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1059559. Registered in Scotland, Charity Number: S Scott/Plantlife © SC038951. Registered Company Number: 3166339. Pillwort Registered in England and Wales Plantlife, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1DX. Tel. 01722 342730 A management guide
Back from the Brink Management Series Cover picture: Pillwort loch margin Pillwort A management guide Back from the Brink Management Series Introduction Pillwort (Pilularia globulifera) has an ancient lineage and has scarcely changed from fossilised specimens. It is an unusual, remarkably unfern-like fern that grows in, or on the margins of, shallow fresh water such as ponds and lochs. It thrives on mud where water levels fluctuate and on disturbed ground, typically where animals come to the shore to drink.
Pillwort looks almost like a grass or small rush, and spreads by far-creeping, pale-green runners (rhizomes). It is not only fascinating as a living fossil but also as a useful indicator of the health of water bodies where it is found. Ponds that are good for pillwort are also likely to suit other water inhabitants, such as amphibians and dragonflies. Pillwort also plays a valuable role as an oxygenator of water, including garden ponds.
Despite its value, however, pillwort has declined throughout western Europe, where it is listed as endangered. Britain and Ireland hold some of the best remaining populations, but even here it is a scarce and declining species. For that reason, pillwort is a priority species for action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan
3 Where to find pillwort Why has pillwort declined? Pillwort is found in scattered sites over most One of the main reasons for the loss of of the British Isles, except for Orkney and pillwort is the disappearance or decline of Shetland and more mountainous land. It ponds. Many former mill and farm ponds grows from sea level to 380m, usually at the have fallen into disrepair, for example, while water’s edge, between the highest flood level pools from mineral abstraction, another and the lowest drought level. It needs potential home for pillwort, are often slow-flowing water and can survive immersion developed into a landscape recreation up to 1m depth. scheme or used for landfill.
Pillwort is very probably under-recorded in Potential pillwort sites still exist, of course, but Britain, because it is such an inconspicuous many factors conspire against them. Ponds and easily-overlooked species. If you own or and loch edges might be fenced off for safety manage a site which includes a pond or lake reasons or to keep animals away, removing margin that looks potential suitable for the trampled shorelines pillwort loves. Pillwort (see Table 1), you should check to see whether Pillwort is present there. In some lakes water levels are kept high and artificial sloping banks created for recreation and fishing, leaving little available habitat for pillwort. At the other extreme, water abstraction can mean water levels vary too much for pillwort to cope.
In some situations, pillwort has been driven out by pollution or invasive, non-native aquatic plants.
Loch Tay, typical habitat for pillwort Specific pilwort habitats are: © S Scott/Plantlife ● pond and loch edges ● river backwaters, especially along sides of miniature river deltas formed in lochs ● wet, sandy hollows in dunes and heaths, especially in southern Britain ● muddy ditches ● old clay-pit workings.
4 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 5 A tell-tale characteristic of Identifying pillwort pillwort are its hairy, pea-shaped If you know or think that pillwort grows Whatever your surveying method, assess: sporocarps, shown at the bottom on a site you own or manage, the first ● the number of plants of this picture © S Scott/Plantlife stage should be to check the population ● the size of clumps size and health. ● whether clumps look healthy or not.
Spotting pillwort takes patience. Its grass-like If you find colonies of pillwort, please notify appearance and its association with shallow your local Scottish Natural Heritage (or water mean it is easily confused with the much equivalent) office. It will pass records on to commoner bulbous rush Juncus bulbosus. the local botanical recorder and the Botanical Pillwort is slightly firmer and less tufted than Society of the British Isles. Please also notify the rush, but the best distinguishing feature is Plantlife by phone or email (see page xx). It is that its young, thread-like fronds uncurl in a also useful to inform the local planning tight spiral at the tip, like a watch-spring and authority and relevant environment agency, just like the croziers of other young ferns. to ensure that future development planning and water management take pillwort fully The other tell-tale characteristic are the into account. hairy, pea-shaped spore-producing bodies or sporocarps, which are up to 3mm in diameter and appear at intervals along the creeping rhizomes in late summer, or when the plant is under stress.
