|
|
|
Countryman Diary - January 2010
 |
Natural England’s new policy document ‘Vital Uplands’ suggests stopping traditional land-management techniques on open heather moorland; the Moorland Association argues that controlled burning (above) is vital for the healthy regeneration of what remains of our heather moorland. Photograph ©Moorland Association/David Mason. |
The Moorland Association has labelled Natural England’s new policy document ‘Vital Uplands’ as an alarming threat to open heather moorland. Part of the document suggests stopping traditional land-management techniques of heather burning and grazing, and instead encourages the encroachment of trees and scrub.
Martin Gillibrand, the association’s secretary, says:
“The integrated management of rotation heather-burning and carefully balanced sheep grazing has protected our heather moorland from disappearing for at least the last century. As a result, much of this rare habitat in England has more recently become protected by law for its unique vegetation and birdlife.
“To make policy changes that will destroy what is protected now, is not legal and will not lead to the benefits claimed by Natural England.
“Scrub and tree encroachment will have a negative impact on the existing wildlife ideally suited to the current open habitat.
“For example, vulnerable populations of merlin, Britain’s smallest bird of prey, are heavily protected through Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection Areas, but the bird will cease to nest if its breeding sites become encroached by trees and scrub.
“Burning is crucial for the healthy regeneration of what remains of our heather moorland; seventy-five per cent of what is left in the world is found in Britain.
“Reducing the frequency and/or the area over which burning currently takes place will reduce the vigour with which the heather grows and regenerates, reduce its nutritional value to feed sheep, cattle and red grouse, and reduce the amount of carbon it can absorb. Further reducing the productivity of agriculturally poor upland areas will undermine economically viable enterprises that exist.”
Natural England’s new chairman, Poul Christensen, says that the policy document is only the starting point for a dialogue with upland stakeholders up and down the country about working together to shape the future of the uplands:
“The uplands provide society with a huge range of services: they are vital for food production, carbon storage and climate regulation, flood management and water supply, as well as providing inspirational landscapes for recreation and homes to many rare and important species.
“Working with partners and stakeholders, we want to explore ways in which hillfarmers and other upland land managers can deliver a wider range of environmental services that will put them and upland communities onto a more sustainable and economically successful footing.
“The vulnerability of upland environments, the delicate economic state of many upland hillfarms and the ongoing challenge of climate change mean that a debate about the future direction of upland management is timely.
“It is increasingly clear that a ‘business as usual’ approach will be less and less able to address the challenges of the future and that we urgently need to consider how best to sustain the value of the uplands.
“We hope the publication of ‘Vital Uplands’ will be a catalyst for a wide-ranging discussion among all those with an interest in the future of the uplands on how these vital landscapes can be managed in the future.”
Anyone wanting to read further details of the report should visit www.naturalengland.org.uk.
Biggest ever bird stocktake
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is in the middle of the biggest stocktake of birds ever to be carried out: the Bird Atlas 2007-11. This ambitious project aims to count all of Britain’s birds, both during the summer and winter months. A lot of data has already been collected but there are some gaps to be filled, especially at night. One of these gaps is for information on the tawny owl.
Dawn Balmer, Atlas Organiser at the BTO, explains:
“For a bird that lives so close to us, it is surprisingly difficult to find out just where tawny owls are and how many of them there are. By appealing directly to people to go out and listen for them, we will go a long way to finding this out.”
Tawny owls are nocturnal, which makes it difficult to assess their true status. However, during early winter tawny owls are at their most vocal, as they reaffirm the bond with their breeding partner and reassert their authority on their breeding territory.
To report your Tawny Owls, visit the BTO website, www.bto.org. Please note that this is only an online survey.
 |
Tawny owl. © Jill Pakenham/BTO |
Errata
Apologies for an error in last month’s article about Clifton-upon-Teme in which the author stated Mick Snelling had lived in the village for sixty-eight years. Mick has actually lived there since 1968. Also, the author was told that the harvest festival didn’t take place in the church but at the school when in fact there are celebrations at both.
Winter hibernation
While out walking one frosty winter morning, I bumped into an old farmer friend who I had not seen for some considerable time. My friend and I exchanged greetings once more. Then he observed:, “Ah ain’t seen thee lately. Ez ta been inebriatin’ for t’ winter?”
Paul Jackson
|
|
|
|
|
