Species-rich grasslands include a variety of semi-natural plant communities that have developed under various combinations of agricultural practices, soil types and climatic conditions. This plan focuses on protection, enhancement and creation of these grasslands on enclosed land. Species rich grasslands have traditionally been utilised by farmers as pastures for grazing stock and also as hay meadows cut for winter keep. Agriculturally they provide a sustainable method of producing forage, which although low yielding is rich in trace elements and can be low in gut parasites. Species-rich grasslands are important wildlife habitats not just for the diversity of plants they contain, but also for the variety and numbers of invertebrates they support. Many of these invertebrates in turn become food for farmland birds and bats. Species-rich grasslands are also more aesthetically pleasing than improved grasslands; they add colour to the landscape and contribute to the character of the area.

Although more than a quarter of North East Scotland’s agricultural land comprises enclosed grassland, less than half of that is permanent and the vast majority is intensively managed with very limited species diversity. Consequently, non-agricultural habitats such as road verges are an important refuge for species-rich grassland. Within the last few years environmental schemes have encouraged farmers and other land managers to enhance the conservation value of their surviving species-rich grasslands and also to sow new ‘wildflower’ grasslands.

Owing to the difficulties in defining this broad habitat type, the small size of many of the sites and the lack of survey information it is only possible to produce crude estimates about the current status of species-rich grasslands in North East Scotland. However it is defined there can be little doubt that this habitat has declined locally. There are a small number of species-rich hay meadows in the upland fringes. Hay meadows are not a traditional feature of the lowlands, where most hay and silage fields have been part of an arable/grass rotation for a century or more. The majority of species-rich agricultural grasslands in the region are therefore found on land that is too steep or rocky to be taken into cultivation, at sites where there is an appropriate level of grazing to maintain diversity. Such sites are limited in size and number and are declining due to the threats described below. In addition to agricultural grasslands there are a number of riverbank and road verge sites where routine cutting, without fertiliser inputs, has maintained small but important patches of species-rich grassland.

Species-rich grasslands may be neutral, acidic or calcareous (base-rich). Only a small proportion of NE Scotland overlies calcareous rocks and due to high rainfall these areas are often capped by soils of low pH. Calcareous grasslands support a great diversity of species including many restricted to this habitat. The limited numbers of calcareous grasslands that occur in the area are thus of considerable importance in biodiversity terms. These sites are scattered, but tend to be concentrated on a thin band of limestone running north-east from Tomintoul.

The majority of species-rich grasslands in the North East are found on neutral to acidic soils and are less species-rich than calcareous grasslands. Unimproved grasslands on neutral or acidic soils are likely to contain at least 12 species of vascular plant per metre square. In most cases grasses will dominate, but they may have less than fifty percent cover in some very species-rich swards.

Regardless of the underlying substrate, three key factors are required for the development and maintenance of species-rich grassland. The grassland must be permanent, as rotational grassland does not usually have sufficient time to develop a stable, diverse sward. The soil must have low nutrient status (particularly phosphate) as high fertility favours the dominance of grasses. Finally, grazing or cutting is generally required to prevent invasion by taller grasses and scrub, but without significantly inhibiting flowering.

Lowland species-rich grasslands in NE Scotland are most likely to fall into one of the following NVC communities: MG3, MG5, CG10 and species-rich stands of MG1, MG6, MG9 and U4. Vegetation dominated by bracken, areas of impeded drainage (wetlands) and coastal dunes fall outside our habitat definition for this action plan, as do areas of species-rich grassland that occur on hill ground above the limit of enclosure.

The following table lists local priority species that are likely to occur in species-rich grassland in North East Scotland (P = UK Priority species, C = Species of Conservation Concern, L = Locally important species). The species listed are largely restricted to species-rich grassland and are, therefore, likely to benefit from this action plan. Other species may well benefit from sympathetic management of species-rich grassland, but it is unlikely to contribute significantly to their conservation, as other habitats are of greater importance. Other associated species include: - brown hare, shrews, kestrel, barn owl, grey partridge, corn bunting, skylark and pearl-bordered fritillary.

Over the last 50 years there has been a serious reduction in the number and diversity of species-rich grasslands. The main factors responsible for continuing declines are:

To improve forage quality and maximise yields, many areas of permanent grassland have been ‘improved’ by the application of fertilisers, lime and reseeding. Conversion of old grass fields into arable production has also contributed to some losses. ‘Improvement’ has been a major factor in the decline of species-rich grassland and may still be a threat to some of the larger remaining fragments of this habitat.

