A5.1 Development projects

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The priorities for each year are to be decided by the Local Management Committee; the order set out here does not imply priority.

Where the task marks a departure from the general practice set out in the Management Plan, it will be necessary to obtain the approval of English Nature; the National Trust's appropriate office should also be consulted.

1. Digging of further demonstration ponds in Cpt.30

2. Assess abundance and age-distribution of young trees on the 
   Fen and consider their future management.

3. Carr clearance priorities for volunteer groups should 
   be to complete the Parish Strip (subject to agreement and  
   prior delimitation), and the western end of Cpt 13 towards 
   Sedge Fen Drove. Possibly also the areas adjacent to the
   existing sedge field in 03, 04 and 05 (subject to surveys
   of their sedge content).

4. Consider making new droves in St. Edmund's Fen to subdivide
   blocks of carr and create alternative routes (consult the 
   Ringing Group first).

5. Clear carr to join up eastern boundary drove to Lode bank  
   path in St. Edmund's Fen.

6. Opening of parts of Sedge Fen Drove Dyke(s). This must not be   
   attempted before the results of Mr. Painter's research 
   project are known (ends 1995).

7. Stabilisation and clearance of the brick-kiln near the 
   Brickpits (see C6.1.3).  

8. Development of a social history trail (with guide) round 
   the Brickpits (after completion of 7), wind pump and Fen
   Cottage.

9. Begin rotational pollarding of Salix pentandra.

10. Construct culvert at junction of Cross Dyke and Drainers' 
   Dyke, place dam in Windpump ditch and construct control for
   water transfer between Gardiner's Ditch and Drainers' Dyke.

11. Develop a management plan for the Charles Raven Reserve 
   based on a comprehensive hydrological survey of the area. 

NUMBERS 12 - 19 ARE SPECIFIED IN THE PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT PLAN BUT THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IS NOW DEPENDENT ON THE RESULTS OF 11:

12. Develop a management cycle for the ditches on the Charles
   Raven Reserve in line with the rest of the Fen ditches.

13. Construct improved culvert for water inlet to the Reed 
   Field under Harrison's Drove.

14. Consider the feasibility and costs of placing an additional 
   hide on the Mere.

15. Continue willow planting on Charles Raven Reserve to improve 
   screening of Mere.

16. Consider re-establishing osier beds on areas of N. 
   Adventurers' Fen where Juncus has become dominant.

17. Clear scrape in Rothschild's Lapwing adjacent to Borrow Pit   
   by spraying. Possibly also on Brett's and/or Trevelyan's.

18. Alter access arrangements for arable fields from 
   Harrison's Drove.

19. Review the status of Trust arable on Adventurers' Fen and 
   formulate a plan for them should they revert to the Trust's 
   management.

20. Co-operate in reintroduction of Fen Ragwort (1992-) and 
   Swallowtail butterfly (1993-) and experimental studies of 
   Large Copper butterfly (1993-) and Fen Violet (1993-).

21. Consider the feasibility of re-introducing the Large Copper 
   and Marsh Fritillary butterflies. Review the history 
   of other lost species, such as Stratiotes aloides and  
   Hydrocharis morsus-ranae.

22. Develop a fencing and gating programme for the Fen.

23. Develop the display and resources available to staff and 
   visitors in and around the William Thorpe Building.

24. Complete work on contents of Fen Cottage.

25. Replace sheds and privy in Cottage Garden.

26. Redevelop Piggeries area, to provide workshops etc.(1993), 
   and former Workshops for alternative use.

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    Monitoring may be carried out by a range of people:

1. the Wardens and placement students; approval of the Committee 
   should be sought before embarking on projects to be carried 
   out in normal working hours;
2. members of the Local Management Committee and Local 
   Advisory Panel;
3. research students and members of staff of the University of 
   Cambridge; in some circumstances, undergraduate projects 
   may be form part of on-going monitoring, but the possible 
   mutual benefits should be carefully considered by the 
   supervisor;
4. research students and officers of other institutions (e.g. the 
   Institute of Freshwater Ecology, English Nature, other 
   Universities);
5. other volunteers.

