Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Action Plan Lowland Meadows Habitat Action Plan Lowland Meadows Key associated species Adder’s- tongue Fern Marsh Fritillary Barn Owl Meadow Pipit Brown Hare Meadow Saxifrage Cowslip Moss Weissia squarrosa Curlew Narrow-leaved Water-dropwort Forester Moth Redshank Fritillary Short-eared Owl Green-winged Orchid Skylark Lapwing Snipe The vast majority of grassland currently present on farms in the UK is species- poor grassland which has been ‘improved’ through the application of fertiliser and/or ploughed and reseeded. Unimproved neutral grassland supporting a species-rich sward is now rare and subject to further threat as pressure increases to maintain or increase profitability. Lowland meadows are a priority habitat within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. This plan also covers another UK Priority Habitat – Coastal & Floodplain Grazing Marshes. 1 Current status in the UK Biological status 1.1 There are currently less than 10,000 ha of unimproved neutral grassland remaining in England and less than 2,000 ha in Wales. These grasslands are managed mainly as traditional hay meadows or pastures. They contain a high proportion of broad-leaved herbaceous species such as Greater Burnet and Common Knapweed. As the habitat has been lost so these species have become rarer. 1.2 Semi-natural lowland grassland decreased in England and Wales by an estimated 97% between 1930 and 1984. Most neutral meadows now remain in a landscape of hedges and small woods, or in the distinctive upland areas characterised by the stone walls and moorland of northern England. 2 Current status in Buckinghamshire Cover and distribution 2.1 Unimproved, species-rich neutral grasslands are rare and threatened. The majority of neutral grasslands within Buckinghamshire are mainly located in the north, managed as traditional hay meadows or pastures. Neutral meadows are often characterised by ridge and furrow, and 1 Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Action Plan Lowland Meadows Habitat Action Plan combined with hedgerows and small woodlands form an intricate patchwork of habitats contributing to the biological diversity and richness of these areas. Those notified as SSSIs are often confined to small, isolated fields. There are, however, a number of non-statutory neutral and marshy grassland Wildlife Sites. The nationally important NVC type MG4 (Alopecurus pratensis-Sanguisorba officinalis flood meadow) is found at a number of sites in the Marsh Gibbon- Ludgershall area eg Long Herdon Meadow SSSI and in Milton Keynes at Oxley Mead SSSI. 2.2 The majority of lowland meadow Local Wildlife Sites are found north of the Chiltern Escarpment (164 ha, 86%) with just 25.5 ha within Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe Districts. 2.3 In the late 1990s surveys of neutral grasslands in North Buckinghamshire established their extent, distribution and quality. Only 37.9 ha of grassland and flush communities are regarded as exhibiting high conservation interest. This species-rich sward usually possesses a high proportion of wildflowers to grasses. Many of these fields are subject to seasonal flooding which attracts wintering and breeding waders and wildfowl. Management is generally through hay cropping and aftermath grazing. The area around Ludgershall-Marsh Gibbon exhibits outstanding interest with a large area of MG4 flood meadow grassland. Nationally rare, this area of interest fell within the Upper Thames Tributaries ESA. 2.4 Along the Thame valley near Notley Abbey and along the river between Eythrope and Lower Winchendon sites support some botanical interest. Sites at Bledlow tend to be small fields at the heart of the village, larger fields outside the settlement are arable or have been improved. 2.5 Stoke Hammond/Bragenham/ Soulbury is an area of note for the number of unimproved/semi-improved grasslands still in existence. Trends 2.6 Aerial photographic survey of Buckinghamshire revealed a loss of 95% of unimproved flower-rich meadows between 1947 and 1985. This mirrors the decline seen at a national level. 2.7 A number of birds associated with neutral grasslands are suffering a national decline. Amongst those included in the UK Steering Group list of species that breed in the County and rely on the typical grasslands of north Buckinghamshire are skylark, grey partridge and corn bunting. 2.8 Key negative species associated with deterioration in this type of habitat are coarse grasses such as tufted hair-grass and scrub species. 2 Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Action Plan Lowland Meadows Habitat Action Plan 2.9 For the MG4 grassland in the ESA area the presence of Greater Burnet and Saw-wort provide evidence of high conservation interest. 