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To
identify and maintain the current extent of lowland wood pasture, parkland
and individual veteran trees and avenues and promote the importance of
these habitats for wildlife.
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1. Formation of representative
groups.
2. Pilot survey of two parkland sites to test and develop methodology, prior
to commencing a district by district county-wide survey to determine the
extent and quality of wood pasture and parkland habitats. |
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- Further funding to be sought
in order to extend the pilot survey into a countywide survey of parkland
and lowland wood-pasture sites.
- Input into the development
of a national register of deadwood sites, and initiate surveys of the
habitat to establish the extent and condition of the resource.
- Support and promote the
Veteran Trees Initiative.
- Consider Heritage Landscapes
designation or LNR status for unprotected sites.
- To work with landowners
and land managers in order to encourage the development and implementation
of long-term management plans.
- Ensure that the management
of these habitats maintains the full range of features (the full generation
structure of trees, standing and fallen dead wood, aquatic and other
open habitats, nearby nectar sources, wildflower areas).
- Encourage the use of plants
of local provenance, ideally progeny of the existing trees, for replacement
tree planting.
- Restore pasture-woodland
management on sites capable of responding to the system.
- Establish which species
could be used as indicators of habitat quality, e.g. RDB invertebrates,
lichens or fungi, and monitor the success of management.
- Consider species whose conservation
is linked with that of lowland wood pasture and parkland and produce
LBAPs for such species where appropriate.
- Develop training opportunities
for owners, advisors, arboriculturalists, foresters etc.
- Develop grant schemes for
the management of individual veteran trees.
- Identify key areas where
fragmentation of wood pasture can be addressed and actively pursue opportunities
for the purchase of lowland wood pasture and parkland.
- Encourage research into:
the premature aging of trees, the genetic basis of current stock, the
physiology of veteran trees and the effects of grassland management
on tree health, mycorhiza, available water, soil structure, root damage
etc., in order to achieve better survivorship during tree management
and to inform pasture management strategies.
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Links
to associated SAPs 
