Purple moor-grass and rush pastures English Nature’s research programme 2001/2002

English Nature is the Government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England. This is one of a range of publications published by: External Relations Team English Nature Northminster House Peterborough PE1 1UA www.english-nature.org.uk © English Nature 2004 Department of Printed on Evolution the Environment for Northern Ireland Satin, 75% recycled post-consumer waste paper, Elemental Chlorine Free.

ISBN 1 85716 789 9 Front cover photographs: Main photo: Purple moor-grass Catalogue code IN14.2 pasture with devil’s-bit scabious, South Wales. Gill Barter Designed and produced by Top left: Narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth. Mike Hammett/CCW working today Status Design & Bottom left: Snipe. Advertising, 10M. Mike Hammett/CCW for nature tomorrow Purple moor-grass and rush pastures

What are purple moor-grass The grasslands covered by this and rush pastures? booklet occur on farmland in the lowlands, including enclosed land The marshy grasslands known as around the margins of hills. Wet purple moor-grass and rush pastures grasslands in the unenclosed uplands were often seen as the bane of the are excluded. Most of the rarer farmer, only providing useful grazing species associated with wet or a haycrop in dry summers. As grasslands occur in the lowlands. with so many of our wildlife habitats, their value has become more widely Most of these wet grasslands are recognised as the majority has kept as rough grazing for beef cattle disappeared. Anyone who has and farm horses, mainly during the experienced the sights and sounds of drier summer months. In the past, these grasslands on a sunny June many were cut for hay, but this use afternoon, with marsh fritillary is in decline. Now only a few sites butterflies flitting amongst the purple are managed as hay-meadows, flowering heads of meadow thistle, usually with grazing of the aftermath, will appreciate their immense value which is the vegetation re-growth for wildlife. following mowing. Culm grassland, Devon. Peter Wakely/English Nature 16,585

Various names have been given to predominantly found. In East these wet pastures in different parts Anglia, they have been called ‘litter of the UK. In Wales, they are often meadows’, because of the practice of referred to as ‘rhôs pastures’, cutting them for bedding. although this term can also be used to include heath and peatland Changes in agricultural practices habitats; ‘rhôs’ is a frequent element have caused the loss of many of Welsh place-names, suggesting marshy pastures, but those that do that these habitats were much more remain and are managed common in the past. In Devon and appropriately are often havens for Cornwall, the term ‘Culm grassland’ wildlife, full of birdsong in the has been coined, after the Culm spring and humming with insects in

Meadow thistle. David Stevens Measures on which they are summer.

2 Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 3 Where are they found? Isles to Aberdeenshire. In Northern Why are they important for fen-meadows, Ireland, they are a distinctive habitat wildlife? occur on soils that Purple moor-grass and rush pastures particularly in west Fermanagh, are naturally are most frequent in the west of the where groups of small fields are Although they can appear drab from slightly limey. UK, extending eastwards where wet traditionally managed as a distance, on close inspection these Fen-meadows are soils are found. It is estimated that hay-meadows, the cut material being wet pastures are often full of wildlife, often dominated less than 70,000 hectares remain, kept either for winter feed or for with up to 50 different plant species by purple distributed among all four countries. bedding. in a 2 x 2 metre square. Plants moor-grass, and

