 |
|
|
| Return to WN meeting index |
Home| About the author | Have your say | Links | Site Map
WILDLAND IN
WALES - benefits, opportunities and examples NOTES FROM THE MEETING: Up at 5.30am to get to Machynlleth for a 9.30am start, I can only be glad that this third meeting of the Wildland Network gloriously held my attention with thoughtful and entertaining speakers, a workshop, and some absorbing field visits the following day. And it would not have been Wales if the last walk of Saturday hadn’t been forewarned with thunder and then drenched with vertical rain and sleet. This meeting had not been easy to organise as it became clear that an unannounced boycott had been put in place by the Countryside Council for Wales, and by some of the Wildlife Trusts in Wales. More and more, speakers dropped out before the day, requiring some re-adjustment but with no loss of interest or quality. The thirty or so attendees, while perhaps sensing some pre-meeting undercurrents, were thus spared the childish politics that seems to have befallen some sections of nature conservation in the Principality. A few equipment problems forced a change of running order, but the relaxed atmosphere of the day accommodated this well. After an insightful introduction from Stanley Owen, we were treated to some more wildland mapping wizardry from Steve Carver, who went through various datasets that characterize Wales. The biophysical data caught the audience interest, showing up an extensive littoral (coastal) resource, and a suggestion for Steve to find datasets that give importance to the state of the coastal waters. As is expected, when remoteness is overlaid on this biophysical data, the impact of the littoral data is reduced because of its ready access. It reminded me again that good value nature can exist in small pockets when there is no extractive pressure or management. Derek Gow did beavers again, but had time to go through a comparison of the European with the N. American beaver, their respective food and habitats, the beneficial effects they have on the landscape, and the history of beaver use and persecution in Britain and Europe. Apparently good eating, the fur was used to make felt, and oils could be extracted for use in perfumery and medicine (high in salicin from the beavers eating willow). Derek combined the right amount of hard facts and emotional appeal to convince anyone that beaver have been lost to our landscapes for too long. The RSPB seem to have a lock on regenerating wetland habitat in Britain, and Richard Farmer described one of their upland reserves on the Vyrnwy Estate in the Berwyn Mountains. Covered in designations – SAC, SPA, SSSI - the estate was historically managed for shooting, with periodic burning to refresh the heather. The RSPB is now managing for the return of waders, cutting heather rather than burning, reducing sheep numbers and introducing Welsh ponies. The biggest change to the landscape has come from blocking the drainage grips with rolled bundles of mown heather, rewetting the very dry blanket bog. While noting that it was not a natural landscape, Richard was also firm in saying that it was not possible to farm the land profitably, based on the use of sheep. He placed this reserve in the overall context of the Berwyn Mountains, a key role of which is as a water catchment for United Utilities (although land areas are owned by Severn-Trent). Keith Jones talked about the land holdings that the National Trust has at Nantgwynant, Snowdon. The Trust owns two farms described by Keith as being in good condition compared to the surrounding area - the natural gems amongst their holdings, and offering the contrast of a changing lowland mosaic with the larger upland farm. The farms are managed “in hand” (not tenanted) and have recently acquired organic certification, although Keith bemoaned a lack of integration between food production standards and the land management needs of clearing invasive species such as rhododendron. Keith talked of the possibility of re-embracing transhumance i.e. the transfer of livestock between uplands and lowlands, but as interesting was that the two farms have a corridor of changing landscape between them – water and woodland – that shows that a biophysical link exists between them already for wildlife. Powys County Council has put in a big lottery bid to finance development of a future vision for the Cambrian Mountains area. The bid would bring in seed money first to aid in devising the fuller bid. Jeremy Wright, Head of Economic Development, gave us a flavour of the assets of the area, but also the difficulties there were in relying solely on traditional enterprises. He was not certain how fragile the farming economy was as it is difficult to get data on such things as indebtedness. He said that a successful bid would need many fresh ideas for the future. Concerns from amongst the audience were raised on the skewed age demographic of the area, and whether there would be any protection for the Welsh language. For once I enjoyed the workshop as the group I was with had open minds and saw that wildland could be a continuum, with each special interest getting a piece of the action. Everyone was keen to re-introduce the beaver, and there was interest in using new woodland to manage water in the landscape. It was concluded that reduced stocking in upland areas was already having an effect and thus change had begun without it necessarily being signalled. The field visits the next day were an upland/lowland split. The course of the Dyfi River has obviously been a huge influence in the historical occupation, access and use of the wide washland it has created on its journey to the sea, and the sea itself in creating marshland. Our first stop took us to Cors Dyfi a new reserve of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust someway inland where the sitka spruce plantation had been cleared and the water drainage reversed. A mere eight years had seen infiltration of wetland again with reeds, bulrush, bog myrtle, flag iris and willow. A few pans had been dug, now flushed with potamageton. Birdlife is the target, but we were more interested in sighting the three water buffalo that we had been told were now grazing the reserve. No luck. Out further towards the coast, we could see we were in drained peatland, and local archaeology has uncovered the willow causeways that linked across these wetlands between rocky island outcrops. Mostly in grazing use, Cors Fochno is in the Dyfi National Nature Reserve owned by CCW. Many parts of the peat lens are undergoing rewetting by blocking drainage ditches. It can quickly revert to a willow carr as shown by an adjacent unused commons in the reserve. Closed canopy woodland never succeeds as larger, dryland trees fall over when they get to a certain height. CCW manage by using welsh ponies and highland cattle, although these have to be taken off to improved pasture at the end of the season as the Mollinia of the wetlands has no winter nutrition. A few fenced and thus exclosed areas of the wetland show willows and beautiful flushes of bog myrtle, but the argument goes that these reduce diversity compared to the open wetland. I saw only bog rosemary, cross-leaved heath and bog asphodel amongst the attenuated bog myrtle of the grazed areas, which constituted much of the landscape. What would it hurt if say 30-40% of the reserve was exclosed as drifting islands, long enough for some woodland succession to add some variety to this landscape? Moving into the uplands, we walked Pemprys, a Cambrian Mountains valley that throws upland sheep farming into sharp contrast. Having recently changed ownership, and then leased out, it did not seem that sheep farming could ever be a profitable use of this land, nor did the vertiginously sloped area ploughed and reseeded make much sense. The remnant gorse and hawthorn gave a clue to the much richer landscape environment that could grace this small valley and its watercourse, and taken away from the need to pay off bank loans, this valley could be an exemplar island of wildland. Further up, we went into the plantation land of Pumlumon. I picked up some copper rich tailings from mineworkings but the uniform dense emerald green of the conifers held little interest. The mountains have an immense presence and topography, and while the long distance views are a reward for reaching the plateau, there’s not much interest on the way. Might just as well stick some bears and wolves in the plantations as there’s nothing for any one else there! Wetlands - dynamic landscapes with many niches/guilds and quick to regenerate if there are remnant species nearby. Sheep and conifers, the way we extract a living from uplands, well-explored by these field visits. As a land use, is it any longer worth it? The full meeting report is now posted - see www.wildland-network.org.uk/meetings/wales_mach/wn_mach_reports.htm Mark Fisher, 13 April 2006 www.self-willed-land.org.uk mark.fisher@self-willed-land.org.uk |
