MENDIP PURPLE MOOR GRASS & RUSH PASTURE HABITAT ACTION PLAN

Action plan name

Mendip Purple Moor Grass & Rush Pasture

Background and vision

A unique feature of the is the range of grassland types and heathland that occur in close proximity. Alongside dry acid grassland and Heathland, the damper areas of the more acid soils support areas of purple moor grass. An example of this is the area of Mineries.

There are also some areas of Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture within the Levels and Moors in Mendip and on spring lines on the Greensand running along the base of the Penselwood Scarp in the East of the District.

Devil’s-bit Scabious can be found in this habitat, and in the Mendips this plant supports populations of Marsh Fritillary, a rapidly declining butterfly as well as Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth.

While the above characteristics are found across the Mendip Hills, this Biodiversity Action plan and its targets relate to the part within only.

LBAP action in Mendip District is aimed at meeting landscape scale targets set out in the ‘Rebuilding Biodiversity/Nature’ methodology, concentrating efforts on ‘Strategic Nature Areas’ as shown in the Regional Spatial Strategy.

1 Rebuilding Biodiversity/Nature Map targets within Strategic Nature Areas will be met through a combination of measures:

• Increasing the average patch size of Priority Habitat Types • Increasing the average patch size of Priority Habitat Type managed sympathetically • Decreasing the distance between Priority Habitat Type patches • Ensuring that Priority Habitat Type patches cover a range of altitudes and aspects to enable a wide range of conditions to be met • Increasing the connectivity between Priority Habitat Type patches by sympathetic management of linear features as biodiversity corridors

Towards the East of the District, the Rebuilding Biodiversity process has targeted two Strategic Nature Areas for Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture. Although there is little existing mapped Rush Pasture in these Strategic Nature Areas, aerial photo habitat mapping has shown the habitat likely to be present.

Plan species and habitats

Species

This habitat is important for adders on hills in the Mendip District Rush pasture in the East of the District can support Devil’s Bit Scabious, the foodplant of the rapidly declining Marsh Fritillary Butterfly.

Habitats

On hills in the Mendip District this habitat is closely associated with Lowland Dry Acid Grassland and Heathland Lowland meadow Coastal and Floodplain grazing Marsh

Habitat status

Purple Moor grass and Rush pasture is a UK BAP Priority Habitat Lowland Acid Grassland is also likely to benefit from this HAP Priddy Mineries SSSIs with grassland in Mendip District and several of these form part of the and Mendip Bats Special Area of Conservation

2 Specific impacts/threats

• Agricultural improvement – drainage, lime applications, ploughing and re-seeding, particularly on the Mendip plateau. Fertiliser and slurry application.

• Scrub invasion - following lack of grazing.

• Lack of grazing – as well as contributing to scrub spread, lack of grazing leads to species –rich grasslands becoming denser and coarser. Small plants are out-competed leading to a loss of biodiversity.

• Climate change - could threaten this habitat.

• High levels of aerial nitrogen deposition - could lead to loss of botanical richness due to nutrient enrichment.

• Afforestation on areas of this habitat - both commercial forestry and to new grant-aided woodland planting. Fortunately in Somerset the Forestry Commission currently has well trained staff who can recognise semi-natural habitats and avoid grant aiding planting on them and new commercial planting is subject to Environmental Impact Regulations. However, afforestation remains a potential threat.

Proposed Partners

Mendip District Council (MDC) Mendip Area of Natural Beauty (MAONB) (SWT) Natural England (NE) Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) Forestry Commission (FC) Private Landowners Quarrying Companies Waldegrave Estates

Current action

• Mendip Living Landscapes Project • SWT Reserve Management • National Trust Reserve Management • Countryside Stewardship and Wildlife Enhancement Scheme Funding • Management on SSSIs to achieve favourable management status by 2010 • AONB work

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Target description and target goals

1. To maintain existing extent and quality of Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture Goal : 44 ha by 2011in Mendip District 2. Initiate and carry out work to restore or re-create Purple Moorgrass and Rush Pasture within SNAs. Goal : 21 ha by 2011

Key factors

• New Project Landscape Scale project work for areas outside the Mendip Hills AONB

• Availability of HLS funding to achieve habitat restoration goals

• Successful Partnership working

• It may be necessary to revise Strategic Natural Area boundaries to ensure that these reflect the most realistic areas for achieving Rebuilding biodiversity/Nature Map boundaries

• The whole of Mendip District already has an aerial photo baseline Habitat Survey that will enable facilitate targeting and monitoring outcomes.

