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The
title ‘Skiddaw mountain massif’ relates to the area of the Site of
Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering the Skiddaw and Lonscale fells in the
west to the Caldbeck fells in the north, Carrock Fell in the east and
Blencathra in the south. This is a total area of 10256 ha and has an
altitudinal range from 200m to 900m; it has a greater variety of mountain
habitats and rare species than any other massif area in the Lake District
National Park (LDNP). The biological value of the area was further
confirmed by English Nature (EN) by the designation of the area as Special
Area of Conservation under the European Habitats Directive in 2000. The
conservation importance of the area lies mainly in the heather fell,
montane heath, blanket bog, broad-leaved woodlands and juniper, each with
their characteristic species. The geology and geomorphology, with the
associated minerals, mining and industrial archaeology is also outstanding
and contribute to the SSSI statement. Examples are the stone stripes on
Skiddaw and High Pike which show periglacial processes to this day. In
this, an occasional series for CBC News on habitat management
within the county, I will only be able to describe some of the ongoing
works on this particularly spectacular and in some respects unique area of
the Lake District. Readers however may get an idea of some of the issues,
problems, ongoing works and specialties of the house, but much is still
left to the individual naturalist to discover. Agriculture The
whole area is inextricably linked with farming, and in particular sheep,
although beef cattle are grazed on some areas. The management plan set out
to encourage farmers to enter the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA)
scheme, whereby sheep numbers would be reduced and farmers compensated. To
date this has only been partially successful due to a number of factors.
Caldbeck and Uldale commons (approximately 5100 ha) are the only two
commons not yet entered, but only one area, Skiddaw Forest, has been
entered into Tier 2 of the scheme, which actually reduces the sheep
numbers low enough to enhance the nature conservation interest. All the
other commons are entered into Tier 1 which was designed at least to
prevent further habitat deterioration. Much of the area is common land
with many graziers having common rights to graze a given number of
animals. The complexity of so many graziers all having to agree stock
reductions which were fair to everyone, and on which compensation could be
provided to reduce sheep numbers by the required amount to achieve the
aims of the scheme, has been a daunting task for all concerned. Agreement
has been reached on some large areas of fell however, including
Mungrisdale Common, Bassenthwaite Common and Skiddaw Forest. Compensation
payments are tiered 1 and 2, with Tier 2 being the highest payment, but
requiring the largest stock reductions, and is concentrated on the heather
fell. The increase in heather cover in England is a government
biodiversity target, following a huge post-war decline, and for its
particular species richness. Unfortunately the sums do not always add up
for the farmer and much work is ongoing to improve the package available
for heather fell, to make it economically attractive to more farmers
grazing heather to join the scheme. Recreation The
whole area, although quieter in nature than other areas of the LDNP, still
attracts large numbers of visitors and especially onto the high fells of
Skiddaw and Blencathra. Mountain biking has increased dramatically in
recent years, and on many days more cyclists than walkers will be seen
passing through from Keswick to Dash. The
pressures associated with this increasing recreational use has left many
footpaths in a seriously eroded condition. The first paths to be renovated
were those near Skiddaw House and Mosedale which track through deep peat
and had become 30m wide in some places. A recently developed technique
called ‘sub-soiling’ using a 10-ton track digger has created a hard
surface now only 1.5m wide over the eroded sections and allowed the
heather to re-establish. The
next priority for repair is the main footpath up Skiddaw from Keswick, a
rapidly deteriorating landscape problem. Other
groups such as orienteers, soaring clubs, horse-riders, fell-runners,
hound trails, etc., all use the area for organised events, many of which
are booked and agreed by the commoners’ associations well in advance, so
exercising some control over the type, timing, location and duration of
events. Wildlife Habitats The
area is important for its wide variety of habitats, from the montane
lichen heath above 700 m, to the heather fell and blanket bog, to the oak
woodlands around the fringes. The area of heather/bilberry heath totals
some 3000 ha and is not found to the same extent anywhere else in the LDNP.
