Appendix 1 - Land management options - Grassland
- Species-rich, semi-natural grassland
- Management of wet grassland for waders and wildfowl
- Maintenance of wet grassland for breeding waders HK9
- Maintenance of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK10
- Restoration of wet grassland for breeding waders HK11
- Restoration of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK12
- Creation of wet grassland for breeding waders HK13
- Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK14
- Management of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species
- Maintenance of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK15
- Restoration of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK16
- Creation of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK17
- Enhanced buffer strips on intensive grassland HE11
- Haymaking supplement HK18
- Raised water levels supplement HK19
- Inundation grassland supplement HQ13
For each option, overall aims, management requirements and relationships with ELS and OELS options are explained. The exact management requirements for each option, including optional prescriptions, will be negotiated with you, and then included in your agreement. The prescriptions text between square brackets may be changed by advisers to suit particular situations and management needs.
Where HLS options can be located with ELS or OELS options this is highlighted at the end of the text describing the options, see below.
Species-rich, semi-natural grassland
Unimproved hay meadows and pastures are important to the character of locally distinctive pastoral or mixed farming landscapes. They support a rich mix of native grasses and flowers including meadow foxtail, quaking grass, cowslip and lady's bedstraw and are valuable for butterflies and other insects. These grasslands are a precious but threatened habitat. Fragments survive in areas that have not been re-seeded, drained or heavily fertilised. They therefore often contain some of our best preserved archaeology. Active management of these habitats will maintain their value for wildlife, contribute to the protection of valued landscapes and archaeology, and promote good soil conditions.
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You will need to submit evidence of current soil pH and nutrient status (results up to three years old are acceptable) with your application when creating or restoring species-rich grassland.
Maintenance of species-rich, semi-natural grassland HK6
This option maintains grasslands that are already species-rich and in good condition by continuing with the current management.
Management includes: grazing and/or cutting for hay; no ploughing, re-seeding, or installation of new drainage; no heavy poaching. Other management, including fertiliser and supplementary feeding, will be tailored to each site based on the type of grassland and the farming system.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and on ELS or OELS options K2, K3, K4, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Restoration of species-rich, semi-natural grassland HK7
This option restores grasslands that were species-rich in the past, but have suffered from management neglect or have been agriculturally improved. Grasslands that are suitable for this option will still have some diversity of grasses and flowers. Potential for this option will also depend on soil type, pH and soil nutrient status (particularly available phosphorus).
This option will be managed as option HK6, but restoration may include scrub clearance, invasive weed control and/or seed introduction by spreading species-rich green hay from a suitable nearby site.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and on ELS or OELS options K2, K3, K4, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Creation of species-rich, semi-natural grassland HK8
This option creates species-rich grassland on former arable land, ley grassland or set-aside. The creation of species-rich grassland is very demanding and will be feasible only in a few situations. Potential for this option will depend on soil type, pH, soil nutrient status (particularly available phosphorus). This option will be targeted at sites close to existing species-rich grassland.
Creation of a species-rich grassland will include establishing the sward by natural regeneration or using a seed source or mix recommended by your RDS adviser. The sward will need to be cut or grazed in the first year to encourage the grasses to tiller and to control annual weeds. Once established, management will be the same as for HK6.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS option K5 without reducing your HLS payment.
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Management of wet grassland for waders and wildfowl
Wet grasslands are important and distinctive components of the coastal and river floodplain landscape. Wet grasslands provide wintering and/or breeding habitat for wading birds and wildfowl. Winter flooding that creates islands of damp grassland surrounded by shallow surface water (up to knee-deep) provides secure feeding and roosting sites for wildfowl and waders. The shallow flooding produces an abundance of food in the form of seeds and insects that can attract large numbers of ducks, geese, swans and lapwing. Waders such as snipe, redshank, curlew and lapwing need damp soil conditions, with some areas of very shallow standing water in the spring and early summer, to provide an abundant supply of insect food for their chicks.
These options can also protect the many features of archaeological interest that are preserved in wetlands with high water levels, see also Historic Environment option HD8 (maintaining high water levels to protect archaeology). For the management of other wetland habitats including ponds, reedbeds, fens and bogs please see Wetland Options, HQ1-HQ10 on page 103.
When restoring or creating wet grasslands, the ability to control surface water will be required. In most situations land drainage consent and/or a management plan will also be required. A range of capital items such as sluices, bunds, scrapes and ditch restoration may be funded by a Capital Works Plan.
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Maintenance of wet grassland for breeding waders HK9
This option maintains wet spring and summer grasslands that already support breeding waders. In some instances it may be necessary to change the water management regime to continue to attract these birds.
Management includes: controlling in-field and ditch water levels in the spring and early summer; maintaining ditches and existing field drainage systems; creating a varied sward structure by the end of the growing season by grazing and/or taking a late hay cut; restricting the stocking density in the bird nesting season; avoiding heavy poaching (although small areas of bare ground are acceptable); and avoiding disturbance of birds by recreational or non-essential activities.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and ELS or OELS options K2, K3, K4, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Maintenance of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK10
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This option maintains wet grasslands that already support wintering populations of wildfowl and waders. In some instances it may be necessary to change the water management regime to continue to attract these birds.
