Conservation Corridor Flashcards
If you have several patches of grass, how should you cut them?
Cut in rotation so that some grass is always left uncut.
What should you do with grass after it’s been cut?
- Let the clippings dry for a few days so that flowers can release their seeds and insects can escape.
- However, you’ll have to remove them eventually otherwise they’ll decay and add nutrients to the soil.
Give two reasons why avoiding mowing is good (hint: fuel and soil).
- Mowing less will help to save on fuel costs
- It’ll also help to reduce soil compaction, which in turn allows the soil to be free-draining
Should top soil ever be added if you’re aiming to create wildflower meadows?
No, conditions will be too nutrient rich and grasses will grow vigorously.
What are the four principles for nature-friendly management of urban grassland?
- Mow less often
- Collect cuttings to reduce fertility
- Leave uncut refuges for wildlife
- Create varied habitats with different lengths of grass, mixed with scrub (and ideally hedges and trees)
If you want to reduce the fertility of a grassland to create a wildflower meadow, how and when should you mow it?
It should be mowed three times in one year.
* You should mow once in April or May when there are no wildflowers present.
* Then in July
* And then in September
* You should mow the grass when it’s at its tallest. Coarse grasses put most of their energy into growing vertically, so cutting it when it’s tall will reduce its dominance.
Should you always completely remove nettles and brambles?
No
* Nettles and tall grasses are the main food plants for the caterpillars of many common butterflies
* Brambles are also good for bees, birds, and small mammals (especially hedgehogs)
Will you be able to turn any field of grass into a wildflower meadow?
No, especially those where nutrients are replenished very quickly (e.g., during floods, or if the ground was fertilised in the past). It’s probably best to only cut these areas twice a year, rather than 3 times.
If you really REALLY want to turn one into a meadow then you’ll have to cut every 6-8 weeks.
How will you know when you need to reduce mowing?
Through the use of test areas.
* Each year, leave a small area uncut (changing the uncut area each year).
* When a test area resembles a “flowering lawn” (short grasses with common flower species) and the area is less than 30% competitive grass, AND the grass is no higher than 70cm, then you can start to cut twice a year.
What could be considered to be the ultimate goal when managing an urban grassland?
The goal is to only cut a field once or twice a year (early spring and/or late autumn when wildlife is minimal).
If you’re going to cut an urban grassland twice a year, when should you do so and why?
- 1st cut: early spring - Feb is ground is dry, March if not (only really do this if grass is growing strongly)
- Then cut in autumn between Sept and Oct.
How long does it take for flowers to set seed after flowering?
Six to eight weeks.
If cutting a grassland twice a year, when can you skip the Feb/Mar cut? (3 Points)
- If grass is not growing strongly
- If the area is too wet
- If wildflowers are already growing
Give a typical cycle for managing an urban grassland
Why is cutting on rotation good?
To maximise the diversity of resources available to wildlife (e.g., you’ll have different grass lengths, and floral resources will always be available for wildlife in some capacity).
Where do you want to leave piles of grass cuttings? (2 Points)
- Areas that are already quite fertile (e.g., areas with lots of nettles)
- Sunny areas, as they can be good habitats for grass snakes and slow worms
Over time, what should happen to the volume of grass cuttings after each cut?
The volume should decline. This is because fertility also declines as the grass is cut.
When brush cutting a field of tussocky grass, should you cut high or low?
Cut high (5-8cm) as many insects and larvae live in tussocks at the base of grass stems, close to the ground.
What should you do before brush cutting a grassy field?
Do a “pre-cut walkover”. This will allow you to remove litter and to let small animals know that you’re about to cut. You should always check for hedgehogs.
What should you mow towards when cutting?
A refuge, to allow animals to escape you.
What should you never use on grasslands?
Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
* Fertilizers cause grasses to grow faster
* Herbicides and pesticides harm wildlife
What percentage of tall grass should be left to serve as a refuge?
10-20% of tall grass. These should be 1-2m strips along hedges, fences, walls, and larger areas.
When can you sow yellow rattle into a field?
When the field is cut twice a year or less - frequent cuttings will kill-off the yellow rattle.