Persons in categories 3 - 5 should apply to the Secretary in the first instance and a permit to work at the Fen will be issued subject to a satisfactory proposal being submitted. All persons involved in monitoring, and all permit holders, should submit an annual report of their activities to the Committee.

The Garrett Bequest provides a small amount of interest each year (c£200) to be used to defray the expenses of volunteers in category (5) above who offer their expertise; applications from others will be considered by the Committee.

A5.2.1 Aims of monitoring

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1. To provide background information for the initiation and 
   assessment of management practices.
2  To record which species occur on the Fen and, where possible, 
   to record their abundance and distribution;
3. To determine whether the populations of particular species 
   are changing with time.
4. To detect changes in species' diversity and abundance as a 
   result of changing management regimes.
5. To contribute to national surveys.
6. To assist with research projects.

A5.2.2 Priorities

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1. Hydrological survey of Adventurers' Fen
2. Monitoring of populations of rare species for which the Fen 
   has special responsibility. The list of species is to be 
   reviewed from time to time by the Botanical and Zoological 
   Secretaries in consultation with English Nature. Ideally, the 
   rarest species, for which prolonged and detailed research 
   programmes are needed, should be put forward for adoption 
   either under English Nature's Species Recovery Programme or 
   by another appropriate research body.
    *Viola persicifolia               (English Nature from 1993)
    *Senecio paludosus               (English Nature, Dr. Wells)
     Taraxacum palustre                    (Botanical Secretary)
    *Papilio machaon      (Dr. Dempster, Mrs. Hall, Head Warden)
    *species in English Nature's Species Recovery Programme. 

A5.2.3 Projects in hand

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Maintaining zoological records:

      Invertebrates                    Zoological Secretary and
                             co-ordinators of individual groups
      Birds              Head Warden & Wicken Fen Ringing Group

Maintaining botanical records:              Botanical Secretary

Monitoring rare species:                   Wardens, Secretaries

Monitoring populations of other species   Wardens, Secretaries,
                                    volunteers (see A5.3 below)

Godwin Plots:                      Department of Plant Sciences,
                             University of Cambridge (Dr. Grubb)

Peucedanum:                Head Warden, Dr. Dempster, Mrs. Hall                                  
Non-native species, especially Canada Goose
deer spp., mink, coypu:                                 Wardens

Wildfowl Counts:                                    Head Warden 

Bird population, longevity, movement census:  the Ringing Group

Butterfly transects, dragonfly walks:               Head Warden 

Foxes:                                                  Wardens

Effects of ditch and dyke management                Mr. Painter
                        Department of Zoology (see A5.3.2 below)

Photographic recording of activities, areas of the Fen
     subject to changing management:          Deputy Head Warden
                                              (see A5.3.3 below)
Cuckoo and Reed Warbler behaviour   Drs. N.B. Davies & M. Brooke

Utricularia ecology                                Dr. L. Friday

A5.2.4 Research map

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A map showing all research interests on the Fen, all monitoring permanent sites and reintroduction sites was produced in 1992. This is to be updated annually (a request for information could be included in the Biologists' Newsletter) and referred to whenever changes of management are contemplated on any part of the Fen. Copies of the map are kept by the Secretary and the Head Warden; the latter may be referred to in the William Thorpe Building.

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A5.3.1. Monitoring of higher plants (Botanical Secretary, Mr. P. Varney and others; starting 1992)

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Aims:

To establish a monitoring scheme for populations of a number of 'target species' of fen plants;

to compare the composition of the herbaceous flora of areas receiving different cutting regimes.

Procedure:


Monitoring should continue after Mr. Varney's initial (1992) project, so permanent sites will be marked on the ground.
1. Dactylorhiza spp.: demographic study;
2. Cirsium dissectum; Thalictrum flavum; Triglochin palustris; Rhinanthus minor: quadrat studies of abundance;
3. Myrica gale: plotting of individual plants;
4. Valeriana dioica: quadrat studies of abundance;
5. Calamagrostis canescens: abundance along transects;
6. Rumex maritimus; Rumex palustris: mapping around the Mere.