In England, there are important include a variety of grasses, rushes, may include a Lesser butterfly-orchid. Adrian Fowles concentrations in Devon and These pastures occur mostly on gently sedges and broad-leaved herbs, variety of uncommon plants, such as Cornwall, the Somerset Levels, sloping land, where there is lateral underneath which there may be lesser butterfly-orchid and fragrant New Forest, Weald and East Anglia. movement of water through the soil, extensive patches of mosses and orchid. In southern Britain, the In Wales, they are particularly but also on river and lake floodplains, liverworts. The vegetation may be flower-heads of meadow thistle add characteristic of the south Wales where they may be periodically tall, usually dominated by large splashes of purple to many of these coalfield, extending westwards into flooded during the winter and early tussocks of purple moor-grass or tall fen-meadows in mid-summer. Marsh Pembrokeshire and northwards spring. They may be small and rushes; or fairly short and even, often hawk’s-beard is frequently found in a through Ceredigion to Snowdonia isolated, or form large tracts of with an abundance of small sedges scarce form of fen-meadow in the hill and the Llynô peninsula. In Scotland, rough grazing, and are often mixed amongst the grasses. country of Scotland, northern they are found throughout the lowlands, with other habitats, such as heaths, England and north Wales, where you from Dumfries and Galloway to the fens, drier grasslands and scrub or The richest forms of this habitat, may also find occasional plants of the Northern Isles, and from the Western woodland. sometimes referred to as aptly named globeflower, a striking relation of the buttercup. A rarer form of fen-meadow is dominated by the uncommon blunt-flowered rush. A wealth of herbs may be found amongst the rushes, including marsh valerian, with its delicate pale-pink flowers, and the scrambling stems of fen bedstraw.

Rush pasture with whorled caraway, South Wales. Jon Turner Southern marsh-orchid. David Stevens Globeflower. David Stevens

4 Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 5 out over surrounding fields and hills. Snipe may be seen darting for cover

Viper’s-grass. when disturbed, and in spring the Mike Alexander ‘drumming’ of their tail feathers as they vibrate in the air-stream of a shallow dive is a particularly evocative sound. Characteristic perching birds include grasshopper warbler, which broadcasts a song remarkably like the insect after which it is named, and reed bunting, with its black and white head markings. Purple moor-grass pasture with heath spotted-orchids. Gill Barter Purple moor-grass pasture with viper’s-grass. Mike Alexander Other forms of the habitat occur on Purple England and west Wales; and the Common frogs more acidic soils. These too may be moor-grass delicate blue-eyed-grass, which in the are the most dominated by purple moor-grass or and rush UK only occurs naturally in Northern likely amphibians rushes, and brightened by tall herbs pastures Ireland. Rarer still is the viper’s- to be seen in such as the robust white-flowered contain a grass, which is known from only a marshy pastures. wild angelica and the pungent Whorled caraway. number of single site in Dorset and two recently They breed in Peter Wakely/English Nature 20,637 meadowsweet. Smaller in stature but ‘Atlantic’ discovered sites in south Wales. shallow pools Bog earwort. Alan Hale equally distinctive are ragged-robin, plants, which are restricted within between grass with its finely cut pink flowers, the Europe to the western fringes, where Mosses and liverworts which occur in and rush tussocks, aromatic water mint, and tormentil, an the influence of the Atlantic Ocean springs and seepages in these marshy while common almost ubiquitous associate of purple makes for a pastures include the scarce slender toads breed in moor-grass. Orchids are also well- mild, wet green feather-moss, and the deeper ponds, represented, usually by the heath climate. descriptively named bog earwort; both foraging for spotted-orchid and southern or Some of are easily confused with commoner invertebrates in northern marsh-orchids. Visually these, such related species, but have been reliably the wet grassland. Adder. Mike Hammett/CCW drabber forms of the habitat may be no as whorled recorded at a number of new localities Grass snakes and adders take less rich in plants, with inconspicuous caraway, during recent survey work. Two other advantage of the range of sunny and species often concealed within the with its mosses that sometimes occur in this shady conditions provided by the tangle of grasses and rushes. plates of habitat grow on unusual substrates: tussocks for basking and seeking their Petty whin. David Stevens white the increasingly rare thatch moss prey, which includes frogs, common flowers and feathery, fragrant leaves, grows on decaying plant remains at lizards and small mammals. and the miniature gorse-relative petty sites in eastern England (as well as on whin, can be found fairly easily by the thatch roofs that give it its name), looking in the right places. Others while the cruet collar-moss is a more are more restricted in their distribution frequent but probably also declining and harder to find. Examples include coloniser of decomposing cattle dung. the magenta-flowered heath lobelia of southern England; the yellow-flowered Curlew and lapwing breed in marshy

Wavy St John’s-wort. Peter Wakely/English Nature 8,567 wavy St John’s-wort of south west pastures, their musical calls ringing Mike Hammett/CCW Curlew.

