To increase the diversity of species the cutting season can be varied, the height of the cutter can be changed to different heights and the frequency of the cutting can be changed. Some plants can survive when the cutter is low but many of the plants need time to flower and set seeds if they are to survive. For example for spring flowering plant species the cutting should be done towards the end of June.
In areas such as playing fields or gardens the grass land is an inhospitable place for invertebrates and birds because the grass is cut on a regular basis usually and to a short length. Patches of long grass are essential cover for birds and reduction in numbers of some birds can be related to the cutting of grassland.
Grazing
The most common grazing domestic animals in Britain are sheep, cattle and horses. Rabbits are also common but are wild animals. Sheep bite the vegetation close to the ground and therefore maintain short even grassland. This habitat is favoured by certain types of birds such as stone curlews and woodlarks. During the night the sheep drop their dung in specific areas; this provides nutrients and enriches the plant life around it. The trampling by the sheep has little effect except were the soil is lose or the sheep are on steep hills.
Cattle consume relatively tall grass and as a result the grassland is uneven as they chose the areas to graze. Trampling by cattle has more of an effect as hoof marks will be left and bare soil and muddy areas if wet. The dung from a cow results in a local areas of enrichment in nutrients, the dung itself allows for another community to become established. Trampling by cattle along the edge of ditches creates a marshy muddy area but to much pressure form the trampling is harmful to a region.
Horses are much more selective about the type of grass they eat compared to sheep and cattle. Horses can eliminate some species of grass from an area while leaving the rest untouched producing a patchy uneven sward.
Wet grasslands
Wet grasslands are a part of traditional farming systems, during the summer they grass would be cut and would be used for hay and then grazing and during the winter it would be flooded. These open waters during the winter will attract a range of wildlife including many birds such as lapwing and snipe (waders), ducks and swans. Prolonged flooding may have an undesirable effect on the vegetation and invertebrates in the soil. The area is more attractive to birdlife if there is some variation of the surface features so tat it is suitable for the waders to feed (large amount of edge and pool margin).
In many places the agricultural potential for the grassland has been improved but this has also had an adverse effect on the type of habitat and the species related with it. The changes have been mostly effected by drainage, mowing and enrichment with fertilisers. Even weed killers have been used to select the type of grass growing in the sward or the land may have been ploughed up and then re seeded with the selected grass. Drainage of the area lowers the water table making the land much drier and this means there is less flooding during the winter. This means that less birds such as waders (who will find it hard to feed) or ducks will populate the region. Suitable management of the area can lead to the restoration of the flooding to occur and encourage birds to return to the area. Water levels in surrounding channels are controlled to allow for the desired effect of either flooding or drying of the area by adjusting the water table at different times of the year.
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Managing wet habitats and maintaining diversity
The management of a wet habitat is very different from that of a dry one. These areas can be enhanced to maximise the diversity of species in the area. Open water will need to be kept clear in some areas as mud and other vegetation would accumulate. This can be done by small scale digging in stages. When large scale dredging is done it is done section by section over a period of time. This helps to retain a range of habitats therefore increasing the species diversity in the area. The vegetation on the banks is often cut to prevent encroachment; this is done in a rotation as to avoid a sudden loss of one of the stages of succession. The timing of the cutting may also be effected as to allow plants to flower.
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Integrating conservation and production
Increase demand for food production over the last 50 years has meant that traditional small-scale farming systems have been replaced by more intense large-scale farms. These large scale farms rely more heavily on machines, fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Also more land has been bought for there farms by clearing wood, draining wet lands and ploughed up meadows.
Even with intensive farming diversity of wildlife can be improved, for example hedges that can be used as fences by the farmer can also be used as important habitats by birds and other mammals. To do this the hedge is kept thick at the bottom and a reasonable height and trees can also be kept in the hedge. Ponds that are used for drinking by stock or irrigation are excellent habitats for fishes, dragonflies, birds and other plants. To allow for these species to survive well and keep the pond for its agricultural use the water must be kept clear of pollutants and avoiding shading by to many trees. The management for the conservation in the two examples is not economically demanding either and doesn’t require much effort to maintain.
Farmers also need to make a profit out of their crop as with any other business, there are a number of schemes that are in operation to provide wildlife habitats, or direct funding and advice to farmers to increase profit from crops and increase diversity in species. Examples of these are ESAs (Environmentally Sensitive Areas); set aside scheme, farm woodland scheme and the FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group)
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Total Words: 1257
Reference used: The organism and the environment page 116-124