FENS, including LOWLAND RAISED BOG and LIMESTONE AND VALLEY

LOCAL HABITAT ACTION PLAN for and

Last Updated: April 2009

1 CURRENT STATUS

1.1 Context

Fen habitats may be described as short to tall herbaceous vegetation formed over where the water-table is generally close to soil level and where that water tends to flow laterally through the upper soil horizons. They can be split into base-rich or base-poor , and topogenous (catchment-fed) or soligenous (groundwater-fed) fens. systems can have a mosaic of basic and acidic fens, within quite small spatial scales, and a combination of water-sources in addition to rainfall.

The emphasis of this plan will be on base-rich, open fens on a peat base because these are the predominant type in Cambridgeshire; it does however also include some acid fen, one remnant Lowland raised-bog at NNR (originally fed by rainfall alone, but now drying out), and a few Limestone Marsh and Valley sites around Peterborough. These latter habitats have many affinities with fens and may grade into true fen vegetation.

With this complexity, management decisions must be based on site- specific needs and aims. Fen habitats support a wide variety of animal and plant species: some can hold up to 550 species of higher plants, and several thousand species of insects.

Fen vegetation in Cambridgeshire once covered many thousands of hectares and was traditionally cut for fuel as well as mown and grazed; most has now been lost through drainage and cultivation and the degraded through subsequent oxidation and wind erosion. The potential for new fens to form or be created is severely reduced because of the highly-managed nature of the drainage systems. However, two of the largest, landscape-scale habitat restoration and creation projects in lowland Britain are in Cambridgeshire, the Project, near Peterborough, and the Vision, north of . Both of these projects aim to develop a mosaic of wildlife habitats, including wetland habitats, through careful management of water levels, protection of the peat soils and the use of extensive grazing regimes. The exceptional contribution that these projects make towards the maintenance and restoration of wetland habitats, including fens, is recognised.

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1.2 Biological Status

The surviving resource of fen vegetation is confined mainly to a few large sites, namely Wicken Fen NNR, Chippenham Fen NNR and NNR, all of which are SSSIs, components of SACs and Ramsar sites. However, other important sites include Holme Fen NNR/SSSI, SSSI, Fen SSSI, Stow-Cum-Quy Fen SSSI, Wilbraham Fen SSSI and Sawston Hall Meadows SSSI. There are also other smaller fragments of fen vegetation in areas such as the Ouse and , and in the open Fenlands, forming strips along ditchsides or patches in field corners. These make an important contribution to biodiversity, although they are often degraded and rather species-poor.

The UK is thought to hold a substantial proportion of surviving fen in the EU.

It is important not to conflate the word ‘fens’ with ‘The Fenlands’ or ‘Fens’ of East Anglia. These cover an area of 4,100 km 2, have been shaped by centuries of flood, drainage and settlement and have their own NE Natural Area Profile; although they once supported many thousands of hectares of fen vegetation, are now largely under intensive cultivation.

As mentioned above, Cambridgeshire is home also to large scale ‘Fen’ restoration projects at Wicken Fen, at Kingfisher’s Bridge nearby and in the Great Fen Project area near Peterborough. These restoration projects involve the restoration of agricultural land to wetlands with complex mixes of vegetation types but a proportion of the vegetation which results is likely to be true fen vegetation. One important role that these projects fulfil is one of the development of extensive buffer zones around core sites of very high conservation value.

1.3 Species

A number of species of conservation interest occur in fen vegetation and to a greater or lesser extent in fen habitats in Cambridgeshire; they are listed in Appendix I.

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2 CURRENT FACTORS AFFECTING FENS IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

• Fens are a successional habitat and active management is required to maintain them. Without management, the accumulation of organic litter and colonisation by woody plants causes drying and leads to the replacement of fen vegetation with scrub and woodland.

• Reduction in the water table as a result of abstraction from aquifers and in particular changes in land drainage can reduce the important lateral movement of water into and through fens.

