The Biodiversity of Falkirk An Assessment Of Priority Habitats And Species This document has been produced on behalf of the Falkirk Local Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group with assistance from :- Falkirk Council The Biodiversity of Falkirk an assessment of priority habitats and species Anna Perks Produced on behalf of the Falkirk Local Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group April 2000 Contact address: Anna Perks, Falkirk Biodiversity Officer, Planning and Environment Unit, Falkirk Council, Abbotsford House, David’s Loan, Falkirk, FK2 7YZ. E-mail: [email protected] The Biodiversity of Falkirk Contents an assessment of priority habitats and species CONTENTS Page Summary Part 1 Introduction 1 1.1 What is Biodiversity? 1 1.2 The international and national commitment 1 1.3 The Falkirk Perspective 2 1.4 Falkirk’s landscape and its influence on biodiversity 2 1.4.1 Geology and Landform 2 1.4.2 Soils 3 1.4.3 Land-use 4 1.5 Scope and use of this report 6 1.5.1 Habitats 6 1.5.2 Species 7 Part 2 Habitats 9 2.1 Habitat selection 9 2.2 Woodland 10 2.2.1 Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland (Broad habitat) 10 2.2.1.1 Upland oakwood (Key habitat) 13 2.2.1.2 Upland mixed ash woodland (Key habitat) 15 2.2.1.3 Wet woodlands (Key Habitat) 17 2.2.1.4 Birch woodland (Locally important habitat) 20 2.2.1.5 Scrub (Locally important habitat) 22 2.2.2 Lowland wood pastures and parkland (Key habitat) 24 2.2.3 Planted conifer woodland (Broad habitat) 26 2.3 Grassland and Farmland 29 2.3.1 Arable and horticulture (Broad habitat) 29 2.3.1.1 Cereal field margins (Key habitat) 31 2.3.2 Improved grassland (Broad habitat) 33 2.3.2.3 Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh (Key habitat) 35 2.3.3 Neutral grassland (Broad habitat) 37 2.3.3.1 Lowland meadows (Key habitat) 39 2.3.4 Acid grassland (Broad habitat) 42 2.3.4.1 Lowland dry acidic grassland (Key habitat) 44 CONTENTS Page 2.3.5 Boundary and linear features (Broad habitat) 46 2.3.5.1 Ancient or species-rich hedgerows (Key habitat) 48 2.3.6 Bracken (Broad habitat) 50 2.4 Heathland and Bogs 51 2.4.1 Dwarf shrub heath (Broad habitat) 51 2.4.1.1 Lowland heathland (Key habitat) 53 2.4.1.2 Upland heathland (Key habitat) 54 2.4.2 Bogs (Broad habitat) 56 2.4.2.1 Lowland raised and intermediate bogs (Key habitat) 57 2.4.2.2 Blanket bogs (Key habitat) 61 2.5 Wetland and Water 63 2.5.1 Fen, marsh, and swamp (Broad habitat) 63 2.5.1.1 Fens (Key habitat) 65 2.5.1.2 Reedbeds (Key habitat) 68 2.5.1.3 Purple moor grass and rush pastures (Key habitat) 70 2.5.2 Standing open water and canals (Broad habitat) 72 2.5.2.1 Eutrophic standing waters (Key habitat) 74 2.5.2.2 Mesotrophic lochs (Key habitat) 76 2.5.2.3 Canals (Locally Important habitat) 78 2.5.3 Rivers and streams (Broad habitat) 80 2.6 Estuary 83 2.6.1 Supralittoral rock (Broad habitat) 83 2.6.2 Littoral sediment (Broad habitat) 84 2.6.2.1 Coastal saltmarsh (Key habitat) 85 2.6.2.2 Mudflats (Key habitat) 88 2.6.2.3 Saline lagoons (Key habitat) 91 The Biodiversity of Falkirk Contents an assessment of priority habitats and species CONTENTS Page 2.6.3 Inshore sublittoral sediment (Broad habitat) 93 2.6.4 Estuarine waters (Locally important habitat) 94 2.7 Rock Exposure 96 2.7.1 Inland rock (Broad habitat) 96 2.7.1.1 Bings / Spoil tips (Locally important habitat) 98 2.8 Urban 100 2.8.1 Built up areas and gardens (Broad habitat) 100 2.8.1.1 Gardens (Locally important habitat) 101 2.8.1.2 Urban greenspace (Locally important habitat) 103 2.8.1.3 Urban wildlife corridors (Locally important habitat) 105 Part 3 Species 107 3.1 Species selection 107 3.2 Vertebrates 109 3.2.1 Mammals 109 3.2.2 Birds 125 3.2.3 Amphibians and Reptiles 159 3.2.4 Fish 163 3.3 Invertebrates 170 3.3.1 Insects 170 3.3.1.1 Ants, Bees and Wasps (Hymenoptera) 170 3.3.1.2 Beetles (Coleoptera) 170 3.3.1.3 Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) 173 3.3.1.4 Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) 178 3.3.1.5 Flies (Diptera) 178 3.3.1.6 Mayflies and Stoneflies (Ephemeroptera & Plecoptera) 182 3.3.1.7 Other insects 182 CONTENTS Page 3.3.2 Other Invertebrates 183 3.3.2.1 Spiders (Arachnida) 183 3.3.2.2 Crustacea 183 3.3.2.3 Millipedes (Myriapoda) 183 3.3.2.4 Molluscs 183 3.3.2.5 Other taxa 184 3.4 Lower Plants 185 3.4.1 Algae 185 3.4.2 Stoneworts (Charophyta) 185 3.4.3 Fungi 185 3.4.4 Lichens 185 3.4.5 Bryophytes - Liverworts 185 3.4.6 Bryophytes - Mosses 186 3.5 Vascular Plants 187 3.5.1 Ferns (Pteridophyta) 187 3.5.2 Flowering Plants (Spermatophyta) 190 Part 4 Conclusions 209 Acknowledgements References Appendices Appendix 1 List of LBAP Steering Group Members. Appendix 