English Wildflower Meadows Disappearing

PETERBOROUGH, England, August 9, 2005 (ENS) - A summer hay meadow filled with wildflowers may be the essence of England in memory, but a new government funded survey released Friday shows that these grasslands, once rich with wildlife, are at risk and need greater protection to safeguard their future.

Researchers found 79 percent of lowland grasslands, outside of the protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest, are in poor condition. The survey looked at 500 of these unprotected sites, including grasslands managed under agri-environment schemes.

Grasslands failed the condition assessment most often because they lacked desirable wildflowers in sufficient number and at the kind of regularity expected on wildlife-rich grasslands in good condition.

Wildflowers which should thrive in meadows, such as lady's bed straw, have disappeared due to intensive farming practices, such as the use of fertilizers and herbicides, researchers found.

By contrast, many calcareous and acid grasslands typically had too much scrub and tall grasses as a result of years of under-grazing, forcing out lower growing herbs.

Only 21 of the 500 grasslands surveyed could be considered to be in good condition, the researchers said.

Intensive agriculture is altering the fields once rich with wild flowers. (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto)

The study found that 97 percent of wildlife-rich grassland has been lost through conversion, either to highly productive grassland with few species, or to arable land, says English Nature, the government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and geology in England.

The remaining sites are highly valued because they provide habitat for species known to be declining in the wider countryside, such as green winged orchid and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

Clare Pinches, English Nature's lowland grassland ecologist, said, "These results are very worrying. The survey shows that the protection and management of wildlife-rich grassland in the wider countryside is insufficient, with all types suffering the effects of poor management. Hay meadows appear to be faring particularly badly."

Wildlife-rich lowland grassland is now a rare and fragmented resource with five types recognized as conservation priorities under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The five types are - upland hay meadows, lowland meadows, lowland dry acid grassland, lowland calcareous grassland, as well as purple moor-grass and rush pasture: 35.

The habitat action plan for each grassland type requires the governmental nature conservation agencies and the Rural Development Service to report the condition of these grasslands within and outside the series of designated sites.

An English meadow filled with poppies in June. (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto)

This suggests that farmers within agreements are improving grassland condition through management which enhances or maintains the wildlife value of these habitats, said Pinches.

"The potential for protecting the best quality sites and restoring degraded grasslands will be greatly enhanced by the launch of the Higher Level Stewardship scheme," she said.

English Nature and the Rural Development Service are looking at ways to improve grassland condition, including promoting the uptake of agri-environment schemes, supporting local grazing initiatives and designating the most threatened grasslands as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

A reorganization plan is underway for the three agencies. Following publication of the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill in February, English Nature, the Rural Development Service and the Countryside Agency's Landscape, Access and Recreation division are working towards integration as a single body to be called Natural England.

The new agency will work for people, places and nature with responsibility for enhancing biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public wellbeing, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed - so they can be enjoyed now and for future generations.