Page 6 - Wildlife News August 2019
P. 6
Conservation in action
oSlrasnh,ubrutrunr…e?
Too much scrub can compromise the diversity of wildlife on our
nature reserves, but as Land Managers Roger Stace and Simon
Barnett point out, it’s a question of balance
The tapestry of open habitat
and scrub at Greenham and
Crookham Commons.
(JAMES OSMOND)
S crub provides valuable shelter for birds and insects but living off of the land, cutting birch, gorse and other woody
too much of it can be a bad thing, so staff and volunteers vegetation for shelter, fuel and their livestock. Many wild species
spend much of the winter removing it from our nature came to rely on the open spaces created by this way of life and much
reserves. But what exactly do we mean by ‘scrub’? Scrub comprises of our work today replicates these actions for the benefit of wildlife.
shrubs such as hawthorn, blackthorn, dogwood, gorse and
bramble, together with young trees of prolific seed producers like Heathland scrub
birch and willow. Left untouched this scrub would rapidly spread –
part of a natural succession to woodland. Taking heathland as an example, too much scrub negatively
Lowland heath, chalk grassland and many other valued habitats impacts the specialist wildlife that thrives there – birds like
are plagioclimaxes where this succession has been halted by actions woodlark or butterflies such as the silver-studded blue that rely
such as grazing, cutting or burning. Open habitats of the past would on open habitat. If scrub was left unchecked then the heathland
have been maintained by grazing animals and local commoners would be lost, replaced by silver birch woodland.
‘Scrub bashing’, as it’s often called, is our typical method of scrub
Get involved control, where volunteers armed with bowsaws and loppers cut
down the scrub. If we don’t want it to grow back we will then paint
n Our scrub-bashing work parties are an essential part of a dab of herbicide onto the stump to kill the roots. Bonfires burn
our conservation efforts. Join one and enjoy the fresh air, some of what is cut, while piles are left to decompose, providing
exercise and friendship that come with it. Find out more at perfect habitat for invertebrates and reptiles. It is common practice
bbowt.org.uk/volunteer to leave a few patches of scrub and the occasional tree to grow on
to improve diversity and structure. All scrub clearance is carried
n Learn more about how we manage our nature reserves out between September and February so as to minimise disturbing
and discover the wildlife that benefits on one of our many wildlife, particularly nesting birds and reptiles.
guided walks or talks: bbowt.org.uk/events
6 Wildlife news / August 2019