• Eutrophication of incoming waters can alter the plant and animal communities found in fens.

• Isolation of fens in the county prevents dispersal of plants and small animals between sites.

• Climate change. A substantial change in water supply would alter the balance of hydrological inputs to fens and a significant rise in temperature would produce wide-ranging effects such as changes in water quality, the structure of fen vegetation types and the make-up of invertebrate communities. A long-term decrease in rainfall could alter groundwater regimes and may ultimately depress levels in the underlying aquifers to such an extent that these fens cease to be fed with spring waters. All efforts to remedy the situation may then be ineffective. Warmer winters and milder conditions characteristic for urban habitats alter behaviour of animals (increased activity) that would otherwise hibernate. This can lead to losses of energy and consequently affecting the productivity in the breeding season. This process has been well documented for common toads.

3 CURRENT ACTION

Legal Status There is a range of national, regional and local planning policies that, along with other legislation, set out requirements for biodiversity conservation. Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9): Biodiversity and Geological Conservation (ODPM, 2005) is the key national planning policy document for biodiversity in . It sets out the key principles that regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should adhere to in order to ensure that biodiversity is fully considered in the development of planning policy and determination of planning applications. The seven policies within the Environment chapter of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the (GO-East, May 2008) set out the requirements for proper consideration to be given to the potential effects of development on the natural, built and historic environment of the East of England. At the local level, the planning policy documents of local planning authorities should take account of BAP and HAP targets and priorities, setting overarching policies for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.

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There are eleven sites in Cambridgeshire which are notified as SSSI on account of the presence, at least in part, of fen vegetation and habitats. Some of these also have European designations (RAMSAR, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas)

The SSSIs are:

Bonemills Hollow* Chippenham Fen Dernford Fen Fowlmere Watercress Beds Holme Fen Stow-cum-Quy Fen Sutton Heath and Bog * Wansford Meadow Wicken Fen * Wilbraham Fen Woodwalton Fen

* = support habitats including lowland raised bog and limestone marsh and valley

The number of County Wildlife Sites that contain fen is difficult to be sure of but there are probably about 16 which contain significant areas of fen vegetation, as opposed to reedmace- or reed-swamp.

Management, guidance and research

• At Wicken Fen NNR between 2000 and 2006, 55 hectares of scrub has been removed and open fen habitats restored. The fen vegetation is now maintained through a combination of traditional cutting regimes and low density grazing with Konik ponies. The summer water deficit suffered at Wicken Fen has been investigated and a remedy is being implemented in conjunction with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

• At Holme Fen NNR the grassy glades and acid grassland/heath are mown, but a non-intervention management policy operates on most of its woodland. Plans to recreate and extend bogs are at the investigation stage. This may include lowering the ground level, putting an impermeable membrane in to isolate the water supply from farmland, diverting arterial drainage ditches and raising water levels in adjoining farmland.

• At Woodwalton Fen NNR 30 to 40 ha of scrub was cleared in the latter half of the 20 th Century and these areas are maintained with an ongoing

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cutting and grazing regime. A further 30ha has been cleared since 2000 and incorporated into the management regime. In a few areas, scrub removal on a 20-year cycle also occurs and there is an extensive programme of 5-10 year coppicing. This creates a diverse habitat, and is also very cost-effective. This fen also acts as flood balancing for the Middle Level and there are concerns about the quality of this water.

• At Chippenham Fen NNR the core fen-meadows have been mown for a number of decades. However, in 2001 water buffalo were introduced in an attempt to reduce the increasing management burden generated by the ongoing scrub removal programme.

• Large scale recreation of fens is occurring on lands adjacent to Woodwalton and Holme Fens (Great Fen Project), by Wicken Fen (Wicken Vision) and also at Kingfisher Bridge near Wicken Fen. At Wicken 330 ha have been acquired for the creation of nature reserve habitats, 62 ha at Kingfisher’s Bridge and 1700ha at Woodwalton/Holme. Not all of this land will develop into fen vegetation but where topography and availability of water allow, a significant proportion may be expected to, exceeding by a very substantial margin the target for fen re-creation set out in the last Fens LHAP.

