THE PARISH FIELDFrom the Countryside Council for Wales YOUR SPECIAL SITE AND ITS FUTURE Your Special Site and its Futureis part of our commitment to improve the way we work with Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) owners and occupiers. In it, we explain what is special about the wildlife on your site, and what care is needed to look after its wildlife into the future. All SSSIs are considered to be of national importance and we recognise the crucial role that owners and occupiers play in their management and protection. We need you to share your views and knowledge of this site with us, to help safeguard it. We hope that you will find ‘Your Special Site and its Future’ interesting and helpful. Please contact us if there is anything about the site and its management that you would like to discuss. What is ‘special’ about the wildlife at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI? The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI has one special feature: Species-rich neutral grassland is now very scarce. In the past, much of the grassland in Britain on free draining soils would have been like this. However, between the 1930s and 1980s, 97% of this habitat was lost, mainly to intensive agricultural improvement and development. The Parish Field is one of the best remaining examples in the Vale of Glamorgan. Species-rich neutral grassland is very rich in plant life, and can support as many as 30 species of plant per square metre. These in turn provide food for large numbers of insects, birds and mammals. By comparison, modern agricultural grassland may have as few as one or two species of plant and supports few insects and birds. In addition, The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI has other habitats that contribute to the special wildlife interest. These include scrub and hedgerows. This mixture of habitats is important for much of the wildlife. What do we want The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI to look like? The following is a description of how we would like to see the grassland at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI: At least 60% of the field is species-rich grassland with a range of typical flowers, including common knapweed, common bird’s-foot-trefoil, yarrow and rough hawkbit, that make up a colourful display during the summer. The majority of this grassland also has plants associated with more lime-rich soils, such as lady’s bedstraw, yellow oat-grass, salad burnet, quaking grass, glaucous sedge, and downy oat-grass, together with common rock-rose which is quite scarce in this area. In places, there are plants that prefer more acidic soil, including tormentil, betony, devil’s-bit scabious, burnet saxifrage and the locally rare moonwort, a type of grassland fern. Plants indicating disturbance, nutrient enrichment or under-grazing, such as rye-grass, thistles, docks, nettles, creeping buttercup and coarse grasses, such as cock’s-foot and false oat-grass, are generally scarce. There are no areas of muddy or bare ground away from gateways. Overgrown hedges, bracken and scrub are present around the edges of the field but these cover no more than 30% of the site in total and are not encroaching into the species-rich grassland areas. What management is needed on The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI, and why? Although The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI is an excellent place for wildlife, it is not ‘natural’. In fact it is the product of decades, or even centuries of management. It will be essential to continue management, and CCW’s priority is to work with you to achieve this. We place a great importance on our relationships with owners and occupiers, because without your help, it will be impossible for us to safeguard the special features on your land. What does this mean in practice? There is some management that is essential to conserve the special features. Other management actions could damage the features within a very short time. These are the ones we regard as the most important: Grazing is very important. It allows lots of different plants to grow together, and prevents one or two species of plant from taking over the grassland, or even the grassland turning into scrub and woodland. Light grazing, preferably by cattle alone, or by a combination of horses and cattle is the best to maintain the grassland. If possible, grazing should be limited to between about May and September. The ground should not be allowed to become poached. The aim of the grazing will be to produce a sward that is about 5 – 20cm (2 – 8 inches) high at the end of the summer. Hay cutting is an alternative to summer grazing, to prevent the coarser species dominating the sward. If the grassland is cut, the cut material should be removed to prevent it smothering the grassland. Some limited grazing after the hay is cut (known as ‘aftermath grazing’) by cattle or horses is advisable, as this helps to break up the turf to provide opportunities for seedlings to germinate, and limits the spread of scrub. The use of modern fertilisers and other chemicals at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI can be very harmful to the species-rich grassland. This is because they stimulate the growth of one or two grass species at the expense of the many different plants we are trying to encourage. Once these fertilisers have been used on land, it is very hard to get rid of them, and it may not be possible to restore the grasslands for years, if ever. Occasional light applications of well-rotted farmyard manure may be possible if the grassland is cut for hay, but no inorganic fertilizers should be used. Scrub and bracken encroachment can be a problem on grasslands of this type. If grazing alone is not sufficient to prevent the spread of bracken and scrub into the important grassland areas, then cutting, and possibly also the use of chemicals, may be necessary from time to time.Conclusion:Our knowledge of wildlife is continually improving. It is possible that new issues may arise in the future, whilst other issues may disappear. This statement is written with the best information we have now, but may have to change in the future as our understanding improves. Any information you can provide on the wildlife of your site, its management and its conservation would be much appreciated. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your SSSI, or have any concerns about your SSSI, please contact your local CCW office. Countryside Council for Wales Unit 7, Castleton Court Fortran Road St Mellons Cardiff CF3 OLT Telephone: 02920772400 Fax: 02920772412 The Parish field photographed by Steve White
THE PARISH FIELD
From the Countryside Council
for Wales
YOUR SPECIAL SITE AND ITS FUTURE
Your Special Site and its Future is part of our commitment to improve the way we work with Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) owners and
occupiers. In it, we explain what is special about the wildlife on your site, and what care is needed to look after its wildlife into the future.
