R&D Project 291 Riparian and Instream Species-Habitat

R&D Project 291 Riparian and Instream Species-Habitat

Draft Project Report R&D Project 291 Riparian and Instream Species-Habitat Relationships University of Leicester September 1992 R&D 291/3/W ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Authors L.E. Parkyn D.M. Harper C.D. Smith Publisher National Rivers Authority Rivers House Waterside Drive Aztec West Almondsbury Bristol BS12 4UD Tel : 0454 624400 Fax : 0454 624409 © National Rivers Authority 1992 Project details NRA R&D Project 291 Project Leader: R. Howell, Welsh Region Contractor : University of Leicester CONTENTS ~ Page FOREWORD . ^ . - - ix SUMMARY xi RECOMMENDATIONS xiii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Statutory background 1 1.2 Scientific background 2 1.3 Outputs 4 2. RIPARIAN AND FLOODPLAIN HABITATS 5 2.1 Plant communities 5 2.1.1 Introduction 5 2.1.2 Riparian 5 2.1.3 Lotic 8 2.1.4 Lentic 8 2.2 Animal communities 9 2.2.1 Woody vegetation 9 2.2.2 Herbaceous vegetation 10 2.2.3 Litter and woody debris 11 2~2.5' Bare substrata 12 2.2.6 Lentic 13 3. INSTREAM HABITATS 15 3.1 Fish 15 3.1.1 Instream Flow Incremental Methodology 15 3.1.2 Habitat assessment and scoring systems 18 3.2 Aquatic invertebrates 19 3.2.1 Context 19 3.2.2 Background 21 3.2.3 Particulate substrata 25 3.2.4 Aquatic macrophytes 27 3.2.6 Woody debris 34 3.2.7 Tree roots / undercut hanks 35 3.2.8 Exposed rock 35 3.2.9 Unclassified habitat features 36 3.2.10 Habitat list 36 Page 4. FISH 37 4.1 Background 37 4.2 Trout CSalmo trutta and Oncorhynchus mykiss) 37 4.2.1 Habitat summary 37 4.2.2 Introduction 39 4.2.3 General character of trout streams 39 4.2.4 Life history 39 4.2.5 Spawning 39 4.2.6 Diet 40 4.2.7 Flow and geomorphology 41 4.2.8 Water quality 42 4.2.9 Water quantity 43 4.2.10 Cover 43 4.2.11 Biotic interactions 44 4.3 Salmon {Salmo salar) 45 4.3.1 Habitat summary 45 4.3.2 Life history 46 4.3.3 Spawning 46 4.3.4 Diet 47 4.3.5 Flow and geomorphology 48 4.3.6 Water quality 48 4.3.7 Cover 49 4.3.8 Biotic interactions 49 4.4 Chub (Leuciscus cephalus) 49 4.4.1 Habitat summary 49 4.4.2 Introduction 50 4.4.3 Life history and spawning 50 4.4.4 Diet 51 4.4.5 Flow and cover 51 4.5 Bream (Abramis brama) 52 4.5.1 Habitat summary 52 4.5.2 Introduction 52 4.5.3 Life history 53 4.5.4 Diet 53 4.6 Barbel (Barbus barbus) 53 4.6.1 Habitat summary 53 4.6.2 Introduction 54 4.6.3 Spawning 54 4.6.4 Diet 54 4.6.5 Distribution 55 ii Page 4.7 Burbot (Lota lota) 55 - 4.7.1 Habitat summary 55 4.7.2, Introduction 56 4.7.3 Spawning and life history 56 4.7.4 Did 57 4.7.5 Range 57 4.8 Shad.(Alosa spp.) 57 4.8.1 Habitat summary 57 4.8.2 Allis shad {Alosa alosa) 58 4.8.3 Twaite shad (Alosa fallax) 59 5. AMPHIBIANS 61 5.1 Background 61 5.2 Smooth / common newt (Triturus vulgaris) 61 5.2.1 Habitat summary 61 5.2.2 Breeding 62 5.2.3 Diet 62 5.2.4 Hibernation 63 5.2.5 Range 63 5.3 Great crested / warty newt (Triturus cristatus) 63 5.3.1 Habitat summary 63 5.3.2 Breeding 64 __ _ .5.3.3- ----Diet------------ — ---------- ' 64 5.3.4 Hibernation 64 5.3.5 Range 64 5.4 Palmate newt (Triturus helveticus) 65 5.4.1 Habitat summary 65 5.4.2 Breeding 65 5.4.3 Diet 66 5.4.4 Hibernation 66 5.4.5 Range 66 5.5 Common Frog (Ram temporaria) 66 5.5.1 Habitat summary 66 5.5.2 Juvenile stage 66 5.5.3 Site selection ..67 _ - 5.5.4 Homing behaviour ~ 68 5.5.5 Spawning 68 5.5.6 Diet 70 5.5.7 Hibernation 70 5.5.8 Mortality 71 iii Page 5.6 Common toad (Bufo bufo) 71 5.6.1 Habitat summary 71 5.6.2 Site selection 72 5.6.3 Homing behaviour 73 5.6.4 Spawning 73 5.6.5 Diet 73 5.6.6 Hibernation 73 5.6.7 Mortality 73 5.7 Natterjack Toad (Bufo calamita) 74 5.7.1 Habitat summary 74 5.7.2 Site selection 75 5.7.3 Spawning 75 5.7.4 Diet 75 5.7.5 Hibernation 75 5.7.6 Mortality 75 5.7.7 Range 76 6. BIRDS 77 6.1 Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) 77 6.1.1 Habitat summary 77 6.1.2 Introduction 78 6.1.3 Site Selection 78 6.1.4 Territory 79 6.1.5 Breeding 79 6.1.6 Dirt 81 6.1.7 Migration 82 6.1.8 Mortality 82 6.2 