Surveying is done most easily in dry summer weather when water levels might have dropped slightly. This can expose populations that are normally under water. However, try to survey as soon as possible after water levels fall, before plants dry and shrivel up.
By far the best way to find pillwort, however, is by snorkelling. Wearing a drysuit or a heavy wetsuit, look in likely areas of shallow water up to 1m deep. The surveyor should always be accompanied by at least one person on the shore, and you should undertake a full Health The best way to find pillwort is by snorkelling & Safety risk assessment before commencing © Matilda Scharsach/Plantlife any such survey.
6 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 7 Water fluctuation If you have a site with a healthy population of encouraging the growth of vegetation that pillwort, continue the current regime. Your out-competes pillwort. management plan should address the risk of future changes and include contingency plans If there is a pollution problem at your site, for incidents beyond your control, such as here are some remedies: pollution or increased water abstraction. ● Route any piped inflow from a potentially polluted source away from the pond. For sites with declining populations, consider ● Investigate alternative opportunities to installing a sluice system to manipulate water increase the flow of clean water through levels by hand. the water body, to dilute and flush out excess nutrients. Propagation ● Establish a buffer zone, up to 30m wide, of If only small populations remain, consider tall vegetation or scrub between the water propagating your own pillwort, provided this body and the main source of pollution does not threaten the remaining population (a farm or an urban development uphill and there are suitable areas for planting. from the pond, for example). Although a buffer zone is unlikely to be compatible Propagating pillwort is easy (see page xx) but with pillwort, especially as grazing animals it is vitally important you propagate only from will have to be kept out, it might allow the plants at the destination site. You should not plant to survive on other shores around the propagate from other wild sources or use water body. cultivated pillwort from garden centres. ● If your pond has been polluted for a long Cattle trampling at the edge of water creates conditions in which pillwort can thrive time, it might be necessary to dredge out © Matilda Scharsach/Plantlife Willow scrub encroachment polluted sediments from the pond base. If willow scrub is growing at an existing Obviously you should avoid areas with Management – the issues pillwort site, you will need to cut back by surviving pillwort populations, but hand. It will be almost impossible to dredging will not only be cleaning up The long-term conservation of pillwort depends trampling takes place, continue your current reinstate the area to the sort of open mud pollution but creating the sort of entirely on the correct management of its regime and build it into the whole farm plan. that pillwort prefers, but it will serve to halt disturbance pillwort favours. habitat. This will benefit many other species as You could encourage pillwort to spread further encroachment. ● If filamentous algae have become well as pillwort. It’s best to give priority to sites naturally by introducing cattle trampling to established in the pond, they are as much where pillwort survives and where its habitat adjacent shorelines. To avoid future management costs, investigate a symptom as a problem and removing can be managed effectively. Some solutions the option of raising the water level, which nutrient sources should help control them. will be expensive, but there are grants available Where populations are in decline, is it because might prevent further encroachment. Excess material can be removed by careful which are listed on page xx. trampling has been withdrawn? If so, could haul-dredging (ensuring this does no you reinstate it? If this is not possible, consider Pollution damage to pillwort populations). Cattle trampling whether alternative options are available – for Pillwort has a very low tolerance of pollution. Alternatively, place a few bales of barley Cattle trampling at the edge of water creates example human trampling for launching boats Added to this, nitrate and phosphate straw in the pond; naturally-occurring conditions in which pillwort can thrive. If you or pond dipping. pollution from farms, gardens, parks and the fungi on the straw suppress algal growth. have a healthy population of pillwort where urban environment can enrich the water,
8 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 9 Invasive, non-native aquatic plants such as New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii) are a problem for pillwort at some sites © Sue Cooper/Plantlife
