Urban land includes commons, areas of rough grassland and heathland, some in fairly large tracts, some in small, isolated fragments.
In the past, such areas were created and maintained by a diversity of traditional farming practices, which included grazing by various types of stock, mowing by machine, and a variety of labour intensive techniques such as scything, thistle-cutting, ragwort pulling and clearance of scrub. This in turn created a diversity of grassland habitats. With the loss of farming and land-management skills from the urban fringe, such management is difficult to replace. If mowing is not to result in uniform mown grass, it requires machines to deal with a range of grass heights and ground conditions. Access for machines to get on site, and marketing or disposal of cuttings is also needed. Grazing has the advantages that it promotes grassland diversity, and animals can graze where machines cannot reach. However, grazing small parcels of land within urban areas presents many practical problems. Various initiatives are under way to develop suitable machines for maintenance of these areas, and to build partnerships to manage grazing stock in urban areas. FACT (Forum for the Application of Conservation Techniques) can be contacted through English nature’s Lowland Team.
Within some urban areas there are areas of land with thin, sandy soils which are unsuitable for cultivation. Some areas have legal protection as common land. These pockets of land are often unmanaged, and are used for informal recreation and grazing. Because of the limitations of soil or slope, many have developed interesting ranges of habitats. Heathland vegetation of heather, bilberry and other low- growing shrubs develops on acid, free draining soils.
Lowland heaths were created by the removal of the natural tree cover for early agriculture, and were maintained as open land through the centuries by grazing, burning, the gathering of wood for fuel and by mineral extraction. These practices resulted in an open and ‘wild’ landscape, with its unique community of plants and animals. In the last 200 years, lowland heaths have been under great pressure from urban expansion, road building, forestry and agricultural improvement, and only one sixth of the area present in 1800 remains today. These remaining fragments not only require legal protection, but also active management to maintain their value as heathland. Management may include the following:
- Selective clearance of scrub and young trees is usually needed to maintain the heathland habitat. In the past, grazing by horses and cattle prevented the survival of seedling trees. Cutting of gorse for bread ovens and bracken for animal bedding continually removed nutrients from the system, and prevented the succession to scrub and woodland.
- Urban heathland is much needed for informal recreation, but also tends to attract motor-bike scrambling, fly-tipping and other unsocial activities. Fires can start and spread easily, and although a traditional method of management in the past, can be devastating to small and isolated fragments of heathland. Access control and wardening may be needed.
- Heathlands are home to several rare species of reptiles, insects and birds. Particular management may be needed to conserve them.
- Restoration and creation of heathland is being carried out at various sites over the country owned or managed by the national Trust, English nature and other conservation bodies.
- Path management is often necessary to prevent erosion of the thin, sandy soils. This may include re-routing, surfacing, construction of steps and other footpath techniques.
Bolton Wildlife Project
The Bolton Wildlife Project has been involved in creating colourful cornfield displays on several sites awaiting development or left vacant by housing clearance. Heavy work such as rotavation is carried out by council contractors, with the local community then involved in cultivation and seed-sowing. On some sites volunteers have planted hedgerow trees and shrubs to provide habitat and food for wildlife. The cornfields project has been popular with the local community, by involving them in a project which has produced tangible and spectacular results on the ground.
Selvieland Road Wildlife Area, Glasgow
The Selvieland Road Wildlife Area is a 0.75 ha area of land surrounded by housing on the northern outskirts of Glasgow. Through Scottish Conservation Projects’ EAGER scheme, work was done on the site to improve its appearance and wildlife value, and to provide an area which could be enjoyed by local people. As well as rubbish clearance and hedge planting, the work included diversification of the grassland by sowing and planting wildflowers. A regular mowing regime has been introduced which will encourage the wildflowers to spread.
Native woodland wildflowers for entrance area of site:
- Red campion
- Wood cranesbill
- Nettle-leaved bellflower
- Woodruff
- Wood forget-me-not
- Honeysuckle
A selection of 150 one-year-old plants of the above species were planted in the woodland glade area, at least a metre back from the edges of the path.
- Bluebell
- Herb Bennet
- Red campion
- Wood sorrel
- Herb Robert
- Bugle
Seeds of the above species were sown in small seed beds created within the woodland area.
Native wildflowers for meadow area:
- Ox-eye daisy
- Selfheal
- Meadow buttercup
- Yellow rattle
- Harebell
- Yarrow
- Cat’s ear
- Devil’s-bit scabious
Both plants and seeds of the above species were used to diversify the meadow area.
The 1.2m wide circular path is mown 4 times a year, in May, June, July and August. The meadow area enclosed by the path is mown annually at the end of the summer, and all the mowings are removed to encourage low fertility and floral diversity.
Belfast Wildflower Nursery
The Belfast Wildflower Nursery is run by TCV in Northern Ireland in the grounds of Belvoir Park Hospital. Initially seed was obtained from a supplier in southern Ireland, but the nursery is now becoming self-sufficient in seed supplies from its stock of over 60 species of wildflowers. The nursery specialises in those species which provide nectar for butterflies or food for caterpillars and supplies TCV and other conservation groups with plants for sites throughout Northern Ireland.
Work on the nursery has been found to be well suited to people with special needs, who feel secure in the familiar surroundings of the nursery, and in doing work which they can enjoy. Volunteers have included patients from the hospital, people with learning difficulties and those recovering from depression.