4 MENDIP PURPLE MOOR GRASS & RUSH PASTURE

Management

Action Text Lead Action start and Action goals Key partners Funding link to organisation end dates target Maintain Purple NE 2010 100% Waldegrave Contributes to Moorgrass and Estates Target 1 Rush Pasture at Priddy Pools SSSI favourable condition Through new SWT 2008-2011 180Ha NE Contributes to Landscapes Project MAONB Targets 1 and 2 work in Mendip Grassland Trust Possibly through District, enable Land managers potential FWAG work to restore/ East Mendips recreate Lowland Grasslands Meadow Priority project. Habitat Type Complement ESS SCC 2008-2011 48 Grants SWT Contributes to grant aid with FWAG Targets 1 2 Small Grants Schemes (eg Somerset Landscapes Scheme) to fund capital works Policy and legislation

Lobby FC to set up Biodiversity 2008 onwards, as SLA between FC SWWT Contributes to SLAs with LRCs to Southwest required and SERC SWT Target 1 guarantee NE avoidance of DEFRA woodland planting on non-woodland LWS/BAP priority habitat Lobby NE/DEFRA to TWT National 2008-2011 At least one FWAG Contributes to

5 ensure availability Office lobbying round SWT Target 2 or funding for HLS Biodiversity SW undertaken to fund capital works to achieve habitat restoration SERC on behalf of 2009-2011 One round of Contributes to ALERC (Association negotiation Target 1 of Local Records achieved Centres) to liaise with FC to ensure that they access all relevant data when deciding on woodland creation schemes. Education and awareness

Encourage and help SWT 2008–2011 At least 4 ELS NE Contributes to Landowners to put FWAG applications with Targets 1 and 2 existing and relevant In-field potential PMG&RP prescriptions in into suitable in-field PMG&RP SNAs options in ELS and HLS where available Enable landowners FWAG/SWT 2008-2011 At least 10 FWAG/SWT Contributes to to manage their landholders in NE targets 1 and 2 land more Mendip PMG&RP sympathetically for SNAs provided with wildlife including practical advice, management encouragement and support Information and data

Ensure woodland FC 2008 onwards Consult LRC before SERC Contributes to planting not carried Woodland Trust purchasing land for Target 1 out on existing woodland creation. non-woodland LWS Consult available or BAP Priority data before grant

6 Habitat aiding woodland creation schemes. SWT to liaise with SWT 2009-2011 One round of FC and others Contributes to FC to widen their liaison achieved. Target 1 consultation The ultimate goal process to ensure is SLAs agreed that all appropriate between FC and organisations are LRCs, but this is included. unlikely to be achieved within the timescale of this LBAP . Partners to input FC 2009 New Open Ground Contributes to into FC consultation SWT policy which allows targets 3 and 4 process over Open SCC maximum area of Ground policy to NE appropriately ensure that managed UK BAP appropriately priority habitat managed open within forest ground BAP priority plantations. habitat is designed in forest plans. For PMG&RP SNAs SWT 2008-2011 Complete detailed Specialist groups Contributes to in hills in the baseline habitat SERC Targets 1 and 2 Mendip District map Land managers carry out field survey to complete baseline habitat map to work out additional existing PMG&RP the best areas for targeted restoration of this habitat Monitor outcomes SERC 2011 Adopt integrated MDC Requires funding of PMG&RP HAP in work programme SWT through MDC SLA Mendip District Other Action with SERC. Partners Contributes to LAA and LDF Monitoring

7 Measures achievement of desired outcomes for targets 1 and 2 Collect and collate SERC 2008-2011 All relevant data FWAG Contributes data for evaluation collated and SWT towards targets 1 of PMG&RP LWSs assessed and 2 Rebuilding biodiversity (Nature Map)

Review/fine tune SWT 2008 1 set revised SERC Helps to achieve boundaries of FWAG target1 and 2 Strategic Nature SWWT Areas in Mendip Biodiversity SW District using Other Rebuilding SERC’s Aerial Photo biodiversity habitat survey to partners ensure these are the most realistic for the area Develop project to FWAG? 2008 One project SWT FWAG are achieve Rebuilding developed Quarry companies currently Biodiversity/ NE considering an Nature Map targets SCC East Mendips in areas outside the Grassland project. Mendip Hills AONB This is a perfect opportunity to continue to develop biodiversity action in Mendip District. The Aggregates Levy Sustainability fund may play a key part funding action. Would contribute to Targets 1 and 2

8 Economy and business

Seek to gain MDC On-going To contribute to SWT Contributes to business match-funding for AONB Targets 1 and 2 sponsorship for and bids involvement in biodiversity action in Mendip District Communities, health and well-being

Demonstration SWT 2009-2011 4 Demonstration FWAG As part of Mendip events for land days and farm Living Landscapes managers and the visits held per year Project, but of wider public over benefit to action the 5 year period throughout Mendip District Contributes to Targets 1,2 and 3 Climate change

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A All Rebuilding Biodiversity targets aim to enable adaptation of biodiversity to climate change Tourism / access

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Biodiversity is key to the success of Mendip District as a tourist destination and of great importance to the enjoyment of those accessing the countryside.

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