As the Chair of Natural Devon

2.2 COUNTY WILDLIFE SITES

CWS represent some of the best wildlife habitats in Devon and often hold equivalent value to SSSIs. The majority are UK priority habitats (see Section 3). CWS better reflect the state of Devon’s countryside than SSSIs which receive statutory protection and are a priority for funding. In 2012 there were 2,114 CWS in Devon extending to nearly 30,000 hectares¹.
In 2007 Defra introduced a target to increase the number of County Wildlife Sites in ‘positive management’ each year². Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (DBRC) is funded to run the Devon CWS Monitoring and Advisory programme³. DBRC collates information on CWS in two ways:

1. 
   A desk based exercise to identify CWS within Environmental Stewardship or the England Woodland Grant Scheme. These sites are classed as being in ‘positive management’.
   
2. 
   CWS monitoring visits (approximately 100 different sites a year). CWS condition is assessed as Green, Amber or Red – see table below.
   

	Definition
Green	Site is in favourable condition and positive management.
Amber	Site is not in optimum management or condition but classed as in positive management.
Red	Not in positive management or condition. Site requires urgent attention

2012/13 results for all CWS (desk and site visit information)

• 
  73% of Devon’s 2114 CWS were in positive management (this assumes that all sites in Environmental Stewardship or EWGS are in positive management).
  
• 
  4% of CWS were not in positive management.
  
• 
  23% of CWS – condition unknown
  

Results from CWS site visits (487 sites)
Site monitoring visits carried out since 2009 found that 85% of the 487 sites visited were in positive management, although the majority of these were classed as amber rather than green.
CWS are largely composed of UK priority habitats (see Section 3). The Biodiversity 2020 goal for England is for 90% of priority habitats to be in favourable or recovering condition by 2020.
As different sites are assessed each year we do not currently have any trend data for CWS in Devon.

3. HABITATS

There are 65 UK priority habitats which are grouped into 37 broad habitat types¹. Priority habitats identified in the 1998 Devon BAP as ‘key’ to Devon are the focus of this section. Habitats have been divided into six groups: (1) woodland, (2) coast and marine, (3) rivers and standing water, (4) wetlands, (5) grassland and heathland and (6) other farmland habitats.

Each section below includes the following information on habitats:

1. 
   A brief description.
   

2. 
   The known area of each habitat and any known change in extent since 1998. Information on area was provided by DBRC. Appendix 3 gives more information on priority habitat inventories for Devon.
   

3. 
   Known condition.
   

• 
  Information on the condition of habitats within SSSIs was taken from NE’s website in October 2012. Note that NE largely uses broad habitat types, rather than priority habitats, when monitoring SSSIs. Importantly some SSSIs may not have been visited for a number of years and the information taken from NE’s website may therefore not be up to date.
  

• 
  Information on the condition of habitats within CWS was provided by DBRC in July 2012. Condition pie charts have only been produced when 10 or more sites have been monitored.
  

4. 
   Headline issues
   

5. 
   Headline successes
   

3.1 WOODLAND

Broad habitat types in Devon	UK BAP priority habitats identified as key habitats in Devon (Devon BAP, 1998)
Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland	Upland oakwood
	Upland mixed ashwoods
	Lowland mixed deciduous woodland
	Wet woodland
	Wood pasture and parkland
	Traditional orchards

Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland

Upland oakwoods of Dartmoor and Exmoor are internationally important. They are characterised by sessile oak and birch, with varying amounts of holly, rowan and hazel in the understorey. Upland oakwoods are particularly important for ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. They also support a distinctive breeding bird assemblage, which includes redstarts, wood warblers and pied flycatchers.
Upland mixed ashwoods occur on base-rich soils and are predominantly found in the north and west. Ash is usually dominant although locally oak, birch, elm, small-leaved lime and hazel may be the most abundant species. Mixed ashwoods are amongst the richest habitats for wildlife in the uplands supporting rare flowers, a rich invertebrate fauna and being notable for bright displays of bluebell and primrose.
Lowland mixed deciduous woodlands are found on the full range of soil conditions and include most semi-natural woodlands across the Devon lowlands. Many are Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands and have historically been managed by coppicing. There is great variety in the species composition of the canopy layer and the ground flora.
Wet Woodlands exist on wet or waterlogged soils in isolated patches generally in river valleys and on ground surrounding bogs or mires. Although a scarce habitat on a national scale, the moist climate and heavy soils of Devon make wet woodland a characteristic feature of the landscape especially of mid and north-west Devon and the Blackdown Hills.
Wood pasture and parkland is the product of historic grazing systems which have created a structure of large trees (often pollards) at various densities in a matrix of grassland and, or heathland. These sites are often of national historic, cultural and landscape importance. This habitat is particularly noted for its important fungi, lichens, and invertebrate communities associated with veteran and ancient trees.
Traditional orchards consist of standard fruit and nut trees, which occur, in low densities in permanent grassland with low intensity management. The mosaic of habitats found (fruit trees, scrub, hedgerows, grassland, fallen dead wood, ponds etc) supports a wealth of wildlife. A feature of the biodiversity of traditional orchards is the great variety of fruit cultivars.

Broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland
Area mapped

Upland oak wood 3,173 ha

Upland mixed ashwood 291 ha

Lowland mixed deciduous woodland 12,886 ha

Wet woodland 2,878 ha

Wood pasture and parkland 4,062 ha

Traditional orchards 1,240 ha

Total 24,530 ha

Data limitations: DBRC data is likely to be a significant underestimate of the total area largely because only sites which have been surveyed are included on DBRC’s database. Note that many are mosaic sites (including grassland, heathland etc) making it hard to extrapolate accurate figures.
Latest Forestry Commission data from the National Forest Inventory (2011)¹ gives a total of 77,641 ha of woodland in Devon, of which 44,760 ha is broadleaved and a further 1,648 ha is mixed, predominantly broadleaved woodland. There were an additional 5,228 ha of young trees (unspecified type) and 442 ha of ground prepared for planting.

Change in extent of woodland since 1998: An assessment, by DBRC, of 400 random points from aerial photographs (1998 and 2006) showed no statistically significant decrease in the area of upland oak woodland or lowland mixed deciduous woodland.

Condition of habitat in SSSIs
29 SSSIs contain lowland broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland (1,288 hectares). 96% of habitat is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. The main reason given for sites being unfavourable is rhododendron invasion.

25 SSSIs contain upland broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland (2,584 hectares). 98% of habitat is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. SSSIs with woodland assessed as unfavourable no change or declining, are Exmoor Coastal Heaths, West Exmoor Coast and Woods and Watersmeet. Reasons given are lack of regeneration, too much shade due to excessive beech, sycamore and rhododendron growth. However a large amount of work has recently been undertaken to clear rhododendron in Exmoor woodlands – see Successes below.

Condition of habitat in CWS
958 CWS in Devon contain broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland. 197 sites have been monitored since 2009 and 34% was assessed as Green. Issues include inappropriate grazing by livestock, dominance of invasive species and heavy shading from species such as holly.


Upland Oakwood

84 sites. Of the 9 sites monitored, 4 are Green and 5 Amber

Upland Mixed Ashwood

24 sites. None of these sites have been monitored.

Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland

740 sites. Of 179 sites monitored 72 were Green, 100 Amber and 7 Red.

Wet Woodland

215 sites. Of 101 sites monitored, 37 were Green, 62 Amber and 2 Red.

Wood Pasture and Parkland

28 sites. One site has been monitored and was Green.

Orchards

11 sites. Three sites have been monitored and all were Amber.

Results of the Traditional Orchard project in England (NE, 2011)² found that 18% of traditional orchards in Devon are in excellent condition, 36% in good condition and 46% in poor condition.

Issues
Invasives. The main reason given for SSSI and CWS being in unfavourable condition is the

excessive growth of non-native species (especially rhododendron and cherry laurel).