• There are good informal communication links between Wicken and Woodwalton Fens and also Kingfisher’s Bridge

4 OBJECTIVES AND LONG TERM TARGETS

4.1 Objectives

No habitat creation objectives are included in this plan. This is because it is felt that the grand fen restoration schemes are not only providing a most effective vehicle for the re-creation of fen habitats in Cambridgeshire but also because the non-prescriptive nature of those schemes renders the setting of targets in terms of timing and areas meaningless. The emphasis of this plan is therefore on the maintenance and restoration of the existing fen resource.

• At least maintain the extent of fen habitats in Cambridgeshire • Maintain the fen vegetation in Cambridgeshire in favourable condition • Rehabilitate degraded fen habitats on known sites, bringing all significant 1 stands into favourable condition

4.2 Targets

• At least maintain the extent of fen habitats in Cambridgeshire, currently (2008) c. 1050 ha

1 Ie fen on all SSSI, CWS and other known areas of nature conservation importance, eg SSSIs notified for other habitats but with some fen

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• Maintain the condition of fen habitats, where favourable, in Cambridgeshire within SSSIs & County Wildlife Sites in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough • Achieve favourable condition for fen habitat on SSSIs and CWSs where currently unfavourable • Restore 50 ha of degraded fen habitat by 2015 in addition to the work covered in the targets above

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5.ACTIONS FOR FENS LAST UPDATED: April 2009

BAP TARGET PROGRESS ACTION LEAD PRIORITY RESOURCES TO 2006 PARTNER/ / DATE S 1. At least maintain the 1.1 Produce a register of Cambridgeshire sites NE, PL, WiT 2008 PL fens project, extent of fen habitats in supporting fen vegetation, with areas of same WiT CWS data, Cambridgeshire, currently NE SSSI data (2008) c. 1050 ha 1.2 Ensure that interpretation materials explaining NE, NT, WiT Ongoing issues surrounding fen communities are provided at all suitable fen sites and that site walks, talks and events are used to promote understanding of fen conservation issues. Key sites are Wicken Fen, Woodwalton Fen, Holme Fen and Chippenham Fen 2. Maintain the condition 2.1 Encourage and support owners/managers of NE for SSSIs, Ongoing of fen habitats where SSSIs and CWSs in maintaining the condition of fen CWS group for favourable in habitats. CWSs Cambridgeshire within SSSIs & County Wildlife Sites in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2.b Achieve favourable 2.2 Management plans to address issues of water NE, owners, Ongoing condition for fen habitat quality and quantity, in partnership with IDBs, EA, (specifically including neighbours, EA and IDBs WT for raised bog) on SSSIs and CWSs CWSs where currently unfavourable 2.3 Condition of fen habitats on protected sites to NE for SSSIs, Ongoing Funding needs be monitored on a regular basis CWS group to be secured for for CWSs CWS officer from 2009 2.4 Monitor the condition of water input into NE Ongoing Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biodiversity Action Plan Page 7

protected sites; ameliorative measures to be taken if water quality found to be insufficient 2.5 Restore and enhance the raised bog areas at NE Ongoing Holme Fen 2.6 Ensure that all fen sites managed by public RSPB, NT, 2007 bodies and conservation organisations are being WiT, NE, managed appropriately (with an up-to-date EA, LAs management plan that is being implemented) to achieve favourable condition 2.7 Liaise with owners of SSSI fens that are not NE Ongoing PL Fens project, conservation organisations to get them into WiT favourable condition 2.8 Liaise with owners of CWS fens to help them CWS group Ongoing get their sites into favourable condition 2.9 Designate qualifying unprotected fen sites as WiT 2010 WiT CWS County Wildlife Sites project 3. Restore 50 ha of 3.1 Restore fen habitats on known sites by a NE, NT, WiT 2015 degraded fen habitat by combination of succession reversal, water quality 2015 amelioration and restoration of application of appropriate management 3a. Support landscape 3.2 Support grand wetland restoration projects by All Ongoing scale wetland projects providing advice and guidance where needed, Wicken Fen, Great Fen sharing information and integrating related work and Kingfisher Bridge with restoration plans