2 Glossary of terms. Appendix 3 Correspondence between Phase I and LBAP categories. Appendix 4 Summary table of habitats (indicating extent and importance). Appendix 5 Summary table of species (indicating extent and importance). Appendix 6 Designated sites within the Falkirk area. The Biodiversity of Falkirk 1. Introduction an assessment of priority habitats and species 1. INTRODUCTION In 1994, to meet the UK’s obligation under the Biodiversity Convention to produce a strategy for the conservation and sustainable 1.1 What is Biodiversity? use of biodiversity, the UK Biodiversity Action Plan was published.This set out 59 One of the most widely used definitions of steps that should be taken to safeguard the biodiversity is that given in Article 2 of the nation’s biodiversity, including establishing a Convention on Biological Diversity which Biodiversity Steering Group to develop stated that biodiversity is: proposals for national targets and action. This group identified the most rare or “ the variability among living threatened species and habitats in the UK organisms from all sources including, and, for each one, produced an action plan inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and outlining targets for conservation and the other aquatic ecosystems and the actions required to meet them.The ecological complexes of which they government continues to be committed to are part; this includes diversity the conservation of biodiversity and both within species, between species and the UK and Scottish Biodiversity Groups are of ecosystems ”. continuing to develop and implement national species and habitat action plans. In other words it is the variety of life that exists on earth in all its many forms, For this ambitious programme of action to including the complex relationships and succeed it has to be interpreted and systems formed by plants and animals. implemented at local level. Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) are being developed throughout Scotland and the UK 1.2 The International and National to do just that.These plans aim to translate Commitment national targets for the conservation of key In 1992 over 170 world leaders met for the species and habitats into focused, local ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio de Janeiro.They met action. However there are many other to discuss growing threats to the global species and habitats that contribute to the environment due to our unsustainable local landscape and quality of life. Local exploitation and pollution of the earth’s Biodiversity Action Plans must make a resources.The summit concluded that to commitment to safeguard and enhance these safeguard our global quality of life future locally characteristic, distinctive or highly development must be sustainable. A key valued species and habitats as well as element of sustainable development is the nationally important ones. need for conservation of biodiversity to be at the heart of economic policy.At Rio 153 world leaders, including the British prime minister, indicated their commitment to this principle by signing ‘The Convention on Biological Diversity’. By so doing they pledged to help stop the global loss of species, habitats and genetic resources by conserving and enhancing the biodiversity in their own countries. 1 1.3 The Falkirk Perspective Falkirk Council has a key role to play in its capacity as an enabler, ensuring that a wide Biodiversity within Falkirk is important as a range of organisations, groups and focus for nature conservation. However it individuals are able to positively contribute means much more than that, having to the local biodiversity action plan process implications for every area of life. Falkirk’s in Falkirk. It is essential that all the biodiversity forms the character and quality important players sign up to this process of the landscape in which its people live, and carry out agreed actions. work, play and learn. It helps shape the economic and social values of the area. It is part of our heritage and culture. The report will cover all of the Falkirk Biodiversity is inseparable from all these Council area (including the relevant part of aspects of our lives and makes a significant the Forth estuary), see map 1. Since contribution to our quality of life. Our biodiversity does not recognise these welfare is inextricably linked to the welfare artificial boundaries, it is essential that co- of biodiversity.When plants and animals operation and information sharing with interact with each other and the physical LBAP groups in neighbouring local world they help to create a life support authorities is optimised.