Saltmarsh grazing - Carnforth reserve, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

"The saltmarsh at Carnforth has been overgrazed by sheep for many years and its conservation value is low. [Unlike some other heavily grazed saltmarshes the use by grazing ducks and geese in winter is limited.] However, the RSPB now has the ability to control grazing levels on part of the marsh, which should result in an improvement in its suitability for breeding waders, especially redshank, through changes in vegetation structure and composition. These changes will be monitored using point quadrats at random distances from permanent transects. Changes in the numbers of breeding waders will be monitored annually using sample plots or by walking transects, depending on the practical difficulties encountered." From the RSPB web site (http://www.rspb.org.uk/).