in all directions with occasional intensive grazed pasture and woodland blocks. There is an adjacent golf course (Enville Golf Course) that was once part of the same piece of common land as Highgate Common and therefore possesses similar heathland elements, in particular heather and acid grassland. This golf course may be of importance to Highgate Common as an ancillary site. (See section 6 for more detail on the two sites relationship) Enville Golf Course has been the subject to an invertebrate survey in 2010 (Jukes, 2010a). 1.2 Recent history Highgate Common has a history of disturbance and public usage. It was once possible to drive a car across the site and motorcycles were frequently ridden on the open areas of the Common,