From soay sheep to British white cattle, iron age pigs and water buffalo, grazing animals are helping Wildlife Trusts maintain a rich variety of habitats for flora and fauna at their nature reserves.
Livestock help create the conditions needed by many plants, insects, mammals, birds and amphibians to thrive. In summer, when many wildflowers and grasses have flowered and set seed, animal munching is particularly important. In areas like the Norfolk Brecks, the hot dry conditions stem the growth of vigorous grass species, allowing delicate plants to grow. The lack of fresh growth means grazing animals remove more of the older ‘thatch’ that can build up, smothering rare plants. In Hertfordshire, at Fir & Pond Woods, such action has resulted in the establishment of the critically endangered scarce tufted-sedge.
But prolonged heatwave conditions bring challenges in how livestock is managed.
Thirsty cattle, muddy pigs
The hot, dry weather means greater wildfire risk and less grazing available. So livestock must be moved more frequently. This requires more planning and equipment to distribute essential water across the Trust’s reserves.
At Aldbury Nowers, near Tring, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust have adapted a trailer to become a 500 litre water bowser facilitating easier refill of existing, smaller water containers. Norfolk Wildlife Trust have had to bring in 8000 litres of water to maintain the health of their lactating, and therefore thirsty, British white cattle at Thompson Common.
Highland cows need water to cool off. They can often be seen standing in the lake at Summer Leys Nature Reserve. But in their quest for water, cattle will venture further into ponds and ditches, which have the potential to run dry, and they can get stuck. “This year we have had two such incidents,” Jonathan Preston, nature conservation manager at Norfolk Wildlife Trust told East Anglia Bylines. “Happily on both occasions the [British white] cow was pulled out without harm.”
Unlike cows and sheep, pigs don’t sweat. They use mud as a natural sunscreen. So Wildlife Trust BCN have created a muddy wallow for their iron age pigs, kept to crop the invasive New Zealand pygmy weed. The pigs enter their mud bath, cover themselves and then lie in the shade.
Essex Wildlife Trust is facing the problem of a dry water channel on Blue House Farm nature reserve in North Fambridge. A priority is bringing water back into the environment, through wetland restoration and the creation of more ponds.
A lifeline for graziers
Reserves with wet grassland habitats are more resilient in heatwave conditions. This enables the Trusts to support local farmers whose land is affected by drought and whose livestock would be reliant on silage, normally reserved for winter.
“Some [reserves] are still much lusher than the grasslands available on farms,” said Anna Daniels, senior reserves officer, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. “So our reserves are providing an important grazing resource at a time when graziers are facing a shortage of grass.”
The Trust has found that graziers are more willing to tackle the challenging logistics of moving animals on to less accessible areas of their reserves. “It’s a great example of a win, win situation – our reserves at Danemead, and Rye Meads, both near Hoddesdon, and King’s Meads in Ware are all benefiting from more conservation grazing than they otherwise would, and the cattle there are enjoying a good feed!”
Nature’s workforce on four legs
Livestock are vital to managing nature reserves. Around 25% of Essex Wildlife Trust reserves rely on grazing. “They are doing work that would otherwise require an enormous amount of manual grassland and scrub management by people, while creating the small-scale variations in habitat that so many species depend on,” Daniels explains.
As well as red poll and dexter cattle, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust use soay sheep. This hardy, primitive Hebridean breed thrives on sparse and tough vegetation that other breeds may avoid. The action of grazing the scrub and lower-nutrient chalk grassland benefits the cowslip, common rock-rose, marjoram and carline thistle which feed butterflies, including dark green fritillary and chalkhill blue.
At Thorley Wash reserve, near Bishops Stortford, an unusual sight may be seen – a herd of water buffalo grazing the rare fen. The action of these animals in ditches and marshy areas improves biodiversity, especially helping the endangered water vole.
“But conservation grazing is never simply a case of putting animals on a reserve and leaving them there,” says Daniels. “We need to understand the animals, the vegetation, the weather and the needs of the site, and constantly adapt. This heatwave has certainly given us plenty to think about, but it has also shown just how valuable our wetlands and wet grassland nature reserves can be when conditions are difficult elsewhere.”
Indeed the heatwave and drought conditions have highlighted the importance of the work of the Wildlife Trusts, their support to farmers and the complexity of conservation grazing in the face of a changing climate. Do support them.
The Wildlife Trusts are local conservation charities working to protect wildlife and help people connect with nature. They rely on volunteers and donations to care for wild places on your doorstep so that nature can thrive. For more information about the work and reserves in your area or to become a supporter, go to the respective website: Wildlife Beds Cambs Northants, Essex Wildlife Trust, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
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