sussex wetland conference: fran southgate
Post on 24-Jan-2015
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Water
By Pablo Neruda
Everything on the earth bristled, the bramble
Pricked and the green thread
Nibbled away, the petal fell, falling
Until the only flower was the falling itself,
Water is another matter,
Has no direction but its own bright grace,
Runs through all imaginable colours,
Takes limpid lessons
From stone,
And in those functionings plays out
The unrealised ambitions of the foam.
Water and Wetlands
Working to create a Living Landscape
Working to create a Living Landscape
Picture of Earths Surface showing % global surface covered by water
Working to create a Living Landscape
Images showing the way water has helped shaped our landscapes
© David Ball/Sussex Wildlife Trust
Working to create a Living Landscape
Water Footprints
Working to create a Living Landscape
What is our daily per capita water use, and how does the use of manufacturing goods and fuels to create and transport energy
alter that water footprint?
Crassula © Tim Hill
Working to create a Living Landscape
© J Blamire
Images showing human impacts on wetlands
Working to create a Living Landscape
Images showing the multiple human uses of wetlands and some of the ecosystem services that wetlands provide for us
• Around 40% of world species in wetlands covering less than 1% of surface
• 75% human population live in former wetlands • Wetlands are crucial to climate stability
Working to create a Living Landscape
Wetland landscapes
Emerald Damselfly © B Rainbow
What is a wetland?“Marsh, fen, peatland or water, both natural or artificial, permanent or seasonal, that is static or flowing, fresh,
brackish or salt, including marine waters which at low tide do not exceed six metres depth” (RAMSAR)
Working to create a Living Landscape
Likely Wetland Loss•Estimated 80% loss of UK wetlands since Roman times pre AD 400
•Estimated 100,000 ha p.a. drained 1840 - 1880 (UK Wetland Vision)
•Estimated 1960 - 1980 over 60% of Sussex wetlands drained (TWT, ‘96)
•Historical evidence (1840) suggests min. 20% floodplain was wetland
We can only guess at how much wetland has been lost both nationally and locally
Working to create a Living Landscape
230 ha in Sussex (subject to revisions) This is only 7% of the original estimate of reedbed in SussexTwo ‘core areas’ of 20 ha at Combe Haven and Pannel Valley Three areas over 5 ha at Sompting, Walland Marsh and Pannel Valley Roughly 38 reedbeds over 1 ha
Working to create a Living Landscape
What wetlands has Sussex got?
Reedbeds
Image © S McIntyre
FenArea of Sussex fen roughly 92 ha 10% of the original Sussex fen estimate Largest single unit areas in Combe Haven and Pett level (one third each of the entire Sussex fen resource) 18 fen sites over 1 hectare
Working to create a Living Landscape
Wet WoodlandASNW cover 11 % of Sussex (43,000 ha)Soil maps imply roughly 38 % of Sussex ASNW has wetland interest 570 ha of deciduous woodland found in frequently flooded zone300 ha (0.004 % of Sussex ASNW) is ancient floodplain woodland Around 500 ancient floodplain woodland patches, mostly small
Working to create a Living Landscape
Coastal HabitatsLittle known about marine habitats
405 hectares of Saltmarsh (BRANCH data), 92% in West Sussex + RyeChichester Harbour largest saltmarsh in the South-East region
2,000 ha of coastal and estuarine Mudflat (BRANCH)Chichester Harbour (3,000 ha) is the only large estuary in the SE Region.
Only 13 official Saline lagoon sites totalling under 65 ha Five not legally protected, Only three are considered ‘natural’ lagoons
Pagham and Chichester Harbours are internationally important for wintering wildfowl populations
BRANCH (Biodiversity Requires Adaptation in Northwest Europe under a CHanging climate)
Working to create a Living Landscape
Rivers and StreamsUnique geology hosting rare riverine habitats
Over 135 km of chalk stream. Less than 20% deemed near natural
Roughly 80 % of main rivers not achieving Good Ecological Status
Working to create a Living Landscape
PondsUK Ponds – estimated 75% loss this century At least 17,000 in Sussex (excluding garden and urban ponds)Little idea of biodiversity value or locations of priority ponds for wildlifeSix of twelve Important Areas for Ponds in SE are in Sussex: Western Rother, Sussex Heaths, Ashdown, Newhaven, Pevensey and Winchelsea
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Wet GrasslandsCoastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh (CFPGM) 14,000 ha.
Of 1000 ha surveyed in Arun 50% agriculturally improved, 30% species poor and 19% diverse (sometimes improved) inundation grassland.
Species-rich floodplain meadow area unknown - > 97% lost in the UK
Species-poor floodplain meadow area unknown
Working to create a Living Landscape
Working to create a Living Landscape
Habitat Current area in Sussex
Saltmarsh 405.3 ha
Mud flat 1,993.4
Fen 92.3
Reedbed 233 ha
Saline lagoons 65 ha
CFGM ? 5,000 ha in good condition
Ancient Floodplain Woodland 300 ha
TOTAL Wetland Habitats 8,089 ha or 0.02 % of Sussex
Total Wetland Resource of Sussex
+ Ponds
© Graeme Lyons
Sussex has some unique wetland landscapes
Working to create a Living Landscape
Sussex Wetland PotentialSussex is 384,000 ha in area It has an frequently inundated floodplain of 39,000 ha
Naturally wet soils of 159,000 ha (some overlap with floodplain) & roughly 10,000 Km of rivers and streams
Working to create a Living Landscape
Working to create a Living Landscape
Image showing a Beaver controlling habitat
management via a computer!Image © Sussex Wildlife Trust
Map showing the theoretical potential and best locations in the Arun valley for the creation of Base-rich fens and
wet woodlands. The modelled map would require ground truthing and liaison with landowners to verify the true
potential of fen creation in these areas.
Catchment boundary reproduced with permission of Environment Agency. Contains Ordnance Survey data. © Crown copyright and database rights 2011.
Potential for (Base rich) Fens Potential for Wet Woodlands
All nine modelled habitats overlayed with the existing BAP habitats
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world”
Working to create a Living Landscape
Working to create a Living Landscape
Sussex Wetland Landscapes Project
fransouthgate@sussexwt.org.uk
01273 497555
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