PM 19 - Create and restore floodplain meadow habitat
- Code
- PM 19
- Measure
- Create and restore floodplain meadow habitat
- Description
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Floodplain meadows are valuable habitats located alongside watercourses, supporting a diverse range of wildflowers, invertebrates and birds. Many of these habitats have been lost to agricultural intensification and urban development. By increasing their extent, they can continue to support biodiversity and provide benefits, such as natural flood management and carbon storage.
- Wider environmental benefits
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Improving water quality Increasing flood risk management Reducing climate change impact
- Links to additional information and guidance
- Priority
- Freshwater habitats are expanded, restored and reconnected
- Priority description
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Herefordshire has greater than the national average density of ponds, as well as a diverse range of other freshwater habitats. These are vital places for wildlife and provide freshwater resilience to the landscape, which will be increasingly important as climate change impacts are experienced. it will also be important to ensure the ponds are kept in as natural a state as possible. With many ponds starting to be more actively gardened this can lead to an increase in introduced species and unnatural nutrient loads impacting the potential biodiversity and species that could depend on them. Expanding, restoring and reconnecting these habitats will be crucial to maintaining resilience and benefitting both species and people.