6 Otters may use these pastures when young caterpillars live colonially hunting for food items like frogs. within a silky web. These caterpillars Where there is sufficient cover, they face a macabre challenge from small may use them for breeding. Water parasitic wasps, which inject their voles may occur where there are eggs into the newly hatched larvae; suitable banks for burrows. They up to 70 wasps may emerge from a will feed on many of the wide range single caterpillar, ready to parasitise of plants found, including sedges the next crop of larvae. The Marsh fritillary caterpillar. Jim Porter and rushes. surviving caterpillars disperse the Otters. P and J Weaner/FLPA following spring in search of food, This habitat is home to a varied before turning into chrysalids and invertebrate fauna, which includes jewel beetle, the larvae of which emerging as butterflies. insects found almost exclusively in emerge from shiny, black eggs to this habitat in parts of their range. leave thin white trails as they ‘mine’ Distribution of marsh fritillary The best known example is the the leaves. The bizarre, day-flying From: Butterflies for the New Millennium project, uncommon and declining marsh narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth is Butterfly Conservation and Biological Records Centre fritillary butterfly, which in western also a specialist of these pastures. Marsh fritillary chrysalis. Martin Warren Britain is largely restricted to wet With its clear wings and short body pastures rich in its larval foodplant, covered by hair-like scales, this 1880-1982 devil’s-bit scabious. Another insect moth mimics the appearance of a 1995-1999 dependent on this plant is a type of bumblebee.

Marsh fritillary adult. Adrian Fowles

The chequered wings of the marsh fritillary were once a locally common sight in southern and western parts of the UK. Today, it has disappeared from many counties, and is one of the most rapidly declining butterflies in Europe. Adults are on the wing in late May and June. The females lay batches of eggs on the undersides of the leaves of devil’s-bit scabious, and the Devil’s-bit scabious. Adrian Fowles

8 Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 9 10 amounting to8%peryearduringthe in theareaofCulmgrassland Wildlife Trust hasrecordedadecline and 1980s.Morerecently, theDevon grassland waslostbetweenthe1930s Wales, 97%ofenclosedunimproved last 70-80years.InEnglandand types hasdeclinedinextentoverthe Unimproved lowlandgrasslandofall so scarce? Why are marshypastures now Ragged-robin. MarkWright fritillary arethenalsolost. dependent speciessuchasthemarsh scabious, arerapidlyshadedout,and smaller plants,suchasdevil’s-bit scrub orwoodland. This meansthat may changeovertimeintodense become rankandimpenetrable economic returns. These sitesrapidly inconvenience outweighsthe because ofaperceptionthatthe stopped activelyfarmingthem, precarious. Farmershavesometimes examples hasbecomeincreasingly management oftheremaining As marshygrasslandshavedwindled, agricultural intensification. extensively, primarily through the Atlantic fringes,buthasdeclined habitat wasformerlyfrequentaround fertilisers. ElsewhereinEurope,the re-seeding, andapplicationofchemical drainage followedbyploughingand still occurring,mainlydueto south Wales suggestthatlossesare period 1984-1990.Observationsin Scrub invading marshygrassland. GrahamMotley their carefulmanagement wildlife inthesepastures livestock farming. The wealthof rush pasturesisboundupwiththatof The futureofpurplemoor-grass and conserved? How canthesepastures be sward structure andhavemore insect areparticularly sensitiveto should betheaim.Somespecies of patches usuallynolessthan 5cm, variable height,withtheshorter unavailable. As ageneral guide,a breeds ofponyifcattleare of cattleisusuallyideal,orbyhardy summer grazingbytraditionalbreeds heavy nortoolight).Lightearly right levelofgrazing(neithertoo depends on and the mean burning onlyaproportionof carried outsensitively. This may over-wintering invertebratesunless burning canbedamagingto adequately removedbygrazing; but purple moor-grass has notbeen some areas,ifthesummer growthof Winter burningcanbeeffective in Project (seecontactdetailsonpage15). established fromtheGrazing Animals networks existandhowtheycanbe You cangetadviceonwherethese available tograzingrequirements. may beabletomatchanimals in shortsupply, localgrazingnetworks fritillary. Where grazinganimalsare 8-25 cminthecaseofmarsh stringent requirements,forexample Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 11