Abbreviations:

ADA Association of Drainage Authorities CCC Cambridgeshire County Council CWS County Wildlife Site EA Environment Agency ECDC East Cambs District Council FDC Council FRCA Farming and Rural Conservation Agency Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biodiversity Action Plan Page 8

FWAG Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group HDC District Council IDB LAs Local Planning Authorities NE Natural England NT National Trust PL Plantlife PUA Peterborough Unitary Authority RSPB Royal Society for the Protection Of Birds SAC Special Area of Conservation SCDC District Council WiT Wildlife Trust for , Cambridgeshire, and Peterborough

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6 LINKS TO OTHER PLANS

This plan should be considered in conjunction with those for reedbeds, fenland drainage ditches and floodplain grazing marsh.

It is likely that implementation of this Action Plan will also benefit * Reed bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus * Fenn's Wainscot - Chortodes brevilinea * Centre-barred Sallow - Atethmia centrago * Small Emerald - Hemistola chrysoprasaria * Fen Violet - Viola persicifolia * the flowering plant Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. Ochroleuca as well as the species listed in Appendices 1 and 2

For a full list of UKBAP species occurring in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, contact the Biodiversity Partnership Coordinator

7 REVIEW OF ACTION PLAN

Arrange monitoring and review of these targets annually and update targets and responsibilities accordingly.

8 REFERENCES

Buglife: Managing priority habitats for Invertebrates , 2 nd edition. For Fens see: http://www.buglife.org.uk/conservation/adviceonmanagingbaphabitats/fens.htm

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough UKBAP species – spreadsheet prepared by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biological Records Centre (from October 2008) available from the Biodiversity Partnership Coordinator

DoE (1995) Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report . Volume 2: Action Plans. HMSO, London

Fens: Local Habitat Action Plan for Cambridgeshire 2003. Cambridgeshire County Council.

GO-East (2008): East of England Plan – The Revision to the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England , available on http://www.gos.gov.uk/goeast/planning/regional_planning/

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9 LIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS CONSULTED

Anglian Water Services Ltd Biodiversity Partnership Co-ordinator Butterfly Conservation Cambridge City Council Cambridgeshire County Council District Council Environment Agency Farming and Rural Conservation Agency Fenland District Council FWAG Huntingdonshire District Council Landscape 2000 National Trust Natural England Peterborough City Council RSPB - East Anglia South Cambridgeshire District Council The Wildlife Trust , Department of Zoology

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Appendix 1

UK BAP species associated with fens and fen vegetation in Cambridgeshire

Vascular plants

Cambridge milk-parsley Selinum carvifolium Fen violet Viola persicifolia BAP Fen woodrush Luzula pallidula BAP Greater water parsnip Sium latifolium BAP Lesser water-plantain Baldellia ranunculoides Marsh pea Lathyrus palustris Marsh stitchwort Stellaria palustris BAP Milk-parsley Peucedanum palustre Tubular water-dropwort Oenanthe fistulosa BAP Water germander Teucrium scordium BAP Yellow early marsh orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp ochroleuca BAP

Stoneworts

Hedgehog stonewort Chara aculeolata group BAP Dwarf stonewort Nitella tenuissima group BAP

Invertebrates

Beetle Pterostichus aterrimus Centre-barred sallow Atethmia centrago Desmoulin’s whorl snail Vertigo moulinsiana BAP, LBAP Fenn’s wainscot Chortodes brevilinea Small emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria

Birds

Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus BAP

Fen habitats also occur on sites in Cambridgeshire that provide resources for species such as…

Adder Vipera berus BAP Common toad Bufo bufo BAP Grass snake Natrix natrix BAP Grasshoppper warbler Locustella naevia BAP Great crested newt Triturus cristatus BAP Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Otter Lutra lutra BAP, LBAP Water vole Arvicola terrestris BAP, LBAP Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava ssp flavissima

…although these species cannot be said to be reliant on fens.