Over-grazing by sheep is a major threat to species-rich grassland, particularly in the upland fringe. Plants may be prevented from flowering, and sheep tend to selectively graze wild flowers in preference to grasses. Over-grazing by cattle and supplementary feeding of livestock in the winter encourages erosion, poaching and subsequent invasion by undesirable weeds such as ragwort, dockens, nettles and thistles.

The reduction or cessation of grazing is another major threat. An increase in purely arable farming has resulted in there being no livestock available to graze some of the steep banks where species-rich grassland has survived. Consequently taller grasses and scrub tend to invade these sites. Promotion of improved watercourse management has resulted in an increase in fencing off water margins to create buffer strips. Along species-rich water margins appropriate grazing/ cutting regimes need to be maintained to prevent loss of species rich swards.

Over grazing and burrowing by rabbits may be problematic, causing erosion, loss of turf through burrowing and reduced flowering. However, moderate rabbit grazing may be important in maintaining species-rich grassland on farms where livestock have been removed.

Some species rich road verge sites continue to be threatened by inappropriate management including herbicide spraying and frequent cutting. Cutting low to the ground during the flowering season prevents flowering of some species. Leaving grass cuttings on the site can also be detrimental. Cessation of cutting on the verges of minor roads or on riverbanks may result in the invasion of taller grasses and scrub.

Burning of grassland on riverbanks and roadsides may result in the invasion of coarse, vigorous vegetation such as rosebay willowherb.

Some species-rich grasslands have been lost to afforestation because they have been considered unsuitable for modern agricultural usage due to their low fertility, rocky outcrops or gradient.

Eutrophication as a result of pollution caused by oxides of nitrogen, as well as supplementary feeding of livestock is thought to be promoting species such as ragwort, thistles, dockens and coarse grasses that thrive under more fertile conditions. Local pollution due to ground water contamination, slurry spreading, herbicide and fertiliser drift may threaten some sites.

Surviving species-rich grasslands now frequently occur as small isolated fragments. Seed dispersal between sites is therefore unlikely, reducing the chances of re-colonisation following chance extinctions. Furthermore, small isolated populations of plants (and associated insects) are likely to have limited genetic diversity and may suffer deleterious effects of inbreeding.

During habitat creation projects designed to create new species-rich grasslands inappropriate species mixes have sometimes been sown which include non-native species and unusual cultivars of common species. Expectations of what is possible in the short-term are frequently unrealistically high and subsequent management is often inappropriate. The perception that it is easy to create new species-rich grasslands may cause existing sites to be undervalued. Nevertheless effective habitat creation can have a role to play in expanding the area of this habitat.

There are 14 SSSIs in Aberdeenshire and 6 SSSI in Moray, which are partly, or wholly grassland. In Aberdeenshire nine of these sites are coastal and three are located in the uplands. In Moray 3 of the sites are located in the uplands. Hence only 5 SSSIs are relevant to this habitat action plan. Other statutory sites, such as the RSPB Reserve at Strathbeg, have areas of grassland, which are managed sympathetically.

The forthcoming Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS) will, like its predecessors the Countryside Premium Scheme (CPS) and Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme (ESA) provide area payments for farmers to positively manage existing species-rich grassland and to create new species-rich areas on arable land. The RSS is likely to be more flexible than the CPS, and allow management prescriptions tailored for individual sites. However, funding for the RSS will be limited and for at least the next few years farmers will have to compete for the money available. There has also been criticism that the payments for managing existing species-rich grassland are too low in comparison with the payments for habitat creation attempts, which are of much lower conservation value. This is because the agri-environment payments are based on agricultural income forgone. Habitat creation attempts have been disadvantaged by a lack of reliable sources of native provenance seed that are affordable under current levels of grant, resulting in the use of cheaper and more plentiful imported seed.

Proposed changes to the support mechanism for farmers in the Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) which cover a large part of North East Scotland include environmental measures that have the potential to benefit species-rich grassland. In particular, super-extensification could reduce grazing pressure on vulnerable sites.

This initiative promotes good environmental practice on golf courses including the management of existing species-rich grassland and the creation of new species-rich grassland in rough and out-of-play areas. If widely adopted, this initiative could provide the greatest opportunity for creation of new species-rich grassland.

Whilst having no statutory protection, some species-rich grasslands, at Haddo Country Park for example, continue to receive sympathetic management. In addition, a number of species rich grassland sites have been identified and designated as Wildlife Sites.