Management includes: controlling in-field and ditch water levels over the winter months; maintaining ditches and existing field drainage systems; creating a varied sward structure by the end of the growing season by grazing and/or cutting for hay; no grazing over the winter months; no heavy poaching (although small areas of bare ground are acceptable) and avoiding disturbance of birds by recreational or non-essential activities.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and ELS or OELS options K2, K3, K4, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Restoration of wet grassland for breeding waders HK11
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Restoration of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK12
These options provide habitat for waders and wildfowl and/or breeding habitat for wading birds by re-wetting permanent grassland and by managing the grazing to create a mosaic of grass structure. These fields will have been wetter in the past but have since been drained or improved for agriculture. The potential for this option will depend on both the availability of surface water and the ability to control it.
Fields under this option will be managed as HK9 or HK10, but for restoration of wet grassland you may need to: alleviate any areas of soil compaction (except on archaeological features); implement a water management regime; excavate scrapes and re-profile ditches; and introduce seed by spreading species-rich green hay from a suitable nearby site.
These options can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and ELS or OELS options K2, K3, K4, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Creation of wet grassland for breeding waders HK13
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Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl HK14
These options create wet grassland habitat for either breeding waders in the spring and summer or waders and wildfowl in the winter months. Fields suitable for these options are current arable land, set-aside or temporary grassland. These fields will have been wetter in the past but have since been drained and improved for agriculture. The potential for this option will depend on both the availability of surface water and the ability to control it.
Fields under this option will be managed as HK9 or HK10, but additional management for the creation of the wet grassland habitat includes: establishing a grass sward by natural regeneration or by sowing a seed mix recommended by your RDS adviser; alleviating areas of soil compaction; implementing water level management; restoring the ditch network; and excavating scrapes and ponds.
These options can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS option K5 without reducing your HLS payment.
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Management of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species
These options manage semi-improved or rough grassland that provides a habitat for target species such as great crested newt, chough, cirl bunting or wintering geese, as well as particular groups of species such as scarce bumblebees and ground-nesting farmland birds.
These options are only available on land outside Less Favoured Areas (LFA). Upland options HL7 and HL8 (maintenance or restoration of rough grazing for birds) may be appropriate for land within the LFA.
Maintenance of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK15
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Restoration of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK16
These options will maintain or restore semi-improved or rough grassland which is known to provide good conditions for target species. These options can also be used to maintain moderately species-rich semi-improved grassland but only where this is a local target, and where the grassland lacks the potential to be restored to species-rich, semi-natural grassland (option HK7).
Management will include grazing and/or cutting for hay. Other management including fertiliser and supplementary feeding will be tailored to each site based on the target species present.
These options can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS options D5 and K5 without reducing your HLS payment and ELS or OELS options K2, L2, L3, L4 and L5 but with a reduction to your HLS payment.
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Creation of semi-improved or rough grassland for target species HK17
This option creates semi-improved or rough grassland on former arable, set-aside or temporary grassland.
Fields under this option will be managed as HK15, but creation of the grassland will include establishing a grassy sward through natural regeneration or by sowing a seed mix recommended by your RDS adviser.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS option K5 without reducing your HLS payment.
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Enhanced buffer strips on intensive grassland HE11
This option provides additional habitat for invertebrates, birds and small mammals by managing buffer strips in intensive grass leys. These strips of wild flowers and grasses provide nesting habitat and shelter, as well as a food source for a variety of species including farmland birds, bats and insects such as bumblebees and butterflies. The strip may be rotated within the same field.
Management will include sowing and establishing a specified seed mix of wild flowers and grasses. The strip will need to be protected from grazing and will need to be re-established when the cover of wild flowers decreases. Other management such as cutting and fertiliser will be tailored to each site based on the species targeted.
This option can be located on the same land as ELS or OELS option D5 without reducing your HLS payment.
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Haymaking supplement HK18
This supplement supports the continuation or re-introduction of haymaking on sites that would normally be managed as pasture, due to the ready availability of livestock and/or the climatic difficulty of haymaking. These fields will have high existing environmental value as hay meadows, but are at risk from haymaking being discontinued for economic reasons.
This supplement is suitable for use with options HK6 - HK8, HK15 - 17 and HD10 & 11.
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Raised water levels supplement HK19
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This supplement supports the raising of water levels in ditches and adjacent land, where exceptional management is needed at key periods of the year. This supplement may be used to provide feeding and nesting habitats for wetland birds. In addition, it will enhance the grassland habitat for wetland plants. This supplement can also be used to manage specialised wet grassland communities or to maintain the diversity of fauna and flora in important ditches.
The supplement is available on options HK6 to HK14. HK9 to HK14 are eligible for this supplement, but only in exceptional circumstances where specific management is required to raise water levels. The payments for HK9 to HK14 include an element for raised water level management, so applicants will need to provide evidence to show that extra effort is needed to raise levels.
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Inundation grassland supplement HQ13
This supplement is designed to allow the inundation of areas of the river floodplain that are currently protected by flood defence banks. Grassland which is made available for additional inundation by floodwater can develop as a valuable habitat, complement adjacent habitats and, in appropriate locations, contribute to flood management. The supplement is used in designed washlands subject to prolonged and random flooding.
This supplement is only available on options HK10, HK12 and HK14 where there are not significant numbers of breeding waders using the site. The site, either alone or as part of a group application, should form a natural hydrological unit, and there should be no significant negative impact on other valuable features.
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Page last modified:
21 March, 2006
Page published: 3 March, 2005