APPENDICES: BD1446 - AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES AND BUTTERFLIES: RE-ASSESSING THE IMPACTS AND IMPROVING DELIVERY OF BAP TARGETS
Note that the numbering system cross-references to the relevant sections of the report.
APPENDIX 3.3.1 Number of butterfly transects in agri-environment schemes by Defra region.
DEFRA REGION / BD1446South East / 130
South West / 108
East of England / 50
East Midlands / 16
West Midlands / 25
North West / 31
North East / 9
Yorkshire / 2
APPENDIX 3.3.2 Primary and secondary habitats of butterfly transects in England classified by Broad Habitat type in the UK BAP (n=325 scheme and 3352 non scheme transects
Broad habitat / Scheme transects / Non Scheme transects· Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland / 87 / 183
· Coniferous woodland / 4 / 6
· Boundary and linear features / 43 / 89
· Arable and horticulture / 20 / 12
· Improved grassland / 24 / 21
· Neutral grassland / 49 / 79
· Calcareous grassland / 170 / 107
· Acid grassland / 24 / 19
· Bracken / 26 / 8
· Dwarf shrub heath/montane / 37 / 28
· Fen, marsh and swamp / 28 / 24
· Bog / 3 / 3
· Standing water and canals / 0 / 2
· Rivers and streams / 0 / 0
· Inland rock (includes disused quarries, pits, railway lines) / 24 / 42
· Built-up areas and gardens / 0 / 17
· Suppralittoral rock / 4 / 0
· Suppralittoral sediment / 7 / 6
· Littoral sediment / 3 / 0
· Other habitat: Dry scrub* / 109 / 77
· Other habitat: Tall herbs* / 1 / 3
* Other habitats = may occur in more than one BAP broad habitat
APPENDIX 3.3.3 BAP Priority Habitats sampled by butterfly transects at sites entered into agri-environment schemes
(Transect level) / Estimated no. samples (Section level)
Ancient and/or species rich hedgerows / 40 / 360
Cereal field margins / 20 / 180
Coastal & floodplain grazing marsh / 20 / 180
Coastal saltmarsh / 3 / 27
Coastal sand dunes / 10 / 90
Fens / 1 / 9
Limestone pavement / 9 / 81
Lowland calcareous grassland / 154 / 1386
Lowland dry acid grassland / 24 / 216
Lowland heathland / 27 / 243
Lowland meadows / 36 / 324
Maritime cliffs and slopes / 4 / 36
Reedbeds / 3 / 27
Upland heathland / 10 / 90
Wet woodlands / 3 / 27
APPENDIX 3.3.4 The ownership of scheme and non scheme transects
BD1446 / BD1446Scheme / Non scheme (Grass/heath/wet)
Amenity/land management body1 / 207 (53%) / 207(58%)
Nature reserve2 / 105 (27%) / 66 (18%)
Private3 / 63 (16%) / 69 (19%)
Unknown / 19 (5%) / 17 (5%)
Grand total no. / 394 / 359
1 Local Authority, National Trust, Forestry Commission, Also includes private trusts, charities, MOD, religious organisation’s, the Crown Estate, academic institution’s, water authorities. 2 County Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Other. 3 Farm/country estate, company
APPENDIX 3.5.2 The ten species most and least benefiting from entry into agri-environment schemes
Species & type / Sward requirement / Difference in trend (slope value) between scheme & non scheme sites / Difference in trend (slope value) between scheme & non scheme sites
Significantly better
High Brown Fritillary / Variable / +21
Heath Fritillary / Variable / +19 / +14
Silver-studded Blue / Variable turf / +15 / +7
Grayling / +12
Dark Green Fritillary / Medium / +24
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary / Medium / +6
Adonis Blue / +8
Silver-spotted Skipper / +11
Significantly worse
Small/Essex Skipper / Rank / -8 / -3
Dingy Skipper / Variable / -5
Wall Brown / Sparse grassland / -0.11
Duke of Burgundy / Medium to tall +/- scrub / -11 / -9
Small Blue / Variable +/- scrub / -10 / -5
Brown Hairstreak / Scrub / -13
Lulworth Skipper / Rank / -7
High Brown Fritillary / -6
Appendix 3.7.1 Classification of site trends for 11 habitat specialist butterflies from 1990-2003
colonisations / No. sites sig. Inc. / No. sites presumed increase (n.s.) / No. extinctions / No. sites sig. dec. / No. sites presumed decline / No. large/med (03) stable / Large pop 03 trend unknown / Proportion sites correlated with nat. trend
Adonis Blue / 79 / 42 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 2(1) / 2 / 4 / 21 / 0 / 22/54-49%
Chalkhill Blue / 161 / 125 / 0 / 10 / nr / 0 / 9 / nr / 8 / 15 / nr
Dark Green Fritillary / 248 / nr
Duke of Burgundy / 90 / 55 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 26* / 15 / 5 / 7 / 0 / 29/55-53%