Disease. There are numerous pathogens affecting woody tree species, and the number and severity of these appears to be increasing. For example, Ash dieback is caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea. The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback and usually leads to the death of the tree, although infection in older trees may not be so damaging. First confirmed in the UK in February 2012 in East Anglia, it has since been found in a few young plantings of ash and more recently in an older planted site in mid Devon, suggesting it has been established in the county for some years.
Phytophthora ramorum, or Ramorum disease of Larch, is a fungus –like pathogen causing extensive damage and mortality to trees and other plants. In 2009 it was identified on Japanese larch trees in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and has since led to the felling of over 2000 ha of Japanese larch, both in plantations and in mixed woodland in England (largely in the SW). As at the end of 2012, 18.4 % of Devon’s larch (733.4 ha) had been infected.
Deer and grey squirrels. Deer populations³ are continuing to increase in range and number. Excessive browsing disrupts the normal dynamics of the woodland ecosystem and reduces regeneration and the woodland understorey. The non-native grey squirrel causes significant economic damage to young plantations by bark stripping at canopy closure stage across most of Devon. Large numbers are often associated with pheasant rearing as squirrels will raid the feeders
Lack of management leading to increased shade and structural simplification.
Intensive adjacent land management leading to the impoverishment of woodland flora and the drying out of woodlands.
Ongoing fragmentation of woodland, combined with a slow down in the rate of new woodland creation, renders habitats and species more vulnerable to climate change effects.
Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) represent ~ 1% of Devon’s land area. These sites are in urgent need of sensitive restoration to broadleaved woodland as the remnant ancient woodland features are unlikely to survive further conifer crop rotations.
Funding. Uncertainty over future of EWGS support for woodland management

Successes
The English Woodland Grant Scheme⁴ (EWGS) administered by the Forestry Commission provides grant support for landowners wanting to create new woodland and carry out sustainable woodland management. In 2012 there were 6,382 EWGS schemes in Devon.
A huge amount of work has recently been undertaken to clear rhododendron from Exmoor woodlands, especially within the National Trust’s coastal woodlands. £1 million of FC grants has recently been spent clearing rhododendron from Exmoor woodlands. 350 hectares have been cleared, representing ~ 75% of Exmoor’s priority woodlands affected by this invasive species.
Ancient Woodland Projects on Dartmoor⁵ and Exmoor have worked with land owners to restore, enhance and link Ancient Woodlands.
Working our Woodlands⁶ (2009 – 2011) provided help to bring small and neglected woodlands in the Blackdown Hills AONB back into management. Work is being taken forward by the Blackdown and East Devon Woodland Association.
The Devon Ward Forester Project⁷ aims to bring small woodland owners together to improve the management and productivity of small woodlands.
The Devon Ancient Tree Forum⁸ has now been formally established and is promoting management of veteran trees. A Devon Parkland Inventory was produced in 2007.
Improvements in the condition of woodland SSSIs – the Forestry Commission has been working closely with Natural England to target management in woodland SSSIs and help achieve the SSSI target.
The Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area⁹ has ambitious targets to improve and create woodlands.
South West Woodland Wildlife Initiative – RSPB, NE, FC and others are developing a ‘toolkit’ to help woodland managers improve their woodlands for wildlife.

2. 
   COAST AND MARINE
   

Broad habitat types in Devon	UK BAP priority habitats identified as key habitats in Devon (Devon BAP, 1998)
Supralittoral rock	Maritime cliff and slope
Supralittoral sediment	Coastal sand dunes Coastal vegetated shingle
Littoral rock	Sabellaria alveolata (Honeycomb worm) reefs
Littoral sediment	Coastal saltmarsh
	Intertidal mudflats
	Seagrass beds
Submerged and partially submerged sea caves
Sublittoral rock	Sabellaria spinulosa (Honeycomb worm) reefs
	Estuarine rocky habitats
Sublittoral sediment	Sub tidal sands and gravels

Supralittoral habitats (above spring high tide)
Maritime cliff and slopes (supralittoral rock) support valuable coastal grasslands, heath and scrub, wetland and woodland. Exposure to gale-force winds and salt spray, steep slopes with thin soils, frequent erosion and landslides all contribute to a unique range of wildlife including lichens, insects, plants and seabirds breeding on inaccessible ledges.
Coastal sand dunes and coastal vegetated shingle (supralittoral sediment) are created through natural coastal sediment systems. Examples include the sand dunes of Braunton Burrows, the spit of Dawlish Warren and the shingle bar fronting Slapton Ley. These habitats are dominated by colonising plants able to thrive in extreme conditions of water stress, typical absence of soil and potential exposure to salt spray.
Littoral habitats (intertidal)
Sabellaria alveolata reefs are formed by the honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata, a polychaete, which constructs tubes with sandy sediments in tightly, packed masses with a distinctive honeycomb-like appearance. Over time seaweeds and species such as barnacles and mussels colonise the reefs. In Britain they are only found in areas with strong to moderate wave action such as the south and west.
Coastal saltmarsh comprises the upper vegetated portion of intertidal mudflats lying between mean high water neap tides and mean high water spring tides. Vegetation consists of salt tolerant species adapted to regular immersion. They are important feeding and breeding sites for waders and wildfowl.
Intertidal mudflats are created by the deposition of silts and clays in estuaries and other sheltered areas. They are highly productive habitats and provide feeding and resting areas for internationally important populations of migrant and wintering waterfowl.
Seagrass (Zostera) beds develop in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas on sands and muds. Three species of Zostera occur in the UK (dwarf eel grass, narrow-leaved eel grass and eel grass). eelgrass is an important source of food for wildfowl and provides nursery areas for fish.
Sublittoral habitats (permanently covered by seawater)

