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Arbre Monitoring - Ecology of Short Rotation Coppice Plantations

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Arbre Monitoring - Ecology of Short Rotation Coppice Plantations ARBRE MONITORING - ECOLOGY OF SHORT ROTATION COPPICE PLANTATIONS INTERIM REPORT 2000 ETSU B/U1/00627/REP DTI/Pub URN 01/768 Contractor The Game Conservancy Trust Sub-contractor Central Science Laboratory Prepared by T.J. Rich, R. Sage (GCT) N. Moore, P. Robertson, J. Aegerter, J. Bishop (CSL) The work described in this report was carried out under contract as part of the New and Renewable Energy Programme, managed by ETSU on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry. The views and judgements expressed in this report are those of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect those of ETSU or the Department of Trade and Industry. First published 2001 © Crown copyright 2001 Abstract As a new arable crop, the growing of Short Rotation willow Coppice (SRC) may provide a new exploitable habitat for wildlife in the British countryside. Comprehensive research has shown that SRC may provide a good habitat for a wide variety of wildlife including floral communities, birds and insects (Baxter et al. 1996: Sage, 1995, Sage, 1998, Sage et al. 1994: Sage & Robertson, 1996: Sage & Tucker, 1998, Coates & Say 1999). However, previous work has been conducted on relatively small trial plantations and without direct comparison to the land use it replaces. This study (January 2000 - December 2004) investigates the potential for commercial scale SRC plantations to provide good quality habitat for wildlife and whether this is an improvement on the wildlife present during the previous land use, i.e. arable. This interim report is intended to present initial findings from this study and place these in the public domain. Despite the late planting of SRC this year and inclement weather conditions, the results from this, the first yearof wildlife monitoring, has show SRC to have positive effects upon the key indicator species recorded in this study. More songbird species were found in SRC than equivalent arable control plots. The density of birds (approx. 1.5 birds per Ha) is equivalent to that previously recorded for cereal fields (Arnold 1983) and somewhat lower than that recorded in established trial plots of SRC (Sage et al. 1994). This may be a result of the late planting of some of the SRC and potentially an effect of plot size. However, we do expect to find an increasing density of songbirds with plantation development. The establishment year and after first cut-back was shown to be attractive to a number of species nesting on open ground, many of which are a cause for conservation concern such as Lapwing and Skylark. However, this habitat was not favoured by finches, which were found at greater densities in control arable plots. Ground flora differed significantly between SRC plots and control fields. There was a greater percentage cover of weeds in the SRC crop compared to control plots, a possible result of reduced herbicide application. SRC provides a greater opportunity for more species to become established and thus can quickly develop into a stable ground floral community. Even after recent planting or first cut back there was evidence of a more stable plant community in the SRC crop than in the control plots. Eighteen species of butterfly were recorded this summer. More butterflies both in terms of abundance and diversity were found in SRC plots compared to arable control plots. This was despite SRC being in its first year of establishment and greater vegetative cover being found in the headlands of control arable fields. In agreement with previous work high numbers of invertebrates were recorded from the canopy of SRC in this study. Dominant groups of insects included Hemiptera (true bugs) and Coleoptera (beetles). Some pest species (willow beetles: Chrysomelidae) were found in three of the twelve sites monitored. They occurred in low levels with the exception of one site where levels were high although they remained at non-damaging levels. Insects showed a distinct edge tendency. The results of the first year of wildlife monitoring suggest that even after one growing season SRC plantations are generally better for a wide variety of wildlife than the existing adjacent farmland. No significant displacement of species has occurred. Some species may have actually been encouraged into the area due to the SRC. Continued monitoring will show future effects of commercial plantations and their association with local wildlife populations. 