Heath Fritillary / 32 / 26 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 5 / 9 / 5** / 0 / 15/32-47%
High Brown Fritillary / 85 / 64 / 0 / 2 / 1 / 11 / 5 / 7 / 14´ / 2 / 27/67-40%
Marsh Fritillary / 81 / 35 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 13 / 5 / 4 / 12 / 2 / 15/49-31%
Northern Brown Argus / 40 / 19 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 7 / 3 / 6 / 0 / 8/24-33
Pearl-bordered Fritillary / 65 / 27 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 5 / 7 / 3 / 8 / 3 / 15/37-41%
Silver-studded Blue / 41 / 19 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 7 / 4 / 1 / 10/21-48%
Silver-spotted Skipper / 46 / 24 / 4 / 7 / 2 / 0 / 1 / 3 / 7 / 0 / 13/35-37%
Small Blue / 130 / 42 / 1 / 7 / 2 / 4 / 9 / 3 / 9 / 7 / 8/66-12%
*=includes 2 sites pre-1990. **=includes a reintroduction ´=for 11 other timed count sites, the trend was unknown
APPENDIX 3.7.2 Habitat Management What Works?
Summary of data collated
A total of 1700 separate trends were calculated and examined from 450 sites, covering 11 key species between 1990-2003. From this analysis more than 200 key sites were identified where management data was sought. The emphasis was on obtaining detailed management data from successfully managed sites, preferably where large populations were maintained or colonisations had occurred, and on understanding the likely causes of decline at failing sites. Collecting management data proved extremely time consuming, though in the time available data were collected from more than 100 sites, with examples of successful management obtained for all key species. With such a huge amount of data with many potential applications, analyses were focussed on two main subject areas (1) management for species assemblages, with examples of some of the best managed sites (defined by two or more BAP Priority species doing well) (2) selected management results from BAP Priority and other key species. These aspects are discussed in turn below.
3.7.2 Management for species assemblages – case studies of sites benefiting two or more BAP Priority species
Fourteen sites were identified where management benefited two or more BAP Priority species. The management of each site is discussed below and a summary table of management is given in the Appendix 3.7.3.
Of 14 sites that supported favourable populations of two or more BAP P species, there was a significant association with management delivered through schemes (80% of sites) and on SSSIs (100% of sites).
Arnside Knott, Cumbria
Arnside Knott is located in south Cumbria adjacent to Morecambe Bay. The site is owned and managed by the National Trust and was entered into CSS in 1992. BAP Priority species present at this site include Northern Brown Argus, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and High Brown Fritillary, whilst other important breeding species include Wall, Grayling, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Dark Green Fritillary. This is one of the best managed butterfly sites in the UK, as nearly every important species is either stable or increasing. In 2003, this was the largest monitored site in the UK for the High Brown Fritillary, with the annual index more than twice that of any other site. The aim of management over the 40 hectares of open habitat is to maintain a mosaic of 70% calcareous grassland (NVC CG9) with Bracken, 30% species-rich scrub and frequent patches of sparsely vegetated scree/bare rock, with the latter providing breeding habitat for Pearl- bordered and High Brown Fritillaries. A range of (organic) management activities were carried out over the monitoring period which benefited BAP butterflies including (1) winter scrub clearance and coppicing (ca 1 ha/yr) (2) Bracken rolling in February to break up the litter (3) continuous grazing by Devon Red/Galloway cattle in April-May and August-September (0.2-0.33LuHa) (4) Bracken bruising in early June (with a Hazel wand) (5) summer browsing by Hebridean/Welsh Radnor/Wiltshire Horn sheep (± in paddocks, ) to control Bramble and Blue-Moor Grass Sesleria caerulea (5) Roe Deer and Rabbit control. Natural grazing is at low levels (eg Roe Deer density is 0.2-0.4/ha). The mean annual stocking level is 0.15 (range 0.1-0.2LUHaYr). Much of the management was carefully targeted to create/maintain suitable habitat for important butterflies.