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Appendix 2

UK BAP species known from Wicken Fen

The following UK BAP species occur at Wicken Fen HD = Habitats Directive, RL = UK Red List

Species Status Recorded Wicken Fen

Otter BAP, Wicken Fen HD Water Vole BAP Wicken Fen Brown Hare BAP Wicken Fen Harvest Mouse BAP Wicken Fen Great Crested Newt BAP, Wicken Fen HD Common Toad BAP Wicken Fen Grass Snake BAP Wicken Fen Slow Worm BAP Wicken Fen Common Lizard BAP Wicken Fen Bittern BAP, Wicken Fen BD, RL Bullfinch BAP, Wicken Fen RL BD, RL Wicken Fen House Sparrow BAP, Wicken Fen RL Kingfisher BD Wicken Fen Lapwing BAP Wicken Fen Linnet BAP, Wicken Fen RL Marsh Harrier BD Wicken Fen Reed Bunting BAP, Wicken Fen RL Shelduck BD Wicken Fen Short-eared Owl BD Wicken Fen Song Thrush BAP, Wicken Fen RL Starling BAP, Wicken Fen RL Skylark BAP, Wicken Fen RL Tree Sparrow BAP, Wicken Fen RL Turtle Dove BAP, Wicken Fen RL Yellowhammer BAP, Wicken Fen RL Fen Violet BAP Wicken Fen Viola persicifolia Insects: Moths Wicken Fen

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Beaded Chestnut BAP Wicken Fen Blood-vein BAP Wicken Fen Brindled Beauty BAP Wicken Fen Broom Moth BAP Wicken Fen Buff Ermine BAP Wicken Fen Centre-barred Sallow BAP Wicken Fen Dark Brocade BAP Wicken Fen Dark Spinach BAP Wicken Fen Dark-Barred Twin-Spot BAP Wicken Fen Carpet Dot Moth BAP Wicken Fen Double Dart BAP Wicken Fen Dusky Brocade BAP Wicken Fen Dusky-lemon Sallow BAP Wicken Fen Ear Moth BAP Wicken Fen Feathered Gothic BAP Wicken Fen Fenn's Wainscot BAP Wicken Fen Figure of Eight BAP Wicken Fen Galium Carpet BAP Wicken Fen Garden Dart BAP Wicken Fen Garden Tiger BAP Wicken Fen Ghost Moth BAP Wicken Fen Goat Moth BAP Wicken Fen Grass Rivulet BAP Wicken Fen Grey Dagger BAP Wicken Fen Knot Grass BAP Wicken Fen Lackey BAP Wicken Fen Large Nutmeg BAP Wicken Fen Latticed Heath BAP Wicken Fen Lunar Yellow BAP Wicken Fen Underwing Minor Shoulder-knot BAP Wicken Fen Mottled Rustic BAP Wicken Fen Mouse Moth BAP Wicken Fen Mullein Moth BAP Wicken Fen Oak Hook-tip BAP Wicken Fen

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Oblique Carpet BAP Wicken Fen Powdered Quaker BAP Wicken Fen Rosy Minor BAP Wicken Fen Rosy Rustic BAP Wicken Fen Rustic BAP Wicken Fen Sallow BAP Wicken Fen September Thorn BAP Wicken Fen Shaded Broad-Bar BAP Wicken Fen Shoulder-Striped BAP Wicken Fen Wainscot Small Emerald BAP Wicken Fen Small Phoenix BAP Wicken Fen Spinach BAP Wicken Fen White Ermine BAP Wicken Fen Other Inverts Wicken Fen Lipara similis BAP Wicken Fen Cigarillo gall fly Vertigo moulinsiana BAP, Wicken Fen Desmoulin’s Whorl HD Snail

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