Ducks 83 6.2.1 Habitat summary 83 6.2.2 Predation 87 6.2.3 Tufted duck (Aythyafuligula) 88 6.2.4 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 89 6.2.5 Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) 91 6.2.6 Teal (Anas crecca) 92 6.2.7 Pintail (Anas acuta) 94 6.3 Swans 95 6.3.1 Habitat summary 95 6.3.2 Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 96 6.3.3 Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) 98 6.3.4 Bewick Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 98 iv Page 6.4 Coot {Fulica atra) 99 6.4.1 Habitat summary 99 6.4.2 Site selection 100 6.4.3 Breeding 100 6.4.4 Diet 100 6.4.5 Range 101 6.5 Moorhen {GaUinula chloropus) 101 6.5.1 Habitat summary 101 6.5.2 Introduction 101 6.5.3 Breeding 102 6.5.4 Diet 103 6.6 Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) 103 6.6.1 Habitat summary 103 6.6.2 Introduction 103 6.6.3 Breeding 104 6.6.4 Diet 104 6.6.5 Range 105 6.7 Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) 105 6.7.1 Habitat summary 105 6.7.2 Introduction 105 6.7.3 Range 106 6.7.4 Migration 106 6.7.5 Breeding ___ —107* 6.7.6 J)irt___ _ _________ - - ' ------------------- 107 " 6:7:7 Water quality 108 6.7.8 Feeding and channel morphology 111 6.7.9 Geology 112 6.7.10 Biotic interactions 113 6.7.11 Human impacts 113 6.8 Plovers (Charadrius spp.) 114 6.8.1 Habitat summary 114 6.8.2 Introduction 115 6.8.3 Breeding 116 6.8.4 Dirt 117 6.8.5 Abundance 117 6.9 Wagtails ____________118 6.9.1 Habitat summary----- ----- “ ' 118 ' 6.9.2 Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) 119 6.9.3 Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) 120 6.9.4 Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba) 121 6.9.5 General habitat 121 6.9.6 Breeding 122 6.9.7 Dirt 123 v Page 6.10 Waiblers 124 6.10.1 Habitat summary 124 6.10.2 Introduction 125 6.10.3 Reed waibler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) 125 6.10.4 Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) 127 6.10.5 Marsh warbler (Acrocephaluspalustris) 128 6.10.6 Grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia) 129 6.11 Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) 130 6.11.1 Habitat summary 130 6.11.2 Introduction 131 6.11.3 Breeding 131 6.12 Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) 132 6.12.1 Habitat summary 132 6.12.2 Introduction 133 6.12.3 Courtship 133 6.12.4 Breeding 133 6.12.5 Diet 134 6.12.6 Predation 135 6.12.7 Human influence 135 6.13 Little Owl (Athene noctua) 136 6.13.1 Habitat summary 136 6.13.2 Introduction 137 6.13.3 Site selection and territory 137 6.13.4 Breeding 137 6.13.5 Diet 138 7. MAMMALS 139 7.1 Background 139 7.2 Otter (Lutra lutra) 139 7.2.1 Habitat summary 139 7.2.2 Introduction 140 7.2.3 Diet 140 7.2.4 Territory 141 7.2.5 Decline of otter populations 142 7.2.6 Factors restricting otter distribution 143 7.2.7 Conservation management 143 7.3 Water vole (Arvicola terrestris) 144 7.3.1 Habitat summary 144 7.3.2 Introduction 145 7.3.3 Breeding 145 7.3.4 Nesting requirements 146 7.3.5 Diet 147 vi Page 7.3.6 Predation _ 148 7.3.7 ’ Competition 149 7.3.8 Human activities 150 7.4 Water shrew (Neomys fodiens) 150 7.4.1 Habitat summary 150 7.4.2 Introduction 150 7.4.3 Breeding 151 7.4.4 Diet 151 7.4.5 Home range 152 7.5 Mink (Mustela vison) 152 7.5.1 Habitat summary 152 7.5.2 Introduction 153 7.5.3 Origins 154 7.5.4 Diet 154 7.5.5 Dens 155 7.5.6 Vegetation cover 156 7.5.7 Home range 157 7.5.8 Activity patterns 157 7.5.9 Mortality 157 7.5.10 Competition 158 7.5.11 Effects of mink as predators 158 7.5.12 Population control 159 7.6 Bats---------------------- -------------- ----- --------------------------------------- —159- 7.6.1" Habitat summary 159 7.6.2 Introduction 161 7.6.3 Roosting and seasonal movements 162 7.6.4 Foraging and diet 163 7.6.5 Competition 165 8. DISCUSSION 167 8.1 Context 167 8.2 Levels of survey detail 167 8.3 RCS and computer databases 167 8.4 RCS and conservation evaluation 168 8:5 “ The way forward 168 9.

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