Habitat Restoration on a Landscape scale: Restoring the Post-Industrial Landscape for Wildlife Conservation: A Case Study
Abstract:
The Great Manchester Wetlands is a 3000ha area in the northwest of England that stretches from Wigan in a broad south-easterly arc down to the Mersey valley and then towards Manchester. The region has been heavily modified by various industrial processes over the last two centuries including extensive mining, spoil dumping and peat winning. This has left a variety of damaged wetland habitats with a potential conservation value including several SSSIs. This includes reedbed, lowland raised bog and grassland habitats. Some of these habitats are of national or international importance for their species assemblages. More recently their value for ecosystem services has also been recognised.
Within the last fifteen years major effort and expense has gone into restoring these habitats. The work has incorporated major earthworks alongside more traditional conservation approaches. The major earthworks have involved unifying the hydrology, re-profiling the topography, ditch creation, and the installation of bunding and sheet piling. Traditional approaches have included grazing management, hay and reed cutting. Taken together this management has led to the general improvement of habitat quality compared with the initial condition. It has also led to marked success for important species hence delivering significant regional, national and international conservation gains. However it is possible to view the restored habitats as species rich islands within a mixed periurban, post-industrial landscape. The next challenge is to identify, develop and maintain corridors between these species rich sites in a way that establishes linkage between the existing reserves while improving biodiversity within the wider landscape.
This paper outlines successes in the Great Manchester Wetlands to date. It identifies the potential corridors and the management approaches that are required to improve connectivity and thus species mobility within the area. Likely challenges and potential fruitful research questions are also highlighted.
References:
Adamo, M.C., Puglisi L. & Baldaccini, N.E (2004) Factors affecting Bittern Botaurus stellaris distribution in a Mediterranean wetland Bird. Conservation International 14:153–164.
Armstrong J. & Armstrong W. (1999) Phragmites die-back: toxic effects of propionic, butyric and caproic acids in relation to pH. New Phytol 142: 201–217
Arnold, S. L. and Ormerod, S. J. (1997) Aquatic macroinvertebrates and environmental gradients in
Phragmites reedswamps: implications for conservation Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 7; 153-163
Ausden M., Hall M., Pearson P. & Strudwick T. (2005) The effects of cattle grazing on tall-herb fen vegetation and mollusks. Biological Conservation 122: 317–32
Carter S.P. & Bright P.W. (2003) Reedbeds as refuges for water voles (Arvicola terrestris) from predation by introduced mink (Mustela vison). Biological Conservation 111: 371–376
Gardner, R. Laycock, H. & Smycki K. (2008) Wigan Flashes Water Vole Survey LWT Report Unpublished
Gilbert G., Gibbons D.W., & Evens J. (1998) Bird Monitoring Methods. RSPB
Gilbert, G., Tyler, G.A. & Smith, K.W. (2003) Nestling diet and fish preference of Bitterns Botaurus stellaris in Britain. Ardea 91:35–44.
Gilbert, G., Tyler G.A., Dunn C.J & Smith K.W. (2005) Nesting habitat selection by bitterns Botaurus stellaris in Britain and the implications for wetland management. Biological Conservation, 124: 547-553.
Hawke, C. J. & José P. V. (1996) Reedbed Management for Commercial and Wildlife Interests RSPB
Kirby, P. (1992) Habitat Management for Invertebrates: A Practical Handbook. JNCC/RSPB/National Power, Sandy.
Noble, R. A. A., Harvey, J. P., & Cowx, I. G. (2004) Can management of freshwater fish populations be used to protect and enhance the conservation status of a rare, fish-eating bird, the bittern,
Botaurus stellaris, in the UK? Fisheries Management and Ecology 11; 291–302
Polak, M. (2007) Food of nestling Great Bitterns Botaurus stellaris at fishpond complexes in eastern Poland. Bird Study 54: 280–283
Poudevigne, I., Alard, D., Leuven, R. S. E. W. & Nienhuis P. H. (2002) A systems approach to river restoration: a case study in the Lower Seine Valley, France. River Research and Applications 18: 239–247
Poulin, B. & Lefebvre, G. (2002) Effect of winter cutting on the passerine breeding
assemblage in French Mediterranean reedbeds. Biodiversity and Conservation 11: 1567–1581, 2002.
Schmidt, M.H., Lefebvre, G., Poulin, B., & Tscharntke, T. (2005) Reed cutting affects arthropod communities, potentially reducing food for passerine birds. Biological Conservation 121: 157–166
Self, M. (2005). A review of management for fish and bitterns, Botaurus stellaris, in wetland reserves. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 12: 387-394.
Van der Putten, W. H. (1997) Die-back of Phragmites australis in European wetlands: an overview of the European research programme on reed die-back and progression 1993-1994. Aquatic Botany 59: 263-275.
Valkamaa, E., Lyytinena, S. & Korichevab, J. (2008) The Impact of Reed Management on Wildlife: A Meta-Analytical Review of European Studies. Biological Conservation 141: 364-374
White, G. (2006a) Reedbed design and establishment. Information and advice note. RSPB
White, G. (2006b) The future of reedbed management. Information and advice note. RSPB