Ruby Red cattle, Devon. Rob Wolton/English Nature It is possible to manage purple moor-grass and rush pastures in a way which benefits wildlife and provides a valuable resource for the farmer. Cattle reared on traditionally managed grassland often fetch premium prices, as the Devon Wildlife Trust’s ‘Green Gateway’ project has demonstrated.

The most important examples of this marshy grassland habitat are designated as Sites or Areas of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs/ASSIs). Funds are available to owners and managers of these sites from the country conservation agencies for Bog asphodel. David Stevens undertaking wildlife-friendly poorly drained fields that have not been management. While some of the best heavily fertilised, and especially where Rush bales, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Mark Wright marshy pastures are nature reserves, they adjoin or link existing areas of the site at any one time. Mowing hand, wet pastures are generally many more are managed under habitat. changes the structure of the vegetation unsuitable for modern breeds of voluntary environmental land suddenly, and this can harm sheep, and particularly lactating management schemes. Different Intensive farming is very damaging to invertebrates. It is best used where it ewes, because of the low sodium and schemes operate in the four countries, the wildlife of marshy pastures. As has been the traditional management calcium content of the forage. but all offer financial incentives to with all other semi-natural habitats, an regime. Patch mowing is a way of manage land for Environmental Impact Assessment enabling grazing stock to return to wildlife and (EIA) is now required before pastures that have become too rank to landscape agricultural management can be be grazed. conservation. intensified on purple moor-grass and Most of the rush pastures. Farmers may worry that animals kept schemes also for prolonged periods on these wet offer additional The importance of these pastures is pastures gain little in weight and may payments for recognised by their inclusion as a even lose condition (particularly in management priority habitat in the UK late summer). However, recent to re-establish Government’s Biodiversity Action research by the Institute of Grassland wet pastures of Plan. The Action Plan for purple and Environmental Research (IGER) Blue-eyed-grass. Mark Wright wildlife value moor-grass and rush pasture was has shown that cattle can be from agriculturally improved and published in 1995 as part of this maintained in good condition with partially improved grassland or arable initiative. It sets out a range of targets respectable weight gains if grazed on land. Benefits for wildlife from these and actions that should help conserve these pastures in rotation with more payments are likely to be greatest and expand the habitat for the benefit productive grassland. On the other where re-establishment occurs in of future generations. Heath lobelia. Robin Chittenden/FLPA

