Why does land need managing for wildlife?

Managing land for nature and wild species is always a balancing act. Different habitats, such as open grassland, wetlands, heathland, woodland or farmland, support different plants and animals; and whilst some species can live in a wide range of conditions, many are adapted or suited to particular habitats. 

Conservation management often involves prioritising the needs of a species, or group of species, and the habitat that will support them, over others. This is usually done by looking at rarity, threats or their local, national or international significance. 

What’s found at Greenham and Crookham Commons?

At Greenham and Crookham Commons, BBOWT is committed to conserving the mix of open heathland and grassland habitats – and the rare species that make their home here – whilst also providing good quality access to the greenspace and Cold War heritage of the Commons for visitors, and enabling the exercising of historic commoners’ rights.

The open habitats on the Commons are present today as a consequence of human activity. The heathland and grasslands would soon disappear if left unmanaged; birch and hawthorn scrub and eventually woodland would replace heather, gorse, fine grasses and wildflowers through a process known as natural succession. 

Which birds and animals are you improving the site for?

Trees are constantly trying to grow and take over but we would hope that management works such as livestock grazing and scrub cutting, would keep woody scrub and tree establishment in check, maintaining suitable conditions for our important and loved species, including skylark and woodlark, Dartford warbler, nightingale, orchids, adder, lapwing and grayling butterfly (amongst many others).   

In recent years, the proportion of open habitats has declined as more scrub, gorse and small trees have grown up, squeezing the space available for heathland and grassland adapted species, and threatening their long-term survival on the Commons. 

Evidence shows that where open habitats become increasingly scrubby, specialist species decline, by either the physical conditions becoming unsuitable, or becoming more vulnerable to predators, or through increased competition for resources from other species moving in that normally would not find the open spaces suitable. 

What’s happening at Greenham and Crookham Commons this winter?

BBOWT is increasing the area of scrub, mature leggy gorse and trees that are cleared this winter so there will be more open grassland and heathland for the special species here that need this. The increase in clearance work will result in some parts of the site looking very different and undergoing big changes in a short space of time. 

There will be a short-term impact, both on wildlife and visually, but the re-set will benefit our target species and habitats going forwards. 

Won’t this harm the wildlife there?

Plant communities of open habitats are often adapted to deal with large and sudden disturbance events and should respond positively. 

As the habitat regenerates, insects and other animals will re-colonise. This can only happen when healthy, long-term populations remain to provide new colonists, which our works are seeking to achieve.

By carrying out works in the winter, we will avoid disturbing any nesting birds; and many other species such as reptiles, amphibians and mammals will be either hibernating below ground or tucked up in areas of deeper cover. 

How have you chosen the areas for the work?

Greenham and Crookham Commons is a large site, and mobile species will be able to find equivalent habitats. Where less mobile species (such as reptiles, or rare plants) might be disturbed, we have looked at our survey and monitoring data to identify key areas, and these will be treated more sensitively. 

We have also used this approach to highlight important bird nesting areas, so that habitat management does not remove all suitable nesting habitat come next spring. 

What’s happening to all the material?

The material generated by the scrub and gorse clearance work will mostly have to be burnt due to the large volumes and the financial and environmental cost of haulage off-site. 

Cutting and leaving material to rot either where it falls or in large piles has the negative effect of returning nutrients to the soil and both heathland and semi-natural grasslands thrive where nutrient levels are low. If we left the materials to rot on site this would simply encourage scrub to return more quickly. 

Isn’t burning bad for the environment?

A concern that many have is the effect on stored carbon that large fires will have. Whether the material is burnt or composted carbon is released. 

The carbon in living plants does not have a significant impact on atmospheric carbon, it is part of a short-term or active carbon cycle, whereby the carbon released is re-absorbed by growing plants, soil communities or the oceans. 

The big issue with regards to the climate crisis is the release of carbon that has been long-term isolated from the active carbon cycle, namely in fossil fuels, permafrost soils or from clearing tropical forests that have been carbon stores for many millions of years; leading to an imbalance in the cycle and a rapid build-up of atmospheric carbon. 

In short, while the work this winter might look drastic it will benefit some of the rare plants and animals that we're lucky to have at Greenham and Crookham Commons and we ask that you bear with us while we carry it out.