Books, Documents and Reports
Here you can find further resources from GAP and from other sources
Books
Downloads and Links
- Fencing
- by Elizabeth Agate, BTCV. A comprehensive guide to fencing. One of BTCV's practical conservation online series. Can also be purchased from the website.
- Grazing Ecology and Forestry Ecology
(no link available) - Tests the hypothesis that species composition, structure and succession of vegetation was governed by herbivores and that the Central and Western European lowlands were covered in grasslands, scrub, solitary trees and groves surrounded by cover and border vegetation. Comparative information from North America is also included. Vera, FWM (2000) CABI publishing.
- Hefting In Practice: The Ancient Craft Of Grazing The Open Hills - Edward Hart
(no link available) - Featuring a foreword by Sir John Scott this 48 page book examines case studies where hefting is practised from all over the UK including Sinderhope, in the light of the need to restock the hills following the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001. The book goes into detail on how the animals are hefted, the techniques used and the difficulties faced. Available from Edward Hart, Ground Floor Flat, Caynham House, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4JZ, £6.00 incl. postage.
- Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning
(no link available) - Cooper M. & Johnson, A.W. (1998) TSO 2nd ed.
- The Lowland Grassland Management Handbook 2nd Ed.
- Aims to help land managers acheive best practisce for nature conservation in grassland management. it sets out the various optiosn available, assists in the choice between options, provides basic practical information about procedures, methods, equipment etc and lists further information resources. Eds Crofts, A. & Jefferson, R.G. Available as as download only.
Reports
Downloads and Links
- A common purpose: a guide to agreeing management on common land
- Introduce and outlines a process that anyone concerned with the long-term management of common land can follow and implement. The approach is based on the principle of working with stakeholders to create increased levels of awareness of the issues and values related to their common and the range of possible solutions that would tackle the one while respecting the other. SHort, C., Hayes, E., Selman, P. & Wragg, A. (2005) EN, RDS, OSS, CA, NT.
- Conservation Grazing on Lowland Heathland
- Provides information to help prospective grazing managers choose appropriate livestock, take into account features of sites and maximise conservation grain by manipulating livestock behaviour. Lake, S & Underhill-Day, J (2004) RSPB, Sandy.
- Deer and heathlands, a review
- Reviews literature on the diet and grazing behaviour of red and sika deer and assesses their effect on lowland heathland vegetation. Underhill Day, J & Liley, D (2006) Footprint Ecology/English Nature
- Development of a Landscape Quality Mark for Products from Conservation Grazing Schemes
- Reviews, analyses, defines and compares the range of existing conservation grazing schemes and explores the economic potential for using a verifiable standard for conservation grazing schemes leading to an initial assessment of a Landscape Quality Mark. Land Use Consultants (2005) Produced for the Countryside Agency
- Dog Walkers on Dorset Heaths (ENRR 713)
- Documents an analysis of visitor questionnaires, conducted on urban heathland sites in Dorset. The study focuses directly on a single user group, dog walkers, and addresses issues relating to dogs and dog walking only. Durwyn Liley, John Underhill-Day & Nick Squirrell (2006) English Nature.
- Electric Fencing Manual
- I G McKillop, H W Pepper, R Butt and D W Poole, Defra. Provides guidance on using electric fencing safely and efficiently to obtain the maximum benefit. Chapters include information on fence energisers, insulators, conducting wire and earthing; the compatibility of fence energisers, batteries and charging systems; guidance on appropriate fence specifications; safety aspects; fence construction; siting and maintenance.
- Examples of current grazing management of lowland heathlands and implications for future policy. ENRR 271
- Includes reports from grazed sites with details of size, management, infrastructure, and grazing regimes, problems and future directsion. Now a little dated, but case studies are still of interest. Bacon, J. (1998) English Nature.
- Grazing heathland: A guide to impact assessment for insects and reptiles. ENRR 497
- Sets out a process of Grazing Impact Assessment to help identify and assess potentially adverse impacts of grazing on sensitive heathland fauna. Damian Offer, Mike Edwards, Paul Edgar (2003) English Nature.
- Impacts of livestock grazing on lowland heathland. ENRR 422
- A review of all aspects of grazing lowland heathland including context and history; livestock behaviour, type and suitability; stocking rates, impacts on flora and fauna, practicalities, comparisons with other management techniques adn monitoring. Sophie Lake, James Bullock & Sue Hartley (2001) English Nature.
- Large herbivores in the wildwood and modern naturalistic grazing systems.
- Review the role of large herbivores in the post-glacial landscape of Britain and the potential for using free-ranging grazing animals to create and maintain diverse landscape mosaics in modern conditions. Hodder, K.H., Bullock, J.M., Buckland, P.C., Kirby, K.J. (2005). English Nature Research Reports No. 648
- Review of Stocking Levels Recommended for Semi-natural Lowland Grasslands
- Aims to provide conservation site managers and agri-environment project officers with updated guidance on stocking levels. Current grazing prescriptions from all UK agri-environment schemes are also reviewed. F.W. Kirkham, A.M. Mole and S.M. Gardner (2003) ADAS.