Marine habitats off Devon support some of the richest marine communities in the country, including pink sea fan, five species of cup corals, native oysters and various anemones. Important areas include Lundy, Lyme Bay, Torbay, Bigbury Bay, Berry Head and Tamar/Plymouth Sound.

The submerged and partially submerged sea caves within Torbay and the surrounding coastline are of international importance supporting a range of corals, sponges and burrowing anemones.

Maritime cliff and slope (supralittoral rock)
Area mapped
5,568 hectares

Condition of habitat in SSSIs
14 SSSIs contain supralittoral rock (1,975 hectares). 97% of this habitat is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. The SSSIs with habitat assessed as unfavourable declining or no change are Prawle Point and Start Point, Sidmouth to Beer Coast, Wembury Point and Marsland to Clovelly Coast. The main problem at each site is scrub encroachment due to lack of appropriate grazing. Sites assessed as recovering are, in the main, being supported through Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements.
Note that the condition report for one site assessed as ‘recovering’ states that it is ‘unlikely to revert to species rich calcareous communities as management stands.’ This highlights that ‘unfavourable recovering’ is still ‘unfavourable’.




Condition of habitat in CWS

14 CWS contain maritime cliff and slope. Four sites have been monitored since 2009 and all were Amber.

Coastal sand dunes and coastal vegetated shingle (supralittoral sediment)
Area mapped
20 hectares of coastal vegetated shingle and 1,043 hectares of sand dunes.

Condition of habitat in SSSIs
Five SSSIs (1,486 hectares) contain supralittoral sediment (note that this figure may include habitat mapped below mean high water). 75% of this habitat is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. However only 3% is in favourable condition (Saunton to Baggy Point). The main issues at Braunton Burrows, Dawlish Warren, Northam Burrows and Slapton Ley are scrub encroachment and coastal defence structures reducing the capacity for natural coastal processes to take place.


Condition of habitat in CWS
Three CWS contain coastal sand dunes. One was assessed as Green and the other two Amber. One CWS contains coastal vegetated shingle and this was classed as Amber.

Sabellaria alveolata reefs (littoral rock)
Area mapped
Some mapping on the south and north coasts has been carried out. No figure available.
Condition of habitat in SSSIs
The only SSSIs designated for littoral rock are Salcombe to Kingsbridge Estuary and Saltern Cove. Both are assessed as favourable.
Condition of habitat in CWS

Four CWS have been designated for Sabellaria alveoloata reefs. These have not been monitored¹.

Saltmarsh, mudflats, seagrass beds (littoral sediment)
Area mapped
359 ha Saltmarsh, 3,442 ha Mudflats and 185 ha Seagrass (note that the area of Seagrass in North Devon is not known)

Data Limitations: Please note that the total area of littoral sediment mapped is less than the area within SSSI as the area of SSSI has not yet been mapped by DBRC.

Condition of habitat in SSSIs
There are 16 SSSIs (5,234 hectares) containing littoral sediment. 99% of this habitat is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. The only SSSI with habitat assessed as ‘unfavourable no change’ is the Taw-Torridge Estuary due to over-grazing of saltmarsh and adjacent roads preventing transition to a fixed dune grassland.

Condition of habitat in CWS
27 CWS contain saltmarsh and eight have been monitored. Two sites were Green, five Amber and one Red (due to repairs to a culvert which had led to a reduction in the maritime influence on the site).
16 CWS contain mudflats and two have been monitored. One site was classified as Green and the other site was Amber.
There are no CWS that contain seagrass beds.