wildlife news feature: ground work (jan 2011)

7/29/2019 Wildlife News feature: Ground work (Jan 2011)

1/48 Wildlife news

GroundworkIf you have visited a BBOWT naturereserve and glimpsed a hairy or woollybeast cropping the ground, you havemet an important member of theconservation team a wildlife grazer.Wildlife News explains

Jacob sheep at Warburg nature reserve(Giles Alder)


2/4January 2011 9

F

or hundreds of years wildlife

flourished alongside farming and our

landscape was a rich tapestry of

diverse habitats within a workingcountryside. Since the Second World War

this drastically changed with the

intensification of farming. On BBOWT

nature reserves we are trying to continue

to manage the land in a very traditional,

low impact and sustainable way through

grazing. Each year we undertake a carefully

controlled grazing programme using

cattle, ponies and sheep to help restore

and maintain the rich variety of wildlife on

our nature reserves. On our grasslands,

heaths and fens they are doing a great job

of keeping the sites open and in good

condition for the benefit of a host of

species, some of them nationally scarce or

locally rare which would otherwise be lost.

Meet the teamThe Trusts grazing animals are all hardy or

primitive breeds from yesteryear, bred

from the uplands and moorlands of Great

Britain. They are more able to cope with

rougher grazing, which is what we need

them to do. They are smaller, more able to

eat tougher grasses and theyre not asfussy as commercial breeds that will fatten

on lusher grass. Each type of animal has its

own distinct grazing style that enables

certain habitats and wildlife to thrive


3/410 Wildlife news

The sheep:Jacob, Beulah, Shetland, Hebridean and Wiltshire Horn

These hardier breeds are less prone to problems with their feet, and more able tocope with harsher conditions, for we expect them to be out in all weathers.

Their job: Sheep nibble close to the ground producing a lawn effect, particularly useful

on our chalk grassland nature reserves including Hartslockin Oxon and Dancersend in

Bucks. This enables smaller flowering plants and the butterflies that feed on them to

thrive, such as horseshoe vetch and the chalkhill blue. Wild thyme, milkwort, pyramidal

orchid, as well as the aptly named sheeps fescue, together with countless insects also

benefit from the attention of our woolly workers.

A combined effort

Quite often the Trust will use livestock incombination. On taller grasses and newly

acquired sites that have suffered from

neglect cattle will be brought in first,

followed by sheep for a finer finish,

depending on what we want to achieve.

Not only ponies are used to graze our fens;

since they are small, Dexter cattle will also

be used.

As well our as own livestock, BBOWT

works with local graziers who will use their

livestock on larger or more difficult-to-

reach sites that need larger numbers of

animals for prolonged periods. This

happens at Iffley Meadows in Oxford and

Moor Copse in Berkshire, among other

places.

The timing and intensity of grazing are

crucial and the programme involves our

reserves teams, ecologists and many

volunteers. To achieve the r ight balance,

the conservation team produces a

programme of what they want to achieve

in the year, working from site records that

show where grazing has taken place and

for how long. Our ecologists will thenassess wildlife surveys that are carried out

each year to find out if we are doing the

right thing: if we need to graze more or

less, have we got the timing right? If sites

The cattle: Dexter and British Whites

Their job:Rather than nipping with their teethof grass and this creates a more varied mix of v

mammals and birds depend on these insect-ric

birds such as lapwing or snipe also need this ty

Since cattle are heavier than sheep or ponies, t

creating the right conditions for annual plants

Late summer grazing with cattle has had a posi

grassy pastures including the extension at Mo

Leaches Farm on the Upper Ray Meadows in B

are overgrazed then species might be lost

and habitats damaged. We also need tofactor in seasonal variations. For instance,

grazing had to be postponed for a year at

the low-lying Chimney Meadows because

of the floods in 2007.