Box Hill, Surrey
Box Hill ‘Dukes’ and Box Hill ‘Viewpoint’ transects are located on the steep south-facing slope of Box Hill within a 32 ha compartment of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment SSSI on the North Downs. The site is managed by the National and entered into CSS in 1991. Over the monitoring period, the compartment supported stable populations of two short-turf BAP Priority species, the Adonis Blue and the Silver-spotted Skipper. Chalkhill Blue also occurs in good numbers. Over the monitoring period, rotational stock grazing was carried out in three paddocks (2-4.75ha in size), at this chalk grassland site, which was entered into Countryside Stewardship in 1991. Two of the three paddocks were grazed each winter (January to March) by sheep (0.15-0.20LUHaYr), with grazing by Highland Cattle (0.1-0.13 LUHaYr) also occurring in some years. Light grazing by a relatively stable Rabbit population occurs on site. Annual winter scrub clearance was carried out, though this was not thought to have specifically benefited these three species. The management worked well for these three species, though there were some concerns over loss of nectar sources/over-wintering flower spikes and Sheep’s Fescue Festuca ovina ‘lawns’. The site was classed as ‘unfavourable recovering’ (English Nature condition assessment 2003) due to Tor-grass Brachypodium pinnatum still being dominant, which prompted a change in management. Currently (2005), the paddocks are grazed at a similar annual stocking level to previously, but by a smaller number of Belted Galloway cattle over a longer time period. This management is reported to be maintaining good habitat conditions for Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper.
Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset
The Cerne Abbas Giant transect occurs within the 85 ha Cerne Giant SSSI, which is located on the Wessex Downs in Dorset. The site has been in ESA agreement since 1991 and is privately owned. The site is comprised of chalk grassland with scrub (estimated at 15% cover, Malcolm Wemys pers. Comm.) and has been in ESA agreement since 1991, and supports a relatively large and stable monitored population of two BAP Priority butterflies, the Marsh Fritillary and Adonis Blue. Chalkhill Blues also occur in large numbers, and there are small numbers of Small Blue and Duke of Burgundy. The site is grazed all-year round by a single herd of ca100 cattle (crossbreeds e.g. Charolais X Simental cross, Hereford x Charolais). A paddock system (four over 100 hectares) is used periodically to control the grazing as required, though at times the gates are left open, and the whole hill is continuously grazed as a single unit. A mean annual stocking level of 1-1.2 LUHaYr maintains a varied sward structure, enabling a range of species with differing sward requirements to benefit. The precise timing of grazing and utilisation of individual paddocks is determined by seasonal grass growth, though the main Marsh Fritillary breeding area is usually grazed in the spring and summer. Annual winter scrub clearance is carried out. Light Deer and Rabbit grazing occur, with populations of each considered stable. Rabbit control measures are carried out when needed.
Denbies Landbarn, Surrey
Denbies Landbarn is an area of south-facing lowland calcareous (chalk) grassland and forms part of the 185 hectare Hackhurst & White Downs SSSI, located along the north Downs in Surrey. The site was entered into CSS in 1991 and is managed by the National Trust. The site supports large, stable populations of Chalkhill Blue, and BAP Priority Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper. Over the monitoring period, the site was chiefly continuously grazed by a small number of Exmoor ponies from March to May, then September to October, with a smaller amount of grazing in July (0.025-0.05LUHaYr). Grazing was largely excluded in between Adonis Blue broods. The combination of pony grazing and moderate to heavy Rabbit grazing (controlled) created a variable sward structure on the site with frequent bare ground patches, beneficial to both Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper. A limited amount of annual scrub clearance was also carried out.
Deep Dean, Sussex
Deep Dean is a 210 hectare lowland calcareous (chalk) grassland SSSI located on the south Downs in Sussex, part of which was entered into ESA agreement in 1995. The site is partly in private ownership, with the remainder owned by South East water. The site supported large populations of Silver-spotted Skipper and Chalkhill Blue and a medium-sized Adonis Blue population over the monitored period. The site comprised two large grazing units that were continuously stock grazed (0.12-0.27 LUHaYr). The grazing included cattle for three to four months from October to March, together with occasional summer cattle grazing and periodic sheep grazing throughout the year, by hardy Herdwick's to control Bramble invasion. There is an ongoing extensive program of annual scrub clearance (up to 5 hectares per annum), plus annual brush cutting of Bramble between late September and February, which is thought to have improved habitat conditions for the Adonis Blue. Light to heavy rabbit grazing helps create a variable turf, with localised heavy grazing creating highly suitable breeding habitat for the Silver-spotted Skipper. Rabbit control measures are carried out when required.