12 Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 13 Further reading Contact names and addresses Department for Environment, Food and Rural historic interest and natural beauty in England, Affairs, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, Wales and Northern Ireland. CROFTS, A. & JEFFERSON, R.G., eds, 1999. The Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, East SW1P 3JR. Tel: 0207 238 6000. Lowland Grassland Management Handbook. 2nd Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP. www.defra.gov.uk Contact for information on Plantlife, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, edition. Peterborough: English Nature/The Wildlife Tel: 01929 400209. environmental land management schemes and SP1 1DX. Tel: 01722 342730. Trusts. Available electronically from www.butterfly-conservation.org.uk agricultural regulations in England. www.plantlife.org.uk Charitable body concerned www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/Handbooks/default.asp Charitable body concerned with the conservation of with the conservation of wild plants and their butterflies, moths and their habitats. Department for Environment, Food and Rural habitats. ELKINGTON, T., DAYTON, N., JACKSON, D.L. & Affairs, Block 3, Government Buildings, Burghill STRACHAN, I.M. 2001. National Vegetation Countryside Council for Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS10 6NJ. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Classification: Field Guide to Mires and Heaths. Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW. Tel: 0117 959 1000. www.defra.gov.uk Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL. Peterborough: Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Tel: 08451 306229. www.ccw.gov.uk Contact for Co-ordinates implementation of the UK Tel: 01767 680551. www.rspb.org.uk Charitable Available electronically from www.jncc.gov.uk/ all matters concerning nature conservation in Wales Biodiversity Action Plan. body concerned with the conservation of wild birds communications/pubcat/heathland.htm including Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the and their habitats. Tir Gofal/Tir Cymen Schemes. Lead agency for the Environment & Heritage Service, GOODYEAR, J., TALLOWIN, J., BULLOCK, J. & Purple Moor-grass and Rush pastures Habitat Commonwealth House, 35 Castle Street, Belfast, Scottish Executive Environment and Rural SMITH, R. 2001. Grazing purple moor-grass and rush Action Plan. Northern Ireland, BT1 1GU. Tel: 028 9025 1477. Affairs Department, Pentland House, 47 Robb’s pastures. Enact, 9(4): 19-22. www.ehsni.gov.uk Contact for all matters relating Loan, Edinburgh, EH14 1TY. Tel: 0131 556 8400. Department of Agriculture and Rural to the conservation of the natural and built heritage www.scotland.gov.uk Contact for information on HOBSON, R., BOURN, N. & WARREN, M.S. 2002. Development for Northern Ireland, (Countryside in Northern Ireland including responibility for the environmental land management schemes and Conserving the marsh fritillary in Britain. Management Division), Dundonald House, Upper Areas of Special Scientific Interest. agricultural regulations in Scotland. British Wildlife, 13: 404-411. Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SB. Tel: 028 9052 0100. www.dardni.gov.uk Contact Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, The Scottish Natural Heritage, 12 Hope Terrace, UK BIODIVERSITY STEERING GROUP. 1995. for information on environmental land management National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, Edinburgh, EH9 2AS. Tel: 0131 447 4784. Biodiversity: the UK Steering Group Report. London: schemes and agricultural regulations in Northern Kenilworth, Warwicks, CV8 2RX. www.snh.org.uk Contact for all matters HMSO. Action plan for purple moor-grass and rush Ireland. Tel: 02476 696 699. www.fwag.org.uk concerning countryside conservation in Scotland pastures available electronically from Charitable organisation providing farm including Sites of Special Scientific Interest. www.ukbap.org.uk/habitats.htm conservation advice throughout the UK. Tormentil. David Stevens Scottish Wildlife Trust, Cramond House, Cramond Grazing Animals Project, The Kiln, Mather Road, Glebe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 6NS. Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1WT. Tel: 0131 312 7765. www.swt.org.uk Voluntary Tel: 01636 670095. conservation organisation concerned with the www.grazinganimalsproject.info/ Contact for conservation of wildlife in Scotland including the advice on grazing networks and grazing management of nature reserves. management for conservation. The Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather National Assembly for Wales, Department for Road, Newark, NG24 1WT. Tel: 0870 0367711. Environment, Planning and Countryside, Crown www.wildlifetrusts.org.uk Voluntary conservation Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ. organisation concerned with the conservation of Tel: 029 2082 5111. www.wales.gov.uk Contact wildlife in the UK. Contact for information on for information on environmental land management local Wildlife Trusts. schemes and agricultural regulations in Wales. Ulster Wildlife Trust, 3 New Line, Crossgar, National Trust, Conservation Directorate, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 9EP. 33 Sheep Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, Tel: 028 4483 0282. www.ulsterwildlifetrust.org GL7 1RQ. Tel: 01285 651818. Voluntary conservation organisation concerned with www.nationaltrust.org.uk Charitable body the conservation of wildlife in Northern Ireland concerned with the conservation of places of including the management of nature reserves.

14 Purple moor-grass and rush pastures 15