Role of Natural England:
Given that Wareham Common is owned by Rempstone Estate who grant grazing rights to ‘commoners’ it is helpful to understand the role of Natural England as they, obviously, do not own the land; instead, they have legal powers to ensure a land owner acts “effectively and appropriately to conserve the special features of the site”. This management covers the grazing of animals, controlling water levels and controlling scrub.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) Natural England can designate (or notify) as a Site of Special Scientific Interest areas of land that have rare and/or endangered species, habitats or natural features. Once 'notified' the land owner must work within the agreed management plan for the site as prepared by Natural England's ecological specialists; the land owner no longer has complete control over his/her land. Natural England can, without prior notice, visit any SSSI to ensure compliance.
The legislation aims to protect the most significant and ecologically valuable sites from damage and to promote management that improves the condition of the site should that be necessary. Wareham Common was designated a SSSI in 1991 and was last reviewed in 2010. It was 'notified' because it is a rare example of coastal grazing marsh and has some interesting botanical species. The 2010 assessment described the condition of all three units (more on this later) as "poor but improving".
Management Principles:
Natural England produces a ‘View on Management’ for an SSSI which outlines the management principles that should be employed on the site. For wet grassland and associated areas of acid fen and drier neutral pasture (like Wareham Common), it says that active management to retain the conservation interest is required.
Generally, each year’s growth of vegetation must be removed otherwise the sward becomes dominated by tall, vigorous grasses and rushes which, together with an associated build up of dead plant matter, suppress less vigorous species and lower the botanical richness of the sward. Traditionally, this management is achieved by grazing. Cattle are often the preferred stock, being relatively tolerant of wet conditions and able to control tall grasses and rank vegetation. Cattle also tend to produce a rather uneven, structurally diverse sward. However, ponies, or even hill sheep, can be used if necessary.
Grazing usually takes place at times between late spring and early autumn, but the precise timing and intensity will depend on local conditions and requirements, such as the need to avoid trampling ground-nesting birds. Heavy poaching should be avoided but light trampling can be beneficial in breaking down leaf litter and providing areas for seed germination.
An element of managed scrub, both within and fringing a field can be of importance to birds and invertebrates, as can a surrounding hedge.
Careful maintenance of existing ditches and drains is usually acceptable practice, but abandonment or deepening of ditches can be harmful.
Cultivation, increased drainage or the application of pesticides, including herbicides, or fertilizer is likely to be damaging and should be avoided.
In summary, the common needs to be carefully grazed and the meadows need to be mown in late summer to prevent grasses and rushes from dominating the flora. Scrub should be controlled within limits, for similar reasons. Some clearance of ditches is acceptable but neither neglecting them or deepening them is. There should be no cultivation of crops and no use of artificial substances. That sounds pretty sensible!
Site Fragmentation:
Map showing the three SSSI designated areas of Wareham Common
At the outset I said Wareham Common was a Site of Special Scientific Interest but that is not actually quite true; only parts of it are designated as a SSSI. The citation refers to three blocks which together form about half of what we know as the Common.
This clouds further a further seemingly complex situation! It means part of the Common are subject to the protection afforded by SSSI status whilst neighbouring areas are not and that has the potential to create anomalies, confusion and tensions. This is best seen on the part of the Common known as the north block. The SSSI starts from the moment one enters the common on the north side but terminates at a concrete bridge over a drainage ditch, the rest of that area of the Common is unprotected. It is possible that the number of cows allowed to graze the SSSI could be different to the numbers allowed by the leasing agreement for the rest of the Common. It could also mean that scrub is to be removed from one side o the ditch and not the other. The difficulty arises because certain conditions defined in the ‘Act’ have to be met for a site to be designated and on this part of the common one part does meet the criteria and the other part does not. It is understandable why this occurs but it does not seem entirely desirable from anyone’s perspective.
The Common is not a single entity, it is fragmented physically by the river running west to east and by the railway, and also the road, running north to south and logically by the presence of different significant botanical species in certain areas. The site is disjointed and this makes a single, effective overall management plan for the well-being of the complete Common area pretty well impossible to draw up and implement and it shows.
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