In addition to this there are two high-level tarns, Parsley Fern scree,
wooded crags, gills and the third largest area of juniper scrub in
Lakeland. The River Caldew has important Salmon spawning areas and the
becks provide an invertebrate rich habitat for moorland and
water-dependent species such as the Dipper. Species The
area holds many rare species, including nine Red Data Book (RDB)
(nationally rare/endangered species) flowering plants and another 17
locally uncommon. Eleven nationally scarce/endangered bryophytes are
known. 73 species of invertebrate have been recorded, 12 species of mammal
including the Red Squirrel and five species of reptile or amphibian
including the Great Crested Newt. The area has a rich bird life, with 76
species having been recorded including nine from the RDB, although this
richness falls well short of some moorland habitat in other areas of
Cumbria such as the Pennines. For example Curlew and Lapwing are all but
absent. Management The
specific conservation management is in the main driven by the proposals
agreed following consultation, and facilitated by a steering group of
officers from the LDNPA and EN. For
the purposes of this article I will concentrate on some of the ongoing
habitat management within the central core of the massif; there is of
course much more going on in other parts of the area. In
this central area there still exists a large block of heather still in
relatively good condition. Within this area the Red Grouse still survives
as an ‘island’ population, the nearest population of any density being
on the North Pennines, although small groups can still be found in
northern Lakeland. This population has been seen as under threat, partly
due to the lack of heather management, but also grazing and shooting
pressure. This is the remnant of a former managed grouse moor with
shooting bags still averaging 200-250 brace into the 1940s. Heather
burning commenced some ten years ago on NPA-owned land in Mosedale, and
has been successful in spreading grazing pressure across the fell, and
providing a variety of different age stands of heather for grouse feeding
and nesting. In
liaison with the landowner who is very supportive and the Game Conservancy
Trust (GCT), this management has been extended into the Skiddaw Forest
area. Apart from improving the habitat for grouse, the breaking-up of the
heather reduces the risk of another runaway fire similar to the one which
destroyed two square miles of heath on Great Calva in 1995. Narrow fires
are the ideal, as grouse do not like to be more than 15-20m from an edge
and escape cover. The edge also provides reference points for territorial
males and nesting sites. If possible the edge is not left straight, but
scalloped to reduce the site line of possible predators. During
the last two winters, cutting by specialist machine has provided
fire-breaks and other areas have been flailed. This technique has been of
particular benefit during recent wet winters when burning opportunities
have been limited. All this work operates under strict codes and to a plan
agreed with EN. Two
other requirements of Red Grouse are grit and water. We have been
providing grit over three years, as in some areas natural grit is not
readily available and yet is an essential requirement for digestion of the
rough, fibrous, heather diet of grouse. Water is also essential and
dew-ponds have been provided where appropriate. The take up of the rough
angular grit provided has been spectacular on some sites and perhaps
highlighted a deficiency on the moor. Without
an assessment of the grouse population, the success of any works could not
be monitored and so the first methodical count was conducted in early
April 2000 on Skiddaw Forest. This followed walk-up counts from previous
years which only gave an indication of numbers. Using
a methodology provided by Dave Walker, 16 points were identified which
gave visuals over most of the moor, an area of approximately 7 square
kilometres. Observers were in position before dawn and mapped all grouse
sightings, movements and calls. The result was a total of 10 definite
pairs plus 22 calling territorial males. Based on these figures there may
be a maximum of 32 pairs of Red Grouse on Skiddaw Forest, although some
males may not have been paired up. A follow up dog count with pointers in
July was only partially successful, but based on the two counts a
population estimate was provided to the shooting syndicate. The shoot had
agreed to support the recommendation of the GCT biologist. The
recommendation was for a maximum bag limit of 10-15% of the total
population, if numbers were to be increased to a sustainable level for the
future. However, over-winter survival rates are critical in this
calculation. Working
with all parties is an important element to any management, and the
conservation of the virtually irreplaceable Skiddaw grouse stock and
eventual increase in the population is our common aim. Another
species which we hope may benefit is Golden Plover, a recent breeding
species which declined over a number of years to the present situation of
only occasional sightings. Burnt areas for nesting, cottongrass wet areas
for cranefly, and bilberry heath for caterpillars are areas of
improvement, but suitable pasture for adult feeding during incubation and
reducing recreational disturbance (D.Yalden 1999) may be critical factors
outside our control. Predation
from crows and foxes is another factor to be taken into account for all
ground-nesting species; however, this is outside our remit, although the
local hunt and farmers do exercise an element of control on the edges of
the area. Moorland
grips In
the 1970s, grants were still being given for moorland drainage, this
occurred in Skiddaw Forest where spade-deep ‘grips’ were dug in a
herring-bone network on areas of blanket bog. These have subsequently