Invasive non native species Invasive, non-native aquatic plants are a major If the invading population is well-established, problem for pillwort at some sites. This could it is likely to be expensive to eradicate it, since intensify in future as changing climates allow the survival of even a tiny living fragment can more species to grow in Britain. Problem be enough for the species to return. The faeces from wild fowl can cause over-enrichment of water, encouraging vegetation species currently identified include New that out-competes pillwort © www.lauriecampbell.com Zealand pygmyweed Crassula helmsii, floating In many cases, the only practicable course pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides and may be to take every other measure possible parrot’s-feather Hydrocotyle aquaticum. to restore the water body to full ecological Wildfowl and fish stocking health, then hope this will help control the The faeces from large bird populations can which otherwise would help control the plant Haul-dragging floating colonies with a net or spread of the invasive species and leave cause water over enrichment, encouraging plankton. Addressing this issue might need a large rake could help temporarily remove some open habitat for pillwort to grow. the growth of vegetation that out-competes dialogue with the local angling community, these species. There might also be a case for pillwort. This is a difficult issue to resolve and in which case it’s worth emphasising that the very careful spot-treatment with herbicides might be worth discussing with the local oxygenating properties of pillwort are helpful directly on to the leaves of the invasive plant. office of your country conservation agency. to fish survival. Contact the relevant environment agency for information on the use of herbicide near Overstocking with fish can encourage algal water bodies. blooms – the fish eat the animal plankton
10 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 11 Propagating and planting pillwort For a plant whose management provides ● When the pillwort expands to fill the pots, so many challenges, pillwort is split it into smaller sprigs again and re-pot; remarkable easy to propagate. it seems to grow best if regularly divided in this way. In this way, in the course of one ● All you need as source material is a tiny growing season, you should be able to sprig, consisting of a tuft of upright fronds propagate enough material for and its attached roots, together with a short establishment in at least one pond the piece of creeping rhizome, preferably from a following year. growing tip on the outward edge of a colony. ● To plant out the pillwort you have ● Plant the small pillwort sprigs into pots filled propagated, carefully take the root mass of with gardening compost. It is better not to out of the pot, split it again into smaller use pond mud as this may introduce other sprigs with attached roots and a section of species. There are excellent peat-free growing runner, and plant these in shallow composts now available (New Horizon Multi- holes dug into the mud of the pond. It is purpose Peat Free Compost performs well, best to do this in early summer to allow for example). Pillwort will grow perfectly well plenty of time for the plants to establish in this, provided it is kept constantly wet. before winter.
● Place the pots in a waterproof tray and fill ● Ideally you should plant some in shallow Pillwort is easy to propagate: a tiny sprg will soon fill a pot © Matilda Scharsach/Plantlife this with water at least half to three- water and others in wet mud just above the quarters of the way up the pot (tap water is shoreline. It’s best to avoid doing this in any fine in most areas of Scotland or use water period when prolonged dry weather is from a rain butt). Allow the water level to forecast, and it may be wise to retain some Pillwort from the garden centre rise and fall through evaporation and material in cultivation over the summer, just Pillwort is sometimes sold by garden centres If the plant is well-established in the pot, try to refilling. It does no harm occasionally to in case a prolonged drought kills the plants. for its valuable oxygenating properties. It is split it into several smaller samples, each with fill so that water overflows the top of the You can then make a second attempt at fine to use such material for your garden pond, a tuft of leaves and attached roots and at least pots. Regularly remove any other seedlings establishment when the rain returns. but not for planting out in the wild. a section of spreading runner. Pot these that germinate in the pots. individually into new pots for propagation. Before propagating, it is advisable to uproot the plant gently and wash it thoroughly A word of warning: pillwort is sometimes sold under running water, to remove any other as pepper grass in garden centres, which is species that may have been growing confusing because pepper grass is also used to alongside it in the pot. This is a common way describe various species of pepperwort, for duckweeds or water fern, in particular, to Lepidium, in the cress family. Check the invade ponds, and you might find yourself scientific name of the plant with garden struggling to eliminate them. centre staff if you are unsure. Plant out pillwort you have propagated in shallow water or wet mud just above the shoreline © Matilda Scharsach/Plantlife
12 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 13 Propagating and planting pillwort There are a number of possible sources of funding for wider pond management work.