All SSSIs are considered to be of national importance and we recognise the crucial role that owners and occupiers play in their management and
protection. We need you to share your views and knowledge of this site with us, to help safeguard it. We hope that you will find ‘Your Special
Site and its Future’ interesting and helpful. Please contact us if there is anything about the site and its management that you would like to
discuss. What is ‘special’ about the wildlife at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI? The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI has one special feature:
Species-rich neutral grassland is now very scarce. In the past, much of the grassland in Britain on free draining soils would have been like this.
However, between the 1930s and 1980s, 97% of this habitat was lost, mainly to intensive agricultural improvement and development. The Parish
Field is one of the best remaining examples in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Species-rich neutral grassland is very rich in plant life, and can support as many as 30 species of plant per square metre. These in turn provide
food for large numbers of insects, birds and mammals. By comparison, modern agricultural grassland may have as few as one or two species of
plant and supports few insects and birds. In addition, The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI has other habitats that contribute to the special
wildlife interest. These include scrub and hedgerows. This mixture of habitats is important for much of the wildlife.
What do we want The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI to look like?
The following is a description of how we would like to see the grassland at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI: At least 60% of the field is
species-rich grassland with a range of typical flowers, including common knapweed, common bird’s-foot-trefoil, yarrow and rough hawkbit, that
make up a colourful display during the summer. The majority of this grassland also has plants associated with more lime-rich soils, such as lady’s
bedstraw, yellow oat-grass, salad burnet, quaking grass, glaucous sedge, and downy oat-grass, together with common rock-rose which is quite
scarce in this area. In places, there are plants that prefer more acidic soil, including tormentil, betony, devil’s-bit scabious, burnet saxifrage and
the locally rare moonwort, a type of grassland fern. Plants indicating disturbance, nutrient enrichment or under-grazing, such as rye-grass,
thistles, docks, nettles, creeping buttercup and coarse grasses, such as cock’s-foot and false oat-grass, are generally scarce. There are no areas of
muddy or bare ground away from gateways. Overgrown hedges, bracken and scrub are present around the edges of the field but these cover no
more than 30% of the site in total and are not encroaching into the species-rich grassland areas.
What management is needed on The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI, and why?
Although The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI is an excellent place for wildlife, it is not ‘natural’. In fact it is the product of decades, or even
centuries of management. It will be essential to continue management, and CCW’s priority is to work with you to achieve this. We place a great
importance on our relationships with owners and occupiers, because without your help, it will be impossible for us to safeguard the special
features on your land.
What does this mean in practice?
There is some management that is essential to conserve the special features. Other management actions could damage the features within a very
short time. These are the ones we regard as the most important:
Grazing is very important. It allows lots of different plants to grow together, and prevents one or two species of plant from taking over the
grassland, or even the grassland turning into scrub and woodland. Light grazing, preferably by cattle alone, or by a combination of horses and
cattle is the best to maintain the grassland. If possible, grazing should be limited to between about May and September. The ground should not be
allowed to become poached. The aim of the grazing will be to produce a sward that is about 5 – 20cm (2 – 8 inches) high at the end of the
summer. Hay cutting is an alternative to summer grazing, to prevent the coarser species dominating the sward. If the grassland is cut, the cut
material should be removed to prevent it smothering the grassland. Some limited grazing after the hay is cut (known as ‘aftermath grazing’) by
cattle or horses is advisable, as this helps to break up the turf to provide opportunities for seedlings to germinate, and limits the spread of scrub.
The use of modern fertilisers and other chemicals at The Parish Field, Cae’r Rhedyn SSSI can be very harmful to the species-rich grassland. This
is because they stimulate the growth of one or two grass species at the expense of the many different plants we are trying to encourage. Once
these fertilisers have been used on land, it is very hard to get rid of them, and it may not be possible to restore the grasslands for years, if ever.
Occasional light applications of well-rotted farmyard manure may be possible if the grassland is cut for hay, but no inorganic fertilizers should be
used. Scrub and bracken encroachment can be a problem on grasslands of this type. If grazing alone is not sufficient to prevent the spread of
bracken and scrub into the important grassland areas, then cutting, and possibly also the use of chemicals, may be necessary from time to time.
Conclusion:
Our knowledge of wildlife is continually improving. It is possible that new issues may arise in the future, whilst other issues may disappear. This
statement is written with the best information we have now, but may have to change in the future as our understanding improves. Any
information you can provide on the wildlife of your site, its management and its conservation would be much appreciated. If you would like to
discuss any aspect of your SSSI, or have any concerns about your SSSI, please contact your local CCW office.
Countryside Council for Wales
Unit 7, Castleton Court
Fortran Road
St Mellons
Cardiff
CF3 OLT
Telephone: 02920772400 Fax: 02920772412
The Parish field photographed by Steve White
