Management of the Natural Environment

Question 1

What is an AECS Scheme?

Answer 1

Agri- Environment Climate Scheme which is governed by the Rural Payments and Inspection Division

Question 2

What is a wader scrape?

Answer 2

Wader scrapes are shallow depressions that are constructed in fields to benefit wading birds. They are designed so that they hold water for only part of the year.

They can be very important feeding sites for the chicks and adults of farmland waders such as lapwing and redshank as their gently-sloping edges support large numbers of invertebrates.

Question 3

What was the process of applying for a wader scrape?

Answer 3

Initial stages were identifying rushy pasture suited to wading birds and then discussing the scheme restrictions with the farm manager to see whether these fields could go into the scheme without negatively impacting the farm business’ day to day management such as not allowing grazing at times of the year when grazing is allowed.

Question 4

What is a Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS)?

Answer 4

Governed by the local authority an LNCS is a non-statutory designation Local Nature Conservation Site to areas of locally important nature.

Question 5

What is a SSSI?

Answer 5

Site of Significant Scientific Interest

Question 6

What are some of the activities carried out to restore peatland?

Answer 6

Blocking ditches, stitching and digging trenches, creating bogs

Question 7

Explain the process required for the Peatland Code?

Answer 7

Check eligibility
Register on UK Land Carbon Registry
Submit project docs
Send to certification body
Project validation issued
Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) available to sell
Start restoration works works
Inspection within 1 year
Restoration Validation
At year 5, PIUs converted to Peatland Carbon units (PCUs) on registry
Every 10 years PIUs for that period converted

Question 8

Why is habitat protection and enhancement important?

Answer 8

Sustainable environments, climate change, increase of biodiversity

Question 9

A wader scrape is an AECS capital item, which AECS management option was it tied to as part of the clients application?

Answer 9

wader mown grassland where you can’t cut the field for silage until after 1st July and cut in wildlife friendly manner.

Question 10

What is involved with an AECS application?

Answer 10

• Mapping the existing habitats on the farm such as rivers, burns, hedges and rushy pasture, then mapping where the options will go
  -Writing up management plans for each option

Question 11

Difference between forestry and restoration

Answer 11

Woodland = carbon sequestration
Peatland = stops emission of carbon

Question 12

PIU price

Answer 12

£20-25 per unit

Question 13

PCU price

Answer 13

No trading in Scotland at the moment = unknown