Trunk Road Biodiversity Action Plan: Review for Discussion

general good management practices to encourage biodiversity

Wildlife, and the environment on which it depends on for its survival, can be protected and enhanced by any individual or organisation.

Sites should generally be managed to promote their existing strengths. When designing the management plan for a site, it is important to take into account factors such as appropriateness to the local landscape character and habitats, and any maintenance or operational constraints.

Management input

Management for wildlife does not mean no management. Most grasslands, for example, need to be regularly cut to prevent the dominance of just a few coarse species. Invasive plants such as rhododendron, bracken and Japanese knotweed need to be controlled. A management regime should seek to achieve targeted effort appropriate to the site and the desired objectives, avoiding unnecessary or over intensive maintenance.

When considering how to manage a site to make the most of its wildlife potential, it is important to remember that some species may have quite specific habitat requirements, for example relying on the availability of a particular food plant or host species to complete their life cycle. The manager needs to decide what is desirable at a particular site or stretch of road, and tailor the maintenance regime accordingly, through the Landscape Maintenance Plan and Landscape Development Plan.

Using local contacts

Remember, managers don't have to become expert ecologists to make a positive contribution! The Toolkit and the Area Action Plans will provide the specific information and guidance needed to integrate biodiversity action with working practice. In addition, Appendix 2 provides contact details for the local biodiversity networks which hold detailed information on sites of local value. Positive action in partnership with these networks will ensure initiatives are focused on local priorities, and may even involve practical assistance with their implementation. Additionally, contact with others will enable managers to re-assess and measure management requirements against sustainability and biodiversity objectives.

Using local information

Information on valuable or sensitive sites in the area can be provided by local Biological Recording Centres, local Wildlife Trusts, SNH and Biodiversity Steering Group networks. These organisations may have already carried out an audit of the area and thus may have collated a great deal of relevant and useful information.

Understanding the resource

Information on the area and its wildlife and habitats will provide managers with a degree of background information which will assist their landscape and maintenance planning. Habitats and species identified as being of importance are described in the UK Biodiversity Steering Group Action Plans.

As a rule, when considering the management or enhancement of a site the following approaches should be adopted:

• Work with nature rather than against it. Allow spontaneous growth of native vegetation in keeping with the locality where possible.
• Avoid unnecessary management, which can be costly and may prevent development of a sustainable habitat.
• Seek to manage roadside areas to complement the surrounding habitats if they are diverse and/or valuable. This will help to create a natural looking landscape and to extend the available habitat. Exceptions to this may arise where the surrounding area is very poor in ecological/biodiversity terms or where there are specific objectives behind new planting or management practices.

For example, in an area dominated by intensive agriculture it is not always appropriate to try to match the road with the surrounding landscape, which constantly changes as crops are sown, grown and harvested.

• Wherever possible, use appropriate local materials for walling, fencing etc.
• Avoid attempting to translocate habitats as a mitigation measure for construction work - it is rarely fully successful. Instead encourage natural regeneration through the use of seedbanks in topsoil, locally harvested seeds, and by retaining plants on site as far as possible to act as sources of new seed.
• Where possible use native species appropriate to the area and the substrate, and where available use seeds and plants of known local provenance when carrying out new planting. These are the species most likely to establish successfully, with lower maintenance requirements. Using them will help maintain local genetic types, landscape character and conservation value. They will also complement other local plant and animal species. Often this is the most whole-life cost effective option. Further information on local provenance can be obtained from SNH and from the Forestry Commission.
• New planting is not always the best way to enhance biodiversity. The existing value of a site should always be considered before new habitat development is implemented.
• Grade habitats into one another to increase the ecological benefits. Abrupt changes between short and tall grassland and shrubs, for instance, look artificial, may demand more maintenance effort and have less potential for species diversity. Biodiversity tends to be particulary high where habitats grade into one another, such as the interface between grassland and scrub.
• New measures generally require a level of monitoring and maintenance, at least until established, to ensure they are successful and to avoid wasting resources on failed schemes. The lessons learned from scheme monitoring will in turn make future initatives more successful and cost-effective. Sub-contractors should have contractual obligations to undertake appropriate management and monitoring for mitigation work/new schemes.
• Prior to any work on site, an appraisal of the potential effects on key species, especially those protected by law, should be carried out as a routine part of site survey and assessment. This should include consideration of amphibians, reptiles, bats, badgers and otters where appropriate.
• Draw upon other examples of good practice, for example:

As part of improvements to the A830 trunk road from Fort William to Mallaig in 1994, the trees that were planted came from locally collected seeds grown in advance of the work. East of Loch Eilt the roadside verge has spontaneously developed a diverse mix of wildflowers and grasses on thin, poor soils, which requires only infrequent grass cutting (source: CEL:LfN).