Cotswolds Scarp
The Cotswolds Scarp has a crucial role to play in landscape scale nature recovery as an ecological corridor linking the Bathscape with Lower Woods and the Scarp beyond. This is, therefore, largely mapped as a focus area for nature recovery.
Ideally, the area would have a variety of woodland, grassland and mosaic habitats. This would result in a mixture of scrub, species-rich grassland, wood pasture and woodland that enables a variety of species to move through the landscape.
As well as creating more habitat that connects nature-rich sites such as Dyrham Park and Upton Combe, ensuring existing habitats are in good condition is important here as, for example, many woodlands on the Scarp are not actively managed.
Maintaining the important ancient beech woodlands on the scarp in good condition is particularly important.
Many of the woodlands here will be affected by ash dieback, and dealing with this in a way that minimises impacts on nature and even improving the ecological condition of some woodlands is also a priority.
The Scarp is bisected by several roads, with the M4 likely being the most significant barrier to wildlife. Reducing the severance caused by the road network and enabling wildlife passage over the M4, A420, and other minor roads is also important for nature recovery.
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 |
| Create semi-natural broadleaved woodland, following the principles set out in the Forest of Avon Plan and ensure the woodland has a suitable management plan in place. Where possible (i.e. next to or close to existing woodland), allow woodland to naturally generate rather than planting trees. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to native woodland. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Create or restore wood pasture and parkland, which incorporate extensive grazing alongside trees. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Allow natural regeneration of scrub and woodland close to existing semi-natural woodlands, which provides important ‘edge habitat’. | 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 |
There is more woodland that is managed and in good ecological condition, including minimising the impact of ash dieback and reducing grazing pressure on sensitive woodlands from deer.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Improve the management of existing areas of woodland for wildlife, following the principles set out in the Forest of Avon Plan | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Reintroduce coppicing as a form of woodland management that benefits wildlife while potentially providing woodland products such as fuel | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Open up rides and glades in existing woodland to develop ecotones and scrubby areas that better support a wider range of wildlife. Where appropriate, use new open woodland areas caused by ash dieback to create new wood pastures or glades | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Consider introducing grazing animals in larger woodlands to create a more dynamic ecology and enable habitat succession. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Take measures to reduce deer grazing in woodlands, such as putting up deer fencing, to reduce their negative impact on woodland ecology due to overgrazing. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Leave deadwood in situ to provide habitat for a variety of species including fungi, lichens, invertebrates, mosses, bats and birds. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Periodically thin ‘high forest’ type woodlands (tall trees with little shrub layer) to maintain structural diversity and a varied age structure where appropriate | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Avoid placing game bird pens in woodlands with a high botanical value | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
| Ensure public access to and recreational activities within woodlands minimises impacts on woodland ecology, including clearly marked paths. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
| Only fell trees affected by ash dieback when there is a material safety risk, a clear future safety risk, or as part of normal silvicultural operations, and leave deadwood in place where possible for the benefit of wildlife | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Where there is a diverse mix of tree species present, allow natural regeneration to replace trees lost through ash dieback. Where natural regeneration is not possible, replace trees lost through ash dieback with a suitable mix of native broadleaved species | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Adopt ecologically sound forestry practices in woodlands used for timber production. This can include continuous cover management regimes that attempt to mimic natural processes, and integration of areas and corridors of native broadleaved woodland in coniferous forests | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Include fire and fuel breaks and/or fire belts in woodland to reduce the risk of wildfires, and ensure woodlands are resilient to climate change in the future | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
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 |
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
- Barbastelle Bat
- Bechstein`s Bat
- Chalkhill Blue
- Common Dormouse
- House Martin
- Small Blue
- Swallow