Grassland Conservation. - *
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ENGLISH NATURE Lowland grassland Wildlife value and conservation status No. 169 - English Nature Research Reports working today for nature tomorrow English Nature Research Reports Number 169 Lowland grassland: wildlife value and conservation status R G Jeffersonand H J Robertson Grassland Ecologists Lowlands Team ISSN 0967-876X 0 Copyright English Nature 1996 Foreword Lowland semi-natural grassland is a resource of considerable nature conservation value in England. Many grassland types have also been identified as being of European significance and are listed on Annex 1of the EU Habitats and Species Directive. However, England's semi-natural grasslands are seriously threatened by changes in land use. This English Nature Research Report is intended to provide a compendium of information on the distribution, extent and conservation status of lowland grassland and associated species in England. The information will assist in the process of conserving and enhancing the remaining areas of this important wildlife resource, English Nature's Lowland Grassland Strategic Review and Action Plan (ENRR No, 163), which sets out detailed proposals to further grassland conservation, has already utilised the information in this report. The English Nature Action Plan is designed to help deliver the targets and goals for the conservation of lowland grassland formulated in 1995 by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group. Contents 1. Introduction and definition ...................................... 1 2. Total extent of lowland grassland in England ............. 4 3. Types of lowland grasslands: distribution and extent *. 4 3.1 Neutral grasslands (NVC communities MG2.MG5, MGS. MGll and MG13 .................................... 4 3.2 Calcareous grasslands (CG1-CG9) ......................... 5 3.3 Acidic grasslands (Ul-U4) ................................. 6 4. Species conservation ............................................... 7 4.1 Vascular plants ............................................. 7 4.2 Lower plants ............................................... 10 4.3 Birds ........................................................ 11 4.4 Invertebrates ............................................... 16 4.5 Reptiles ..................................................... 19 4.6 Mammals .................................................. 19 5 . Losses of lowland grassland .................................... 19 6. Fragmentation ....................................................... 20 6.1 Neutral grassland .......................................... 20 6.2 Calcareous grassland ...................................... 20 6.3 Acid grassland ............................................. 20 7. Conservation status ................................................ 21 7.1 International Designations ............................... 21 7.2 National Designations .................................... 23 7.3 Comparison of representation of grassland on NNRs, NCR sites and SSSIs ...................................... 34 7.4 Representation of grassland on SSSIs in relation to the total resource .......................................... 35 8 . Non-statutory priorities .......................................... 35 8.1 Biodiversity report far the UK ............................ 35 8 2 Habitat conservation priorities in England .............. 36 8.3 Natural Area profiles ...................................... 38 8.4 Priority habitats for birds ................................. 38 8.5 Lower plant assemblages ................................. 39 8.6 Species Recovery Programme ............................. 39 9. Incentive schemes and agreements on lowland grassland . *. + *, a *. *. *. , + a - *. , . *, *. *. + 40 9.1 Targeting schemes: the County Grassland Inventories -.. , #. a + a -.. -.. *. - a *. , . *. 40 9.2 SSSIs: Wildlife Enhancement Schemes . + *.. 40 9.3 Environmentally Sensitive Areas *. a "... *. * + + + a a 41 9.4 Countryside Stewardship Scheme . *. * *. "..&. 42 9.5 Monitoring of SSSI;, schemes and ageeements . 43 10. Bibliography of key references on grassland issues + +. 43 10.1 Extent, distribution and conditiodstatus of grassland communities and species . a a + a.. *. 43 10.2 Understanding the impact of management practices/ techniques/environmental factordland useslhcentive schemes on grassland communities and species . , . 45 10.3 Ecology of grassland communities and species.. +, *. ".46 10.4 Methods of grassland restoratiodaeatiod translocation *. $. a *.. &. , . + *, &. *. + +. 47 10.5 Action plans and strategies relating to grassland conservation. - *. "... + ".. , + a. - +.I 47 *. &. a A 11. Report references . +. *. a a a *. - *. + + + + 4s Acknowledgements *. , . , a "... *. *, . , , + . *.. 