If grazing stoppedThe landscape may look alright through

your car window as you drive through the

countryside but the variety of wildlife and

the important mix of habitats have been

lost at a dramatic rate, partly because of

the loss of less efficient small-scale

farming. Grazing of flower-rich pastures

and grassland is a traditional method of

managing the land in harmony with

wildlife. This is why BBOWTs grazing

programme and our work with farmers and

other landowners across our Living

Landscape project areas is so important.

If we stopped grazing on BBOWT

nature reserves the effect would be drastic.

In the Chilterns within two or three years

you would see a marked increase in

upright brome and other coarse grasses.

Brambles would begin to take over withhawthorn setting seed and growing up.

Dogwood and wayfaring tree would also

crowd out grassland species including

orchids, flowering herbs and Chiltern

gentian. Gradually we would lose our

important mix of habitats and a great dealof the wildlife that depends upon them.

Running costsLooking after our livestock is a full-time

occupation involving many people.

Fencing and stock pens have to be

erected. Livestock have to be transported

from site to site, and when they are not

grazing, they are moved to land known as

lay back: Wells Farm in Oxon and Woolley

Firs in Berks.

The welfare of the animals is

constantly monitored and health checks

undertaken. BBOWTs Grazing Officer,

Louise King, explains, We do have some

yearly treatments that we apply, for

instance the Bluetongue vaccine for the

cattle and sheep. Fly treatment is also

really important. All stock have their feet

trimmed its a time-consuming job but

its very important that they are able to do

their job efficiently and that they are

comfortable. The idea is to keep them

healthy so we shouldnt have to treat a

great deal. Part of this ethos is that we tryto buy in younger animals. If we buy a

one-year-old heifer we then have it for the

next eight to nine years. It makes our

management a lot easier.

Ground work

Beulah lambs(BBOWT)

Dexter cows(Gavin Hageman)

Hebridean sheep(Peter Roworth)


4/4January 2011 11

Without conservation grazing many species would be lost from our landscape,including the common blue (RedWhoopee/Flickr) and Chiltern gentian (Peter Creed).

tle use their tongues to tear out mouthfulsation, great for insects and spiders. Many

bitats for foraging. Ground-nesting wading

f grazing to fledge their young successfully.

create muddier patches with their hooves

t seed and germinate the following spring.

effect on many of BBOWTs meadows and

opse, Inkpen Common in Berkshire and

s.

The ponies: Exmoor and New Forest

Their job:Ponies are also useful close-croppers but they are also very effective attackling coarser grasses, especially false brome, which sheep dont like. They are great at

nipping back brambles and scrubbier plants as well as other rough stuff like the tips of

gorse and birch trees. They are also more suited to the wetter ground of fens such as

Parsonage Moor in Oxon. Summer grazing there has pushed back the encroaching

reeds, sedges and rushes, creating more open water and providing ideal breeding

conditions for the internationally rare southern damselfly which has suffered a 30%

decline in the UK.

Our eyes and ears on the ground

Looking after the livestock would not bepossible if it were not for our dependable

band of volunteer stock watchers who

check all is well on a regular basis. Our

volunteers are trained in what to look for

and are given information to back that up

the health signs of a cow, horse, sheep.

Our volunteers are not responsible for

looking after the livestock, they are our

eyes and ears on the ground while the

animals are grazing a particular site, and

this can be for six weeks to two months per

year. There will always be a member of

Trust to contact in case an animal needs

tending.

Exmoor ponies(Rob Appleby)

ritish White cattleGiles Strother)

New Forest pony(Gavin Hageman)

How you can get involvedThis summer we need stock

watchers at Lashford Lane Fen and

Parsonage Moor to keep an eye on

our Dexter cattle that will be helping

to restore this unusual and

nationally rare habitat. If you live

nearby or would like to volunteer as

a BBOWT stock watcher on any of

our nature reserves please go to the

volunteer pages at bbowt.org.uk or

call Louise King on 01491 642001.

wildlife news feature: ground work (jan 2011)

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