Dundry Slopes

The steep slopes of the Dundry Hills are focus areas for increasing the area of nature-rich mosaic habitats and species-rich grassland, helping to connect existing nature-rich sites. This is also a priority area for natural flood management interventions, such as cross-contour planting, storage ponds, buffer strips, wetland scrapes and leaky dams.

On the flatter limestone plateau, increasing the nature-friendliness of farming is a priority, alongside restoration of calcareous grasslands where possible. Interventions that will provide natural flood management alongside farming, such as buffer strips and improved soil management, are particularly relevant.

On the northern Dundry slopes, another relevant priority is to and provide more and better opportunities to access and engage with nature for deprived communities in South Bristol.

 

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Priorities for nature recovery

Delivering the priorities for nature recovery is particularly important in the mapped Focus Areas for Nature Recovery. ‘Landscape recovery’ measures, which will have the biggest impact on nature recovery, are particularly relevant in these Focus Areas.

There is a greater amount of land where extensive grazing creates diverse, dynamic and shifting habitat mosaic, including successional habitats and scrub.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
On areas that are currently biodiversity-poor, use a mix of free-roaming herbivores with different grazing habits to create a dynamic and shifting mosaic of habitats. Ideally, this should be done in a large enough area for natural processes to create habitat variety. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Reduce the intensity of existing cattle grazing to improve biodiversity and create dynamic grassland mosaics; this could include introducing more hardy, native breeds of cattle, and introducing ponies alongside them.  Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Manage areas of scrub that are in good condition to avoid them losing their scrub or thicket-like characteristics by, for example, coppicing on a suitable rotation and using appropriate grazing regimes. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery



There are more and better-connected species-rich lowland calcareous grasslands on limestone soils that support specialist pollinator and insect populations, including the small blue, marsh fritillary, chalkhill blue and grayling butterflies.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Restore species-rich calcareous grassland on infertile soils and/or adjacent to existing species-rich grasslands. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Convert improved grassland or enhance ‘semi-improved’ grassland to species-rich calcareous grassland with greater species diversity. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Arable reversion to species-rich calcareous grassland where land is unproductive or arable farming is financially unviable. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery



There are more and better-connected species-rich neutral grasslands, including traditional hay meadows, that help support resilient, diverse pollinator and insect populations.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Restore species-rich neutral grassland on infertile soils and/or adjacent to existing species-rich grasslands. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Convert improved grassland or enhance ‘semi-improved’ grassland to species-rich neutral grassland with greater species diversity. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Arable reversion to species-rich neutral grassland where land is unproductive or arable farming is financially unviable. Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Restore species-rich lowland meadows with appropriate ongoing management. Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental Stewardship



Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Manage existing wood pasture and parkland to maximise their value to wildlife and ensure continued survival of mature and veteran trees Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Carry out specialist tree surgery as needed to extend the lives of veteran and ancient trees Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery



Existing species-rich grasslands and meadows, including lowland calcareous grasslands, are protected and well-managed.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Keep or put in place the appropriate extensive grazing regime for existing species-rich grasslands and lowland meadows, avoiding overgrazing or undergrazing that can lead to grassland habitat being lost Farmers and landowners Countryside Landscape recovery
Prevent scrub from encroaching on species-rich wildflower grasslands, while maintaining a minority area of scrub that is managed to create a varied age, composition and physical structure including glades and scalloped edges Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Where there is an absence of scrub and successional habitat in or adjacent to grasslands, encourage a minority amount to improve structural diversity and benefit wildlife Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship



There are more waterbodies that are in good ecological status and support thriving populations of fish and other freshwater wildlife.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Create a sediment pond or trap to provide an area where muddy run-off from fields or tracks is allowed to pond, so that sediment will settle out before entering watercourses Farmers and landowners Countryside Sustainable farming
Reduce run-off of pollutants from farmland through the use of best practice in applying fertiliser, manure and slurry Farmers and landowners Countryside Sustainable farming
Establish a buffer strip (which can contain long grasses, trees, and shrubs) of 4-12m on field boundaries or runoff channels. This can reduce nutrient and pollutant runoff into watercourses and provide habitat for wildlife Farmers and landowners Countryside Sustainable farming
Improve management of manure and slurry to reduce pollution (e.g. roofing manure storage or manure storage pads) Farmers and landowners Countryside Sustainable farming
Reduce the pollution caused by the transport network (particularly by cars through tyre and brake wear) by encouraging reduced use of private cars and more careful driving styles, encouraging manufacturers to produce tyres with less ecologically damaging components, and ensuring regular emptying of gullies. Local Government

Businesses

Communities
N/A N/A
Reduce the frequency of continuous and intermittent point source pollution from sewage discharges Businesses N/A N/A
Reduce the quantity of pollutants entering the freshwater environment from wastewater treatment works Businesses N/A N/A
Ensure correct management of private septic tanks to reduce leakage of pollutants into the environment; and investigate and resolve drain misconnections in homes Communities N/A N/A
Reduce demand on water supply through more efficient use of water in homes, businesses, and in farming Businesses

Communities

Farmers and landowners
N/A N/A
Use constructed wetlands in wastewater treatment to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the freshwater environment, while providing wetland habitat Businesses N/A N/A



Nature-based solutions are used to slow the flow of water and increase water storage in the landscape, thereby reducing the risk of flooding, and mitigating the impacts of drought and water scarcity

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Cross-slope planting of trees and hedgerows to intercept flows of water, providing natural flood management and capturing pollutant run-off Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Create in-field wetland scrapes (shallow ponds that hold rain or flood water seasonally but stay damp for most of the year) and swales (shallow, linear, vegetated drainage features) to store and slow the flow of water, providing natural flood management Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Create offline and/or online ponds in the floodplain. Offline ponds are not connected to the watercourse, and can capture overland runoff. Online ponds are connected to the watercourse through a stream channel, storing floodwater temporarily and releasing it into the watercourse in a controlled manner. Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship



The extent and quality of our hedgerow network for wildlife is improved, helping to connect wildlife-rich sites.

Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Manage hedgerows in a thick and tall condition for wildlife, following best practice set out by Hedgelink and only cutting every three years on rotation Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Create/restore hedgerows where they have previously existed, or where they would fit in with the existing field system Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship



Measures Most relevant to Land type Indicative level of land-use impact for nature
Plant field trees within hedgerows where they are not already present Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Protect existing trees within the farmed landscape, particularly veteran and ancient trees, and consider fencing off ancient and veteran trees to enable new trees to grow Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Create shelterbelts (windbreaks) made up of trees to protect livestock and crops from inclement weather Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Incorporate trees in grazing systems (silvopasture). This could include trees that can produce a fruit or nut crop alongside continued livestock grazing Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship
Establish agroforestry systems alongside crop production (silvoarable systems) Farmers and landowners Countryside Environmental stewardship



Relevant priority species

  • House Martin
  • Swallow