Information on suitable species for inclusion in a species-rich grassland creation scheme is available in leaflets from FWAG, SNH and some seed companies.

Species-rich grasslands provide a sustainable low input method of producing forage for stock that is high in trace elements. Provided stocking rates are low year round these grassland may also be low in the free-living stages of gut parasites. As part of a certified organic farming operation they can attract the premiums associated with this method of farming. At the sites where they now survive species-rich grasslands represent a practical agricultural use of the land. Unimproved grasslands are generally more robust under environmental extremes, surviving drought more readily than rye-grass dominated swards.

Grasslands with a diverse flora support a wider range of invertebrates. This is in turn likely to have positive effects on animals higher up the food chain such as bats and birds.

Whilst lacking the major visual impact of a woodland or a loch, species-rich grasslands can have a significant influence on the local landscape during the flowering season. Species-rich roadside verges are of particular value in contributing to an attractive landscape.

Current agri-environment schemes offer grants to individual landowners and tenants to enhance the conservation value of their species-rich grasslands. Hay produced from species-rich grassland is likely to be of considerable value as feed for horses. Some seed companies and some conservation organisations harvest seed directly from species-rich grasslands and market it as local provenance seed for civil engineering projects and for the creation of new wild-flower meadows. This provides a potential additional income from old grasslands, but is generally only feasible on larger flatter sites, very few of which survive.

Features such as ancient field systems may be damaged or distorted by ploughing and their protection would be a useful by-product of maintaining species-rich grasslands e.g. Dunnideer Hill, Insch.

At a national level the broad habitat type considered here is broken into narrower habitat definitions each containing fewer plant communities. Our local commitment to the UK targets for species-rich lowland grassland is therefore partitioned across these different action plans. These objectives cover habitat conservation, restoration and expansion. Considering the extreme decline in this habitat within North East Scotland, this local plan is targeted at habitat expansion and thus accepts a greater than pro rata proportion of the national target for attempting to re-establish grasslands of wildlife value.

• Arresting the depletion of species-rich grassland.
• Encouraging environmentally sensitive management at all surviving sites of greater than half a hectare in extent.
• Promoting involvement in agri-environment schemes within the farming community and thus securing 30 percent of all unimproved grassland sites are in favourable condition by 2005. Encouraging review of current agri-environment scheme prescriptions that impact on grassland.
• Review of current management within all grassland SSSIs to ensure the protection and enhancement of all significant stands.
• Promoting a better understanding of restoration techniques with the aim of expanding this habitat type.

Maintain and enhance the extent and status of species rich grassland through appropriate habitat management, data collection, promotion, education, liaison and legislation.

Targets – No loss of existing species-rich grassland habitat. Successful creation of 100 ha of new species rich grassland by 2010.

Objective 1: Establish current status of the habitat in the region

Target: With owners consent, establish and maintain a register of all significant sites, which will include information on habitat types, ownership, location, historic and current management, condition and existing designation.

Time: By 2002

Objective 2: Protect and enhance existing sites

Targets: Prevent and/or reduce threats through continuation/introduction of established management techniques on all recorded existing sites.

Time: By 2010 with 50% completed by 2004

Objective 2: Increase the number of habitat creation projects and improve their success rate.

Targets: Reinstate in excess of 100 ha of species rich grassland at carefully selected sites.

Time: By 2010 with 50 ha created by 2004

The creation of new species-rich grasslands is possible on golf courses, farmland, forestry schemes, school grounds and roadside verges.

Objective 4: Increase understanding and appreciation of the habitat

Targets: Use available research to provide effective training and guidance for landowners and advisors.

Time: Annually

Objective 5: Encourage the adoption of appropriate policy to support the protection and enhancement of this habitat.

Targets: Integration of this action plan into other initiatives and policy documents.

Time: 2001 ongoing.

Advisers-Agricultural Advisers and Consultants, AEF-Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum, BSBI- Botanical Society of the British Isles, DSFB-District Salmon Fisheries Boards, FBG-Farmland Biodiversity Group (North East), FC-Forestry Commission, FWAG-Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, GF-Grampian Forest, LA-Local Authorities, NESBReC-North East Scotland Biological Records Centre, NFUS-National Farmers’ Union of Scotland, NTS-National Trust for Scotland, RSS-Rural Stewardship Scheme, SAC-Scottish Agricultural College, SERAD-Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department, SGCWG – Scottish Golf Course Wildlife Group, SNH-Scottish Natural Heritage, SWT-Scottish Wildlife Trust, YP-Ythan Project.