APPENDIX 1: POSSIBLE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR POND MANAGEMENT SCOTLAND Scottish Natural Heritage grants UK NAME OF SCHEME Community Action Grant or Natural Project Proposals grant. NAME OF SCHEME Awards for All RUN BY: Scottish Natural Heritage RUN BY: Heritage Lottery Fund across UK: www.awardsforall.org.uk ELIGIBILITY: SNH mostly fund community groups and voluntary organisations but consider funding ELIGIBILITY: Any community group public bodies and individuals. PAYMENTS FOR: Awards for All gives grants of between £500 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, PAYMENTS FOR: Payments currently for projects that support the Year of Natural Scotland 2013 and the sport and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment following objectives: and health in the local community. Projects funded are those helping to achieve one or more of the following outcomes: 1. More people engaging with nature and landscapes, getting more people and communities involved in: 1. People have better chances in life. • outdoor recreation, volunteering and outdoor learning 2. Communities are safer, stronger and more able to work together to tackle inequalities. • action to improve, protect and manage habitats, species and landscapes 3. People have better and more sustainable services and environments. • citizen science and biological recording 4. People and communities are healthier. 2. Improved management of nature and landscapes with funding for schemes that: SUITABILITY: Best suited to small, community-orientated projects, including schools. • improve the planning and management of landscapes • improve wildlife management Landfill Communities Fund SUITABILITY: This could be suitable for all pond and wetland projects in Scotland, particularly those NAME OF SCHEME Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) Full details available at www.entrust.org.uk that include community engagement. RUN BY: Landfill Operators (LO) and Distributive Environmental Bodies (for more information visit http://www.entrust.org.uk/home/lcf) ELIGIBILITY: Any Not-for-Profit group that is not controlled by a Local Authority is eligible. To Agri-environment Scheme for Scotland receive LCF money organisations must be either registered as an Environmental Body NAME OF SCHEME Scottish Rural Development Programme: Land Managers Options scheme and Rural through ENTRUST or work with a Distributive Environmental Body (DEB) (each DEB has Development Contracts – Rural Priorities its own policies and application form). RUN BY: Scottish Government: www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP PAYMENTS FOR: Payments under the LCF are available for projects that deliver one of more of six ELIGIBILITY: Owners and occupiers of all agricultural land in Scotland are eligible, but funding is objectives including the conservation of a species or habitat where it naturally occurs. limited and competitive. SUITABILITY: Because of the cost and administration of ENTRUST registration, this is best suited to PAYMENTS FOR: Payments are available for work to maintain and enhance particular habitats and pond management as part of larger, integrated projects. landscape features, which could include ponds and other water bodies; applicants must commit to the scheme for at least 5 years. SUITABILITY: This could be used for the creation or the restoration of farm ponds; it may be possible to use funding to realign fences to allow cattle to trample pond margins.
14 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 15 ENGLAND WALES England Rural Development Programme Glastir Agri-environment Scheme NAME OF SCHEME Environmental Stewardship NAME OF SCHEME Environmental Stewardship RUN BY: Currently run by Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (see RUN BY: Wales Government www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm for details). The scheme is likely to http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/farmingandcountryside/ pass in due course to the new integrated Natural England agency. farming/glastirhome/?lang=en ELIGIBILITY: All owners and occupiers of agricultural land in England, but competitive entry limits ELIGIBILITY: The Glastir All-Wales Element (AWE) is a whole farm land management scheme open to access to scheme. application from all farmers and land managers throughout Wales. The Targeted PAYMENTS FOR: Schemes that ‘conserve biodiversity’ or ‘maintain and enhance landscape quality and Element (TE) starts in 2013 and is open to AWE applicants in target areas and with character’. sufficient points in the scheme. PAYMENTS FOR: Glastir consists of three elements: Schemes fund the delivery of higher levels of environmental management and support wildlife conservation, maintenance of landscape quality, protection of the historical All-Wales Element (AWE) – a whole farm land management scheme which is open to environment, protection of natural resources (including soil and water) and promotion application from all farmers and land managers throughout Wales. It is designed to of public access and understanding of the countryside. There are also secondary provide support for the delivery of environmental benefits that meet today’s challenges objectives for genetic conservation (rare breeds), flood risk management, and an and priorities. Successful applicants will make a commitment to deliver environmental overarching objective to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. goods for five years under a legally binding contract. Targeted Element (TE) – a part farm scheme intended to deliver significant There are various tiers of Entry Level Schemes (ELS). Acceptance is guaranteed into the improvements to the environmental status of a range of habitats, species, soils and entry level scheme if scheme requirements can be met, but the higher level scheme is water that might also require changes to current agricultural practices. In order to competitive and cash limited. achieve these specific improvements and outcomes, financial support from the Welsh Government will be targeted at locations where action will lead to the required result. Grants of between £5 and £62 per hectare depending upon level within ELS, plus Common Land Element - designed to provide support for the delivery of environmental additional payments for school visits. benefits on common land.