What are five good urban grassland pioneer species that you can sow?
Common knapweed
Ox-eye daisy
Bird’s foot trefoil
Kidney vetch (if the soil is bare enough)
Marjoram (a good late summer nectar source)
What four “weed” species are a sign of fertile conditions?
- Nettles
- Docks
- Thistles
- Ragwort
How often does a roadside verge have to be mown in order for plant species richness to significantly increase?
Once or twice a year. Usually, twice is better.
Note that this assumes that grass cuttings are removed.
If you’re going to sow seeds into a grassland, when should you do so?
Between August and November.
Unless you’re using plugs, in which case plant them in autumn.
A soil test is essential to see how nutrient rich your grassland is. Low nutrient levels are best for establishing a more diverse flora. What should the phosphorous index be?
It should be between 0 and 1.
When should you never mow? (Two months)
June and August. This is when spring and summer flowers are at their peak respectively.
Disregard this info if there are no wildflowers.
What height do you want to mow tussocky grass down to?
5cm.
What sort of sheet do you need when building a hibernaculum?
A permeable (lets water through) geotextile fabric (Optional. Gets laid on top of the rocks and logs to help prevent dirt from filling in the gaps).
A cotton bedsheet also works.
If you’re going to use drainpipes in a hibernaculum, how should you position them?
Make sure the ends touch the ground so things can actually enter them.
You’ll still need pipes even if building an above ground hibernaculum.
How can you make sure that things will climb up a drainpipe in a hibernaculum?
- By adding sticks
- Or by roughing them up with sand paper
What should be north of a hibernaculum?
Scrub!
What should be sticking out on the southern side of a hibernaculum?
Logs and rocks.
South-facing exposed rocks will absorb heat.
When building a hibernaculum, should woody bits and rocky bits be layered?
No - mix them up!
How much soil should you add to the top of a hibernaculum?
Quite a bit - about 20cm or even 2 feet!
If building an above ground hibernaculum, where could you get your soil from?
You could get it by excavating a hole in the ground that will become a complementary pond.
Does a hibernaculum have to be located next to a pond or stream?
No, but it is ideal.
What small, artificial thing can you place near a hibernaculum to complement it?
Roofing tiles - these will serve as basking sites during the summer.
Should soil on top of a hibernaculum be loose or firm?
You’ll want to gently pat it, so firmish.
How long can a seed bank be viable for?
70 years!
Disturbance to the soil can trigger germination!
Why should you sow be shallow when sowing seeds?
Because weed seed banks can be active for 70 years, and can be activated by disturbance to the soil.
When sowing wildflower seeds, do you do it with or without grass being present on the site?
Depends
* If the site is sloping, then grass can be beneficial because erosion can be an issue.
* Remember that not all grass species are competitive. See below for a table.
Name three grass species that aren’t competitive.
- Red fescue
- Crested dog’s tail
- Yellow oat grass
Can a biodiverse grassland ever sustain itself? What special thing will be lost?
No - they require management, otherwise they become dominated by vigorous weeds, rank
grasses and scrub that will all out-compete the wildflowers and result in the loss of a valuable
refuge for wildlife.
What are the benefits of mowing in April and May?
- Wildflowers won’t be be present (not guaranteed, especially in May).
- The most vigorous grasses will be selectively weakened.
This is the best time to tackle vigorous grasses.
What’s the main benefit of mowing in Autumn (Sept. and Oct.)?
Most flowers will have set seed!
If you’re going to change your management routine for an infertile grassland, what’s important to remember?
Infertile grassland communities usually respond slowly to changes in management - long term monitoring is required.
What’s poaching?
Poaching is damage done to grasslands by livestock. Consider doing it artificially to create gaps for seeds to land in!
How often do you need to sharpen a brush cutter blade?
Sharpen blades once a year (if the brush cutter is only used occasionally).
Can you use any random guard with a brush cutter?
No - check the guard to see what blades it’s compatible with (meaning it may say so on the guard itself).
What can be used to quickly find out what conditions a plant requires to survive?
Ellenberg scores! There are scores for nitrogen, light, and salinity etc. The higher the score, the more of that resource is required.
