Northeast "lozenge" of former runway/taxiway area

Introduction

Compartment 9 is the northeastern one of four parcels (commonly called "lozenges") bordered by the former runway and taxiways. The lozenges form four similarly sized, long linear sections, all of which are very rich in flora, containing national and Berkshire rarities.

General Description and Evaluation of Ecology

This compartment supports a complex of large tracts of dry heath with heather, dwarf gorse and fragments of lichen heath, acid grassland and fairly extensive strips of gorse scrub. Typical species of the acid grassland include mouse-ear hawkweed, heath milkwort, narrow-leaved vetch and heath grass. More rarely in open dry swards, early hair grass, tormentil and the nationally scarce annual knawel and upright chickweed can be found. The acid grassland and liche- rich swards are very fragile and will need close management, particularly scrub management. Bare gravels have abundant rue-leaved saxifrage in some areas and the short, damp grassland often supports blinks.

The grassland on the edges is somewhat neutral in character, probably as a result of spray and wash from the concrete runway (now removed) and other structures. Typical species here are common knapweed, mouse-ear hawkweed, common sorrel, red clover and bird's foot trefoil along with more localised species like autumn ladies tresses, green winged orchid and great burnet, all uncommon in Berkshire. Damper grassland dipping slightly in the centre of the compartment is dominated by rushes, sedges and contains devil's bit scabious and cuckooflower.

BAP habitats

Lowland meadow
Lowland heathland
Lowland dry acid grassland

Higher Level Stewardship

Options exist for this compartment.

Overall management objectives

The main management here will be scrub control, predominantly to reduce any further expansion of gorse into species-rich areas of grassland and heathland, while maintaining a diversely structured mosaic in the stands of heather, gorse and dwarf gorse.

Compartment 9 (19.4 ha)

Objective	Area	Method	Comment
9.1) Expand the areas of existing heathland and acid grassland mosaic into areas dominated by gorse or species-poor grassland.	Across compartment.	Suitable areas of gorse can be cut, the arisings removed and the ground scraped to remove litter. Allow space to re-generate naturally. Species-poor areas can have very small scrapes made within them to create bare gravel areas.	Very small scale, done each year.
9.2) Diversify heathland structure and maintain current extent. HLS objectives H01 (maintenance of lowland heathland) HK6 (maintenance of species-rich, semi-natural grassland)	Across compartment.	Grazing is the primary tool. Monitoring of the grassland sward and control of grazing is a vital part of this management. Mow and scrape small sections of the heathland each year to maintain a diverse structure. (Refer to heathland mowing plan, to be completed in first year). Cuttings can be used for regeneration elsewhere.	Grazing is the primary management tool and will be reviewed as part of the grazing review planned in the first year of this plan. Investigation is ongoing into the invasive liverwort mentioned in the 2009 Bryophytes report.
9.3) Maintain species, structure and extent of grassland.	Across compartment.	Grazing is the primary tool. Monitoring of the grassland sward and control of grazing is a vital part of this management to maintain short sward and help reduce soil fertility. Scrape small sections each year to create bare ground, especially in species-poor areas. Mow small areas if required at end of growing season. Control ragwort.	Grazing is the primary management tool and will be reviewed as part of the grazing review planned in the first year of this plan.
9.4) Maintain current extent, and diversify structure of, stands of gorse.	Predominantly on western half of compartment.	Coppice small sections of gorse each year by cutting stumps and allow to re-grow. Remove cuttings. (Refer to gorse cutting regime to be produced in first year of plan.) Maintain the 'islands' of gorse scrub for birds and invertebrates and also as shelter from the wind.	Use gorse as barriers to encourage walkers to avoid area, to reduce disturbance of ground nesting birds.