Combining biodiversity enhancement of temperate grassland with sustainable organic production of traditional breed livestock
Since 2004 wildlife conservation initiatives have been combined with sustainable organic rare breed livestock and woodland production on Mabley Farm, which occupies 80 ha on the Woolhope Dome‐a Biodiversity Enhancement Area in Herefordshire near the England‐Wales border.Financial incentives come from the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship scheme of the England Rural Development Programme.The climate is temperate oceanic.The soil is base‐rich brown earth derived from Silurian limestone, pH 5.4‐6.0.The estate comprises parkland and wood‐pasture (24 ha), permanent grassland (17 ha), water‐meadow (6 ha), semi‐natural coppice‐with‐standards woodland (17 ha), coniferous plantation (13 ha) and orchard (3 ha).Management was designed to enhance biodiversity by grazing and mowing, recycling soil nutrients via urine and dung, and microhabitat creation by poaching.The livestock are Old English Longhorn cattle and Wiltshire Horn sheep.These are traditional breeds, which are well adapted to utilising species‐rich meadows, have higher infestation resistance and cold weather tolerance than modern breeds, and produce large carcasses of succulent meat.Stocking rates are lenient, at 0.5 cattle or 4 sheep per ha.Excess herbage is harvested as hay for winter feed and for sale.Pasture and woodland management are integrated — the woodland supplying fencing for the fields as well as sustainable yields of timber, coppice materials, firewood and charcoal for sale.Habitat diversity has been enhanced by pond restoration and hedgerow management.The Farm also acts as an.open‐air classroom, hosting a programme of educational visits.The flowering plant flora and the invertebrate and vertebrate fauna of the grasslands have been continually monitored from 2004 to 2007.Variations in species frequency have been noted with particular attention given to species of conservation importance.
Biodiversity Organic grazing Pasture management
Mark P OBrien W.Elizabeth Vice Humphrey G Smith
Mabley Farm,Woolhope,Here fordshire,UK James Starley Building,Coventry University,Coventry CV1 5FB,UK.
国际会议
呼和浩特
英文
2008-06-29（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）