- The Economics of Extensive Livestock Grazing After CAP Reform
- Examines the economics of extensive livestock grazing in the post-CAP reform climate. Janet Dwyer (2005) English Nature
- The effects of a mixed grazing regime on sand dune vegetation
- An extensive grazing trial was carried out between 1997 and 2003, with the aim of determining: (a) Whether cattle grazing, in conjunction with sheep grazing, has a significant effect on the vegetation of Braunton Burrows (is a large sand dune system on the north coast of Devon with SSSI and SAC) and in particular whether mixed grazing is likely to be successful in achieving ‘favourable condition’ status in terms of JNCC's Common Standards Monitoring guidance for sand dunes. (b) Whether the timing of grazing and the stocking density have had a significant effect on how grazing affected the vegetation of the Burrows.
- West Highland Woodland Grazing Project - Livestock in Woods Newsletter - Spring 2008
- This newsletter has been produced by the West Highland Woodland Grazing Project (WHWGP). The Project was set up in January 2004 as a partnership under the umbrella of the Argyll & Bute Biodiversity Partnership. This newsletter has been produced by the WHWGP in order to highlight the many benefits of controlled livestock grazing, primarily in semi-natural woodlands. We report on the activities of the Project over the last few years, as well as highlighting the FCS S9 Pilot grant. Also in this issue we touch on the importance of historic management, both in relation to archaeology and biodiversity. Funding Partners involved are Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), Scottish Government Rural Directorate and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) along with project management support from the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and Scottish Native Woods (SNW).
- West Highland Woodland Grazing Project - Livestock in Woods Newsletter - Spring 2008
- This newsletter has been produced by the West Highland Woodland Grazing Project (WHWGP). The Project was set up in January 2004 as a partnership under the umbrella of the Argyll & Bute Biodiversity Partnership. This newsletter has been produced by the WHWGP in order to highlight the many benefits of controlled livestock grazing, primarily in semi-natural woodlands. We report on the activities of the Project over the last few years, as well as highlighting the FCS S9 Pilot grant. Also in this issue we touch on the importance of historic management, both in relation to archaeology and biodiversity. Funding Partners involved are Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), Scottish Government Rural Directorate and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) along with project management support from the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and Scottish Native Woods (SNW).
- West Highland Woodland Grazing Project - Livestock in Woods Newsletter - Spring 2008
- This newsletter has been produced by the West Highland Woodland Grazing Project (WHWGP). The Project was set up in January 2004 as a partnership under the umbrella of the Argyll & Bute Biodiversity Partnership. This newsletter has been produced by the WHWGP in order to highlight the many benefits of controlled livestock grazing, primarily in semi-natural woodlands. We report on the activities of the Project over the last few years, as well as highlighting the FCS S9 Pilot grant. Also in this issue we touch on the importance of historic management, both in relation to archaeology and biodiversity. Funding Partners involved are Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), Scottish Government Rural Directorate and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) along with project management support from the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and Scottish Native Woods (SNW).
- West Highland Woodland Grazing Project Newsletter Spring 2008
- This newsletter has been produced by the WHWGP in order to highlight the many benefits of controlled livestock grazing, primarily in semi-natural woodlands. We report on the activities of the Project over the last few years, as well as highlighting the FCS S9 Pilot grant. Also in this issue we touch on the importance of historic management, both in relation to archaeology and biodiversity.
Documents
Downloads and Links
- A Comparison of the Feeding Preferences of British White Cattle and Exmoor Ponies on Burnham Beeches
- Mark Cleaver’s MSc dissertation (May 2006, Birkbeck College, London University) looking at the relationship between site, season and animals by considering the role of livestock grazing in a specific conservation setting, Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve.
- Investigation into nutrient input & ouput on the Luneberg heathland in Germany
- A summary of part of a presentation given by Dr. Johannes Prüter, (Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation) to heathland managers in south east England in 2005. This is a more in-depth version of the summary given in the 'Research' section of GAP News 31.
- Pigs In Bracken
- A 20pg photo-study on using pigs for land management on the Dunlossit estate on the island of Islay in Scotland. Uses colour photographs to chart the effects of grazing with pigs on a variety of habitats including heather moorland, woodland, and former rape fields, with particular reference to the use of pigs to control bracken encroachment. Choe Randall is part of the Middle White Pig Trust. Chloe Randall (2006)
- Public access and grazing questionnaire
- Please complete this questionnaire to help with work to produce improved guidelines for grazing animals in areas with public access. The questionnaire is a part of a cooperative research study between the Grazing Animals Project, University of Gloucestershire, and the Swedish University of Agriculture. The objective is to identify problems and issues related to keeping grazing animals in areas where the public have access.
- Salisbury Plain Directional Virual Fencing workshop report
- A report of a one day workshop held on Salisbury Plain in March 2007 examining the current status of DIRECTIONAL VIRTUAL FENCING (DVF) research worldwide plus updates on smaller fenceless fencing trials at Cranham Common in the Cotswolds and Epping Forest.
- The case for cattle grids on commons
- Leaflet from the Open Space Society detailing how the use of cattle-grids in conjunction with perimeter fencing is an acceptable way to introduce grazing onto commons which are sites of special scientific interest or special protection areas or where the local, rural or suburban economy requires it. N.b. Some inaccuracies in text on case studies.
- Woodland Grazing Toolkit
- Designed to help land managers in devising grazing plans for woodlands. Although developed for Scottish woodlands, the toolkit contains information useful to anyone interested in grazing woodland. Lucy Sumsion & Meg Pollock (2006) Argyll & Bute Local Biodiversity Partnership