PM 2 - Restore and enhance degraded species-rich grassland
- Code
- PM 2
- Measure
- Restore and enhance degraded species-rich grassland
- Description
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This will be achieved mostly through improved ecological management and the enhancement of poorer quality grassland such as modified grassland. Different types of grassland should be supported and encouraged as appropriate, including: acid, neutral, and calcareous grassland; floodplain meadows; and other grazing pastures. The variety of grassland types in Herefordshire each require different management and enhancement techniques, and landowners should be advised appropriately. A variety of methods will be implemented to minimise impacts of pollution, such as buffering with diverse nitrogen-tolerant habitats to safeguard more sensitive grasslands. However, reducing pollutants at the source should be the first step.
- Wider environmental benefits
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Improving water quality Increasing flood risk management Reducing climate change impact Supporting health and cultural services Improving soil health Promoting nature friendly farming Controlling invasive species Supporting food provision
- Links to additional information and guidance
- Priority
- Herefordshire’s species-rich grasslands are enhanced, expanded and reconnected
- Priority description
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Species-rich grassland forms a key part of Herefordshire’s largely rural landscape. It is often defined by grassland which has more than 10 species per square metre. These grasslands are a valuable habitat with a unique biodiversity and support a variety of important species such as the Curlew and Great Burnet. Herefordshire contains several species-rich grassland types, and the type depends on location, underlying geology, soil pH, management and history. Acid grasslands occur in places such as the Malvern Hills and neutral grassland can be found across the county, with a particularly good example at Lugg Meadows Nature Reserve near Hereford. The rarest grassland in Herefordshire is calcareous grassland, which can be found in the Wye Valley on limestone rocks. Species-rich grasslands continue to be depleted and suffer from a myriad of pressures such as urbanisation, pollution, over and under-grazing and agricultural intensification. A significant additional risk is their anonymity: species-rich grasslands are frequently in suboptimal management, often appearing unexceptional to all but the specialist. This makes them vulnerable to unintended damage. They are also at risk from climate change and invasive plant species. Increasing the extent of species-rich grasslands and their interconnectivity improves their resilience to pressures, such as climate change, and helps to provide additional high-quality habitat for a variety of species.
- Mapped