51 Appendix 1 Nature Conservation Review Sites which have lowland grassland as a principal interest . , *. a a *. a.. , . *. a *. , . a + *. , 52 Appendix 2 County Grassland Inventories: rationale and sample extracts . +. &. *. *. , 63 Tables Table 1 Lowland grassland communities and their distribution in England . 2 Table 2 Estimates of the extent in hectares of the neutral grassland resource inEngland . *. I a +.a *. *. *. *. *. *. + *, , +. *. 5 Table 3 Area of NVC communities on chalk in England . a 5 Table 4 Nationally rare and nationally scarce vascular plant species occurring in lowland semi-natural grasslands in England . 7 Table 5 Provisional list of nationally rare lower plants associated with lowland grassland . *. * a a ".-.. a a . -.. 10 Table 6 Red Data birds and candidate Red Data birds dependent on lowland wet grassland . , *. , . *. *, * a . *. *.. 12 Table 7 Red Data birds and randidate Red Data birds associated with lowland dry grassland. *. *. &. * *. , . -. a . - . 15 Table 8 Rare and scarce butterflies associated with lowland semi-natural grassland . .*.**a A a a -.a * -.. &. *. + *. *, a a. 17 Table 9 Rare and scarce Orthoptera (grasshoppers & crickets) associated with lowland semi-natural grassland + a ".. - a . - . , *. I 18 Table 10 SPAs/pSPAs and RarnsadpRamsar sites likely to have a significant lowland grassland component (excluding coastal grazing marsh). + + . 22 Table 11 National Nature Reserves in England with a significant unimproved lowland grassland component *, + - a I . &. , a a . a *. , *. 24 Table 12 Grassland types represented on Nature Conservation Review sites . , . , 26 Table 13 Grassland types represented in the SSSI series in England as at . December 1992 . *. *. I.".. *. *. *. *. a a *. 27 Table 14 Percentage representation of grassland types in NNRs, NCR sites andSSSIs . .#a + a a + *. *. ....**. * ... + -..a a "..34 Table 15 Priority for action for English habitats + . a . * . + . 37 Table 16 Priorithation of bird habitats in England . , . * . a + . a + 38 Table 17 Internationally important assemblages of lower plants . * . 39 Table 18 Species Recovery Programme projects that cover grassland species . 40 Table 19 Wildlife Enhancement Schemes that include grassland habitats + . a a . * . 41 Table 20 Environmentally Sensitive Areas and their lowland grassland interest . a , 41 Figures Figure 1 Distribution of grassland SSsIs (all types) in England ..................... 29 Figure 2 Distribution of acid grassland SSSIs in England .......................... 30 Figure 3 Distribution of calcareous grassland SSIs in England .................... 31 Figure 4 Distribution af neutral grassland SSIs in England ....................... 32 Figure 5 Distribution of wet neutral grassland SSSIs in England ................... 33 1. Introduction and definition Lowland grassland in England supports a rich variety of wild plants and animals. Among England's rare and scarce species of plants, birds and butterflies, 25%, 20% and 65%respectively are closely associated with lowland grassland. The high biodiversity of this habitat is the result of England's varied topography, geology, soils, climate and past land use. Lowland grasslands are here defined as generally enclosed meadow or pasture land normally occurring at altitudes of 350 metres or less in England and are af a type included in the grassland section of the National Vegetation Classification.. Lowland grasslands have been systematically described by the NVC (Rodwell 1992) and Table 1 hts the communities occurring inland in the English lowlands, Some habitats, which may also be managed by cutting ar grazing and which are sometimes demied as "meadows" or "grasslands",are actually classified under different habitats in the NVC. Fen meadows and some rush pastures, for example, are technically Mire communities (M22-M28)(Rodwell 1991) and coastal grasslands are described in the draft NVC volume on coastal vegetation as maritime cliff grassland ("VC MC5, MCS- MClZ), and dune grassland (SD9-SD14). These communities are thus excluded from the NVC definition of lowland grassland, and from this report. Lowland grasslands of botanical interest are Listed ia part A of Table 1 (extracted from NCC SSSI Guidelines 1989), Lowland grassland types which h+ve been the subject of agricultural improvement by ploughing and reseeding or the use of artificial fertilisers or are the result of natural recolonisation following disturbance are usually of lower botanical interest. Damp improved grasslands that have been invaded by rushes and tussocky grasses like Deschampsia caespitasa are also generally of low botanical interest but may be important for birds. All these communities are listed in Section B of Table 1. 3 Table 1 Lowland grassland communities and their distribution in England Note: Community