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Waterbeach Invertebrate Survey Report December 2017 A Worton Rectory Park Oxford OX29 4SX United Kingdom T +44 (0) 1865 887050 F +44 (0) 1865 887055 W www.lda-design.co.uk LDA Design Consulting Ltd Registered No: 09312403 17 Minster Precincts, Peterborough PE1 1XX Invertebrate Survey Report December 2017 Waterbeach Contents 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Commission..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Site Description .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3. Proposed Works ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.4. Aims of Study .................................................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Methodology.............................................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1. Desk Study........................................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2. Habitat Potential Assessment ................................................................................................................... 2 2.3. Targeted Survey for Terrestrial Invertebrates .................................................................................... 2 2.4. Targeted Survey for Aquatic Invertebrates .......................................................................................... 4 2.5. Survey dates, effort and weather conditions ....................................................................................... 4 3.0 Results .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1. Desk Study........................................................................................................................................................ 6 3.2. Habitat Potential Assessment ................................................................................................................... 8 4.0 References ................................................................................................................................................................. 15 5.0 Photographs ............................................................................................................................................................. 16 6.0 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................... 18 6.1. Appendix 1: Status definitions and criteria of invertebrate groups ......................................... 18 6.2. Appendix 2: Full List of Terrestrial Invertebrate Taxa Recorded .............................................. 19 6.3. Appendix 3: Full List of Aquatic Invertebrate Taxa Recorded ................................................... 25 7.0 Figures ........................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Version: 1.1 Version date: 4th May 2018 Comment Author: Jessica Kent and Jim Fairclough This document has been prepared and checked in accordance with ISO 9001:2008. Invertebrate Survey Report December 2017 Waterbeach 1.0 Introduction 1.1. Commission BSG was commissioned to carry out an invertebrate survey within the Site in June - September 2017. 1.2. Site Description The Waterbeach site (the ‘Site’) comprises 230 ha of land situated to the north of the town of Waterbeach, approximately 4 km north of Cambridge, central Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference (OSNGR): TL 504 675. The Site comprises large arable fields and small woodland copses with a network of species-poor native hedgerows and deep drainage ditches. Many of the arable fields have wide margins (approximately 5 - 7 m wide) of poor semi-improved grassland. Wide strips of good semi-improved grassland are also present in some areas. Bannold Drove, an ancient trackway, runs north-south through the Site and is lined with mature trees, particularly in the middle section which forms the centre of the Site. A railway line forms the eastern boundary of the Site, Denny Abbey and Farmland Museum is situated outside the north western corner and Waterbeach Barracks, Ministry of Defence (MOD) land and airfield bound the Site on the west. Sewage treatment works sit within the south of the Site, west of Bannold Drove. Three larger ponds sit directly adjacent the eastern boundary. The Site is shown in Figure 7.1. 1.3. Proposed Works There are proposals for a new town in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire to involve large scale residential development including a new town centre, a train station and associated infrastructure. 1.4. Aims of Study The purpose of the invertebrate survey was to determine if the Site supports important invertebrate assemblages. This report provides baseline ecological information to inform the development of the eastern side of Waterbeach Newtown. It contains the methods and results of invertebrate surveys undertaken at the Site in 2017. This report is intended to be read in conjunction with the Nature and Conservation Chapter of the Environmental Statement for the Site; the chapter details the impact assessment, mitigation and compensation strategies for reptiles. Invertebrate Survey Report 1 December 2017 Waterbeach 2.0 Methodology 2.1. Desk Study Information on notable invertebrate species within 2 km of the Site OSNGR was provided by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Environmental Records Centre (CPERC) in June 2017. The desk study made use of aerial photography resources to assess the context of the Site including: Bing maps (https://www.bing.com/maps/) These sites were most recently in September 2017 during reporting. 2.2. Habitat Potential Assessment The Site was assessed for its potential to support important invertebrate assemblages by Dr Jim Fairclough MCIEEM, an entomologist, on 12 June 2017. Notes were made of the habitats present; habitat features within the Site were documented in a photographic record (see Section 5). To enable a full characterisation of the Site for invertebrate suitability, this included observations of features that might limit invertebrate interest as well as those which might be of particular value. In particular, emphasis was placed on the following features, where present: Woodland edge, scrub and hedgerows: especially where there is a diverse vegetation structure and species composition. Veteran or mature trees, including standing and fallen dead wood. Species-rich grassland: especially that in association with scrub, with a high proportion of plants providing nectar and pollen, and with a varied vegetation structure. Early successional habitat: (e.g. eroded banks and periodically disturbed bare or sparsely vegetated ground) especially free-draining ground where there is a high proportion of exposed bare earth. Wetland: including watercourses (e.g. ditches, flushes and seepages), standing water or waterbodies (e.g. ponds, lakes and swamp) and associated terrestrial habitat (e.g. marshy grassland). 2.3. Targeted Survey for Terrestrial Invertebrates Habitats with potential to support important invertebrate assemblages, which were identified during the Habitat Potential Assessment, were subject to more detailed survey. This targeted survey was designed to target key indicator groups, particularly those associated with bare ground, grassland, scrub, and matrices of these habitats, namely Coleoptera (beetles), Hemiptera (true bugs) and aculeate Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps). This approach has been designed with reference to guidance set out in Drake et al. (2007). Incidental observations of other invertebrate taxa, including those belonging to the ephemeral pools were also recorded. Invertebrate Survey Report 2 December 2017 Waterbeach The following sampling methods were employed: pitfall traps, pan traps, sweep-netting, beating, grubbing and pond netting. These methods are described below. Pitfall Traps Pitfall traps were set out in clusters of three, at various locations identified as being of potential importance for invertebrates. Pitfall trap locations are shown on Figure 7.16. Pitfall trapping involved the use of circular plant pot trays (24 cm diameter x 5 cm depth) sunk into an excavated circular hole with the tray rims flush with the surrounding ground level. Preserving fluid (and a drop of detergent to break the surface tension) was poured into the trays until they were half full. A layer of mesh was secured over the tray to prevent capture of small mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Photograph 1 shows a pitfall trap deployed within the Site. The traps were operational during the period from 12 - 26 June 2017 and 4 - 18 September 2017. Any trapped invertebrates were collected to allow lab-based species identification. Pan traps Clusters of three or five pan traps were set out in flower-rich areas during