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Guidance - restoring saltmarsh vegetation
The schema shown below provides a summary of the effects that different grazing
regimes have on the nature of the saltmarsh vegetation. The arrows indicate
the main pathways (routes) to restoration and change.
Caption:
The arrows indicate the principle routes for change: red arrows imply loss
of interest; green the route to restoring this interest; blue arrows movement
between states having different attributes but not necessarily representing
adverse change. (Clicking on the states will take you to a description of each)
| Guidance: The key factor in deciding if a change of state in saltmarsh
vegetation is appropriate, is to look at the historical management regime,
the existing vegetation and the nature of any other conservation interest.
Moving from State
1 - State 2 might be desirable to help increase overall height
of vegetation and marsh structure and hence diversity on the site. However,
this could result in a reduction in the numbers of wintering ducks and geese
using the site* an important consideration.
A change from State
2 - State 3 could have a similar, if less pronounced effect,
but in the opposite direction. In this case such a move might be appropriate
where stock levels had been increased on historically lightly grazed
saltmarsh. Where saltmarshes, which continue to be lightly or ungrazed and
have high levels of interest, it is unlikely that any reversal of the State
3 - State 2 would be desirable. The situation is different where
grazed saltmarshes have been abandoned.
Here it is usually necessary to reintroduce grazing
management in order to restore any interest which might have
existed before grazing was abandoned. Depending on the required end point,
it might be appropriate to move from State
4 to State
1 directly or via State
2 to State 3. |
Caveat: *See RSPB work at Carnforth
in Morecambe Bay where there has been a reduction of grazing pressure, which
is being monitored for its effect on the vegetation structure and bird populations.
Comment: For more information see the Saltmarsh
restoration web site hosted by the University of East Anglia.
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