Glenshero Wind Farm Environmental Impact Assessment Report Simec Wind One Ltd and RES Ltd TA6.1 National Vegetation Classification & Habitats Survey Volume 4: Technical Appendices TA 6: Ecology Ramboll Glenshero National Vegetation Classification & Habitats Survey Technical Appendix 6.1 Prepared by: Brian Henry MCIEEM Authorised by: David H. MacArthur Date: 07 September 2018 Tel: 0141 342 5404 Email: [email protected] Web: www.macarthurgreen.com Address: 93 South Woodside Road | Glasgow | G20 6NT Technical Appendix 6.1: Glenshero: NVC Survey Report & Habitat Survey Document Quality Record Version Status Person Responsible Date 1 Draft Brian Henry 04/06/2018 2 Reviewed David H. MacArthur 07/06/2018 3 Updated Brian Henry, Claire Hollingworth 10/07/2018 4 Internal Approval Stephen Ward 29/08/2018 5 Final Client Approval David H. MacArthur 07/09/2018 CONTENTS Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. i 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 2 The Site and Study Area .................................................................................................................. 1 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 1 4 Survey Constraints .......................................................................................................................... 2 5 NVC Survey Results and Vegetation Descriptions........................................................................... 3 5.1 Summary of NVC Communities ............................................................................................... 3 5.2 Mires and Flushes ................................................................................................................... 3 5.3 Wet Heaths ........................................................................................................................... 10 5.4 Springs ................................................................................................................................... 13 5.5 Dry & Montane Heaths ......................................................................................................... 14 5.6 Calcifugous Grasslands, Fern & Montane Communities ....................................................... 17 5.7 Swamps ................................................................................................................................. 21 5.8 Woodland & Scrub ................................................................................................................ 21 5.9 Non‐NVC Communities & Categories ................................................................................... 21 5.10 Invasive Non‐Native Species ................................................................................................. 22 5.11 Notable Species ..................................................................................................................... 22 6 Correspondance with Phase 1 Habitats ........................................................................................ 22 7 Evaluation of Botanical Interest .................................................................................................... 23 7.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 23 7.2 Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems (GWDTE) ................................................. 23 7.3 Annex I Habitats .................................................................................................................... 25 7.4 Scottish Biodiversity List Priority Habitats ............................................................................ 28 7.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 28 8 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 29 Glossary ................................................................................................................................................. 31 References ............................................................................................................................................ 33 Annex A. NVC Target Notes .............................................................................................................. 34 Annex B. Target Note Photographs .................................................................................................. 38 Annex C. General Community Photographs .................................................................................... 40 Annex D. GWDTE Assessment .......................................................................................................... 52 Hydrogeological Setting .................................................................................................................... 52 Technical Appendix 6.1: Glenshero: NVC Survey Report & Habitat Survey Assessment of GWDTEs .................................................................................................................... 52 Annex E. SEPA Correspondence on GWDTE .................................................................................... 57 LIST OF TABLES Table 6‐1‐1 Phase 1 habitat equivalents of NVC communities and other habitats recorded .............. 22 Table 7‐1‐1 Potential GWDTE communities within the NVC study area .............................................. 24 Table 7‐2‐1 NVC Communities recorded and corresponding Annex I habitat types ............................ 25 Table 7‐3‐1 Summary of study area NVC communities and sensitivities ............................................. 28 Technical Appendix 6.1: Glenshero: NVC Survey Report & Habitat Survey EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MacArthur Green was commissioned by RES Ltd on behalf of Simec Wind One Ltd to carry out and report on National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and habitat surveys at the proposed Glenshero Wind Farm site approximately 13km west of Newtonmore (hereafter referred to as ‘the proposed development’). The aim of the NVC survey is to identify and map the vegetation communities present within the NVC study area in order to identify those areas of greatest ecological interest (i.e. Annex I habitats; potential Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems (GWDTE), and Scottish Biodiversity List (SBL) priority habitats). This information is used to inform the wind farm design process and the ecological assessment for the Glenshero Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). The majority of surveys were conducted over a number of survey days from July to September 2017; with some smaller additional areas surveyed in May, June and July 2018. All NVC surveys were undertaken by MacArthur Green. In total 28 NVC communities were recorded within the respective study area along with various associated sub‐communities, however only a small number of communities accounted for the majority of the NVC study area. The most common and widespread, making up the bulk of the NVC study area, are blanket bog and wet heath communities; specifically, M15 Trichophorum germanicum – Erica tetralix wet heath, M17 Trichophorum germanicum – Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mire and M19 Calluna vulgaris – Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mire. These communities also form many mosaics and transitional zones with a number of other less well represented mire and wet heath communities and contain a number of flushed communities, of which M10 Carex dioica – Pinguicula vulgaris mire is the most frequent. M32 Philonotis fontana – Saxifraga stellaris springs and rills are also present in parts of the NVC study area. A number of dry heath communities are present over the steep slopes, summits, knolls and rocky plateaus within the NVC study area. The most common of these, due to the altitude of the NVC study area, are the wind clipped and prostrate montane Calluna heaths H13 Calluna vulgaris – Cladonia arbuscula heath and H14 Calluna vulgaris – Racomitrium lanuginosum heath. The other main communities present are largely restricted to the highest summit and plateau areas, where stands of the montane grass/moss‐heath communities U7 Nardus stricta – Carex bigelowii grass‐heath and U10 Carex bigelowii ‐ Racomitrium lanuginosum moss‐heath are found. The largest expanse of these is on the top and ridge of Meall na h‐Aisre. Patches of grassland are very rare within the NVC study area and are restricted to small pockets of typical upland unenclosed calcifugous grasslands. No mesotrophic or calcareous grassland communities were found. The NVC surveys have also revealed the presence of a number of potential GWDTE habitats, as well as Annex I and Scottish Biodiversity List Priority Habitats. The likelihood for GWDTE habitats to be dependent on groundwater, in this hydro‐geological setting, has been reviewed. The vegetation communities in this environment are believed to be influenced by high levels of rainfall, low infiltration rates and low rates of evaporation. It is therefore considered unlikely that there are notable areas of groundwater fed habitats. Groundwater is assessed as being focussed to localised