eroded to a depth of 2.5m in places. This erosion has an adverse effect on
the ecology of the bog and also downstream, where vast amounts of sediment
are washed into rivers and contribute to the choking of important salmonid
spawning areas in the rivers Derwent and Caldew. Studies
by the GCT in Swaledale showed feeder drains (grips) losing on average
142kg/metre and the main drain of a herring bone system yielding 419kg/metre
over a 3-year period, a staggering amount of sediment run off. We
are blocking ‘our’ grips with heather bales produced as a by-product
of heather cutting. This is working well, with erosion and water flow
reduced and sphagnum ponds forming behind the bales, providing not only
water for grouse, but also invertebrates for chicks, a requirement in
their first two weeks of life. A
major result in time will be the increase in water held in the blanket
bog. This will benefit important moss species and cottongrass, a key food
for the Large Heath butterfly – a declining species which survives on
the fell. Reduced erosion and restoration of natural drainage patterns is
the aim, but there is a long way yet to go! Montane
heath Montane
heath is a characteristic vegetation type of moderate to high altitudes,
90% of which is in Scotland. It has been identified as an important
habitat nationally and is a national biodiversity habitat for its
improvement, as much of it is under threat from a variety of sources from
recreation to grazing, acidification and possibly climate change. Skiddaw
has one of the best examples of montane moss and lichen heath communities
in Lakeland, representing one of the most southerly examples of this
vegetation type in Britain. As such it is of considerable conservation
interest. The
plants which grow in the montane moss above 700m are ‘tough cookies’,
adapted to a short growing season, tolerant of desiccation, extreme cold,
prolonged snow cover and high rainfall! Characteristic species are Woolly
Hair-moss, Stiff Sedge and an arctic alpine, the Dwarf Willow. Skiddaw
supports the only English example of an intact altitudinal succession from
sub-montane heath through montane lichen heath to montane moss heath. To
consider the regeneration ability and time-scale at this altitude, a long
term monitoring scheme is being started to record differing vegetation
communities and amounts of grazing and trampling and longer term change
associated with acidification, and – dare I say it – climate change.
To facilitate this study, the first for the country, a fenced exclosure
has been erected to control grazing levels. At
this altitude bird life is restricted to Wheatears, Meadow Pipits,
scavenging Ravens and – occasionally – Dotterel on passage. Gill
woodland In
a generally treeless landscape, the gill woodlands can provide excellent
habitat for a variety of birds; however, due to grazing pressure this is
often restricted to only the most inaccessible craggy areas. A number of
schemes have obtained government consent for fencing on the common to
allow woodland regeneration and split commons to permit ESA entry and thus
stock reductions. The increased woodland provides much needed cover, nest
and feeding opportunities for species such as Redstart, Pied Flycatcher,
Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Woodcock and Grey Wagtail to name a
few. Tree-nesting Raven and Merlin have been recorded along with Buzzard
and Kestrel. On
the open ground and big crags Peregrines rule supreme and regularly share
the crag with Ravens in an uneasy but acceptable situation for both birds.
Peregrines are rarely seen hunting over the higher fell, preferring the
richer pickings closer to the surrounding woodland, and places such as
Bassenthwaite Lake in winter. A
bird close to my heart, the Ring Ouzel shows well in Mosedale and the
front of Skiddaw. Breeding has however been lost from other places such as
Dash Falls, but it is unknown how much of a decline there has been in the
area compared with the national picture. This is essentially a
moorland-edge bird, with a preference for a heathery nest site, but within
reach of grazed alkaline pasture to provide the staple diet of earthworms.
Most of the traditional sites around the area fit these requirements, and
once again show the interdependence between wildlife and agriculture. Such
a requirement for consistent methods of farming practice is crucial to a
species which returns to within 5km of its natal area, with adults
choosing the same or adjacent territory from the previous year. We
dream about Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl, both of which can be seen on
occasions, but to date no breeding has been proved. Summary The
integration of differing interests is the key to providing all parties
involved with a benefit from particular management aspirations, following
consultation with all concerned. It could not be said that all ideas
proposed in the Skiddaw plan received the support of key interests.
However, many have been supported and have succeeded, and have given a
good start to the improvement of habitat for wildlife. There are also
benefits to farming in improved stock quality through the ability to
reduce stock densities. Very few people are against improving the natural
environment, and given the right incentives it should be possible to
restore many important habitats on the Skiddaw massif in the years to
come. Seeing and understanding differing perspectives is an essential
requirement if we are to be successful. (Opinions
expressed in this article are personal and not necessarily those of any
other organisation or authority.) Pete Barron References Skiddaw Mountain Massif Management Plan. LDNPA. 1997. Skiddaw Mountain Massif, Management Recommendations. GCT 1999. Montane Heath Monitoring Proposals. EN/LDNPA. Unpublished. 2000 Grouse Count, Skiddaw Forest. P. Barron, LDNPA. 2000. Grouse in Space and Time. Dr. P. Hudson GCT 1992. |