Higher Level Stewardship is one element and is now the main scheme used to support SUITABILITY: AWE is open to any farmer in Wales whose land is IACS registered and is not in any the management of SSSIs. existing AE scheme. Farms in AWE can enter into TE depending on a scoring system for work to be undertaken. SUITABILITY: Only suited to the creation or management of ponds as part of an integrated environmental management project for a farm, although could assist with the Environment Wales grants realignment of fences to allow cattle trampling. RUN BY: Environment Wales: http://www.environment-wales.org/grants/130 WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT SCHEME ELIGIBILITY: Voluntary organisations and community groups PAYMENTS FOR: Environment Wales operates five grant streams to support voluntary organisations and RUN BY: English Nature community groups undertaking practical projects that promote one or more of the ELIGIBILITY: Owners and occupiers of SSSI’s in England. following objectives: PAYMENTS FOR: Stock reduction and scrub protection • to achieve sustainable improvements to the Welsh environment through practical SUITABILITY: Available for work on SSSI’s and land immediately adjacent whose management affects projects; the SSSI. ri Environment Scheme in Wales) • to increase understanding of sustainable development and the environment through information, education and advisory services; Community Grant Schemes in England • to help create new environmental initiatives which also allow communities and NAME OF SCHEME Various voluntary organisations to contribute to their social and economic needs; RUN BY: Local authorities and local groups, including the Countryside Agency Heritage Grants, to support and train staff and volunteers engaged in these activities. Wildlife Trusts, and Friends of the Lake District. ELIGIBILITY: Available for small schemes to protect and promote locally important sites, which could SUITABILITY: Smaller projects from voluntary and community groups. include ponds of value to biodiversity. Eligibility criteria vary with scheme. PAYMENTS FOR: Grants might be available to realign fences or provide sluices, for example. SUITABILITY: Small projects aimed at benefiting the local community
16 Back from the Brink Management Series Pillwort A management guide 17 Further reading Useful contacts
Current conservation information on pillwort: Plantlife search “Pilularia” at www.searchnbn.net Tel. 01722 342730 (England) Tel. 01786 478509 (Scotland) SEPA (2000) Ponds, pools and lochans: Tel. 01248 385445 (Wales) guidance on good practice in the www.plantlife.org.uk management and creation of small waterbodies in Scotland. Scottish Countryside Council for Wales Environment Protection Agency, Stirling. Tel. 08451 306229 Available online at www.ccw.gov.uk www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/guidance/hei/ponds.pdf
The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Scottish Natural Heritage Britain. Cheffings, CM and Farrell, L (eds); Tel. 01463 725000 (2005) JNCC, Peterborough www.snh.org.uk
Action for Biodiversity Priority Species in Natural England Scotland Bot.J.Scotl. 55 (1), 65-76. Long, D & Tel. 01733 455000 Scott, M (2003) www.english-nature.org.uk
The Ferns of Britain and Ireland. Page, C N Scottish Environment Protection Agency (1997), Cambridge University Press Tel. 01786 457700 “A Scottish perspective on the conservation of www.sepa.org.uk Pillwort” British Wildlife, 10, 297-302. Scott, M, Scott, S and Sydes, C (1999) Environment Agency (England and Wales) Tel. 08708 506506 “The conservation status of pillwort (Pilularia www.environment-agency.gov.uk globulifera) in England”. Interim Report No 1. English Nature Species Recovery/Plantlife Ponds Conservation Trust report no 130. Stewart, N.F, Landsdown, RV, Tel. 01865 483249 Fitzgerald, R and Jermy, AC (1999). Available www.pondconservation.org.uk from Plantlife (see right). The Wildlife Trusts Tel. 0870 0367711 www.wildlifetrusts.org
One way of encouraging pillwort to spread is to allow cattle trampling on shorelines close to where 18 Back from the Brink Management Series it already grows © S Scott/Plantlife