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Restoring coastal grazing marsh - summary of methods
Restoring coastal grazing marsh and coastal wet grassland requires both physical
structures for water management and the introduction or reintroduction of grazing.
The methods employed for restoring coastal grasslands for breeding or wintering
birds involve two elements:
- Water
management;
- Grazing
management.
Both can relatively easily secure an improvement in bird populations (numbers
and diversity). The methods and reasons for restoration are relatively easy
understood and well documented, especially by the Royal Society for the Protection
of Birds, see the following:
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Guidance: Additional management and restoration options need to
be taken into account when other interests are involved, especially for
plants
and invertebrates.
Restoration of ditch
conditions suitable for aquatic flora and fauna is also important.
Creating coastal grassland from arable land is also possible and moving
from State
3 to State 2 is supported in North
Kent by the Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme for that
area. A successful scheme has also been completed in the Holkham
NNR on the North Norfolk Coast.
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Key References
Benstead, P., Drake, M., Jose, P.V., Mountford, O., Newbold, C. & Treweek, J.
1997.
The Wet Grassland Guide: Managing floodplain and Coastal Wet Grasslands for Wildlife.
RSPB, Sandy.
Benstead, P., Jose, P.V., Joyce, C.B. & Wade, P.M.
1999.
European Wet Grassland: Guidelines for Management and Restoration. RSPB, Sandy.
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