3 Current factors affecting the habitat Agricultural intensification 3.1 Losses have resulted through agricultural improvements and changes in management practice. These include ploughing and re-seeding, drainage of marshy grasslands, conversion to arable use. Addition of chemicals and fertilisers 3.2 There has been an increased use of slurry, fertilisers and herbicides. This leads to greater soil fertility with a subsequent decrease in floristic diversity. Change from traditional practices 3.3 There is a current preference for silage production rather than haymaking. Changes in the rural economy 3.4 Changes include financial pressures which lead to over-grazing, diversification, and increased horse grazing. Lack of perceived value 3.5 This can lead to neglect or to alternative land-use such as tree-planting and development. 4 Current Action Legal status 4.1 Some of Buckinghamshire’s neutral grasslands are protected as SSSIs. Additionally a number are designated as Wildlife Sites which confers some protection from development. 4.2 Neutral grasslands which are managed under ESA and Environmental Stewardship schemes have short-term protection from agricultural improvements. Management, research and guidance 4.3 Many of the important grasslands on the Upper Ray are in a Natural England Priority Area for the targeting of Environmental Stewardship, having previously been within the Upper Thames Tributaries ESA. The aim of both schemes in this area is the maintenance of the landscape and extensive management of the permanent grassland. Objectives include the raising of water levels in ditches and arable reversion to permanent and wet grassland. 3 Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Action Plan Lowland Meadows Habitat Action Plan 4.5 ‘North Buckinghamshire Grasslands - A Summary Report’ (Jennings 1997) provides a focus and strategy for the work of the funding organisations - Bucks County Council, Natural England and Aylesbury Vale District Council. The report identifies areas of botanical and bird interest and discusses future priorities. 4.6 Species-rich neutral grasslands have been identified as part of the Bucks Wildlife Sites Project. Sites that possess carefully selected criteria are eligible as Local Wildlife Sites, with the objective of targeting grant aid to assist in sympathetic management of the land. 5 Objectives 5.1 It is important that Habitat Action Plan objectives and actions are considered in conjunction with those in Generic Issues (see Generic Issues). All Generic objectives and actions apply to each individual Habitat Action Plan. 5.2 The Lowland Meadows HAP will contribute to the following UK BAP Targets - T1 Maintain the current extent of Lowland Meadows in the UK. (Target represents no loss of BAP habitat). T2 Maintain at least the current condition of Lowland Meadows. T3 Achieve favourable or recovering condition for 7,088ha of Lowland Meadow by 2010 T4 Restore 1,736 ha of Lowland Meadow from semi-improved or neglected grassland, which no longer meets the priority habitat definition by 2010 T5 Re-establish 345 ha of grassland of wildlife value from arable or improved grassland, by 2010. T6 260 ha (75%) of re-established area to be adjacent to existing Lowland Meadows or other semi-natural habitat by 2010. (Refer to T5) T7 170 ha (50%) of re-established area to contribute to resultant habitat patches of 2 ha or more of Lowland Meadow by 2010. (Refer to T5) And also the following targets in the Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh HAP T1 Maintain the extent of the existing resource of Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh habitat with no net loss. 4 Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Action Plan Lowland Meadows Habitat Action Plan T2 Maintain the condition of Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh habitat where already favourable and establish by 2010, management to secure favourable condition for all areas of grazing marsh currently judged as unfavourable. The target condition for all such areas should be favourable or unfavourable recovering by 2020. T3 Restore and improve 25,000 ha of relict habitat that does not qualify as Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh habitat by 2020. (e.g. dry Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh with inappropriate hydrological regime, agriculturally improved sites etc by implementing appropriate management at all sites). T4 Re-establish 3,200 ha of Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh of wildlife value from appropriate land sources (e.g. arable land) by 2020 (which is capable of supporting a diverse range of invertebrates, mammals and breeding waders). T5 Establish 8 new landscape scale wetland complexes by 2020, at least 1 in each country in which Coastal & Flood Plain Grazing Marsh is a major component along other wetland types. This cross- refers to targets in the uplands, lowland raised bog, wet woodlands, fens and