1 Contents Page No. Abstract 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Objectives of project 2.0 Site selection and sampling strategy 5 3.0 Bird monitoring 6 3.1 Methods 3.2 Results 3.3 Discussion 4.0 Plants 14 4.1 Methods 4.2 Results 4.3 Discussion 5.0 Butterflies 20 5.1 Methods 5.2 Results 5.3 Discussion 6.0 Canopy Insects 24 6.1 Methods 6.2 Results 6.3 Discussion 7.0 References 28 2 1.0 Introduction Short rotation coppice (SRC) as a source for renewable energy production is a new crop in the landscape of the UK. We know little about the potential impact that large- scale plantations may have in the countryside and its wildlife. Previous wildlife monitoring of SRC has usually involved non-commercial sites (Sage 1995, Sage 1998, Sage et al. 1994: Sage & Robertson 1996: Sage & Tucker 1998, Coates & Say 1999) and although comprehensive research has been conducted there may be differences in the response of wildlife to plantations on a commercial scale. Additionally, the wildlife monitoring of SRC for Project ARBRE will be the first to quantify the ecological impact of SRC in comparison to the land use it replaces in the form of adjacent control plots (Anon 2000). Key indicator species of insect, plant and bird life were monitored throughout the spring and summer 2000. Past research has shown that these groups underpin the ecology of SRC (Sage & Tucker 1998) and hence form the basis of the wildlife monitoring for Project ARBRE. Monitoring of these sites is set to continue for the next three years encompassing the full growth cycle of SRC for energy production. This will allow us to document changes in floral and faunal communities over time and in response to management techniques employed in the plantations. 1.1 Objectives of project The stated objectives are: • To monitor appropriate flora and fauna within and around a suitable number of SRC plantations. • To use this information to assess the impact of the ARBRE SRC plantations on wildlife in the area. We interpret that as a flagship project, the wildlife monitoring at the ARBRE SRC plantation sites should be sufficiently comprehensive to: • To provide guidance on the ecological impact of future commercial SRC developments. Full details of the experimental design, site selection criteria, survey methodology and activities are found in the original proposal (ETSU contract B/U1/00627/00/0), and are summarised where appropriate. 3 2.0 Site Selection & Sampling Strategy 2.1 Method A list of all the sites planted both in 1999 and in the year 2000 was kindly provided by Project ARBRE. The list was then reduced to a selected number following the criteria below: 1) Sites to be greater than 5Ha in area. 2) Sites to be within 50 miles of the Eggborough power station. 3) Control sites of a similar size to the plantation must be nearby. 4) Sites to be uniform without any unusual topographical features, e.g. river running close by. 5) Ease of accessibility. 6) Both plantation and control plots to have had the same previous land use (formerly arable). 7) All SRC sites to undergo similar management throughout the period of study. Landowners of potentially suitable sites were contacted and arrangements made to visit the sites to assess their suitability as study sites. Following negotiation with landowners twelve SRC plots and their associated arable control plots were selected for the study. The chosen sites were as follows: Table 1. Details of sites chosen for wildlife monitoring of ARBRE SRC plantations. Site No. Site name Location Year Area (Ha) planted 1 Far Shires Easingwold 1999 12.11 2 Hawthorne House Farm Dunkeswick 1999 5.00 3 Paddock House Farm Sicklinghall 1999 12.85 4 Charity Farm Goole Fields 1999 5.00 5 Market Place Farm South Cave 1999 14.55 6 West Farm Storwood 1999 27.11 7 Shire Oaks Farm Alne 2000 10.00 8 North Duffield Lodge Selby 2000 8.60 9 Market Place Farm South Cave 2000 16.57 10 Rowland Hall Farm Newsholme 2000 18.74 11 Foggathorpe Plantations Foggathorpe 2000 14.59 12 Foggathorpe Plantations Foggathorpe 2000 14.35 4 3.0 Bird Monitoring 3.1 Method A comprehensive two stage breeding bird-monitoring programme was undertaken in both the SRC and control plots. In an amendment to the original methodology (as discussed in the original proposal ETSU contract B/U1/00627/00/0) for songbird monitoring in the Project ARBRE plantations and their associated control plots, it was agreed that a point count method of monitoring would be the most appropriate for this study. Previous work involving the assessment of bird species within SRC used point counts but these were confined to the edges of small trial plots (Sage et al. 1994; Sage & Robertson 1996). Consequently, exact replication of this methodology would be inappropriate for the assessment of large commercial plantations. A modified form of point count was used for monitoring of Project ARBRE sites. This consisted of the recording of all birds, both observed and heard within a 50m semicircle around the observer over a period of 5 minutes. Multiple counts were performed within the crop (both in SRC plantations and in arable control plots). Locations of the point counts were always at least 50m apart. Figure 1 shows a diagram of a typical field and the locations of point counts.
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