A5.3.2. Ditch recolonisation (Mr. D. Painter, starting 1992)

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Aims:

To evaluate in terms of conservation of diversity and rare species the new strategy for ditch and dyke management, particularly: leaving some dykes unmanaged; slubbing alternate sections on a rotational basis; altering the batter of newly- cleared ditches.

Procedure:


To characterise the flora and invertebrate fauna of ditches of different ages since last slubbing on the Sedge Fen and Verrall's Fen;

to study the rate of recolonisation of Cross Dyke by plants and invertebrates following slubbing in late 1991 (particularly the effect of slubbing alternate stretches), as compared to colonisation of Malcarse Drain and North Dyke, slubbed in their entirety at the same time;

to compare colonisation of the east side of North Dyke (with a sloping batter) with the west side (straight sided);

to study the activity of adult dragonflies in ditches at different stages after slubbing;

to investigate traces of past assemblages from peat cores in old ditches and possibly to look at viability of buried spores and seeds.

A5.3.3 Photographic recording (Deputy Head Warden, starting 1992)

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Aims:

to identify and illustrate long-term changes in landscape and vegetation;

to record short-term changes, both between years and seasonal;

to provide a record of major works (such as the development of the Charles Raven Reserve) and accidental incidents (fires etc.);

to record current work practices;

to set up a photographic archive.

Procedure:


Establish a standard methodology, which can be used by successive recorders, with a standard set of equipment.

Set up a number of long-interval points (for up to 10-year intervals) and a larger number of short-interval points (for example, biennial). The usefulness of individual points will be reviewed with time. Precise relocation of the points is vital, so these must be marked with permanent ground markers and marked precisely on a map.

For each point, direction, height, lens and purpose of shot must be specified.

A tripod is to be used, a 35mm SLR camera, (with 28mm wide- angle lens or telephoto lens in certain cases). A green filter will be used. Film will be Kodak T-Max black and white or equivalent and will be professionally developed to provide negatives and contact prints for storage and use. Negatives are to be stored in acid-free paper files.

All negatives and prints must be accompanied by data (date, site, code number, height and bearing); additional data sheets will be produced for reference.

A5.3.4 Reintroductions

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These are being carried out and monitored by outside research workers, under permit from the Committee and with permission of English Nature and the National Trust Nature Conservation Panel (see A2.10, A6.10 ). A progress report is to be submitted annually to the Committee.

1. Papilio machaon (Swallowtail butterfly)(Dr. J. P. Dempster, Mrs. M. Hall and Head Warden.)

Funding:

English Nature/British Butterfly Conservation Society.

Procedure:

50 - 100 eggs to be collected in Norfolk spring 1992; larvae to be reared in glasshouse; adults to be released on Fen in 4-5 areas in summer 1993; their progress to be monitored.

The status of the foodplant Peucedanum palustre to continue to be monitored on the release sites. These sites to be managed specifically for Peucedanum (see Section A4.2.3)

2. Senecio paludosus (Fen Ragwort) (Mr. Terry Wells)
Funding:

English Nature (Species Recovery Programme)

Aims:

To reinstate 'two strong populations of at least 50 plants in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.'
Procedure:

Seed to be gathered from the Stuntney population; plants to be planted out on the Fen into ditches or areas of varying topography; plant performance to be monitored in relation to variation in water-table depth for two years subsequently. This requires little or no change to current management programmes.

3. Lycaena dispar batavus (Large Copper) (Dr. I. McLean)

An experimental study of oviposition habits and the survival of the butterfly on its food plant Rumex hydrolapathum. Starting 1993; details to follow. This study may lead to a proposal for reintroduction.

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1. Hydrological survey of Adventurer's Fen
2. Reinstatement of regular monitoring of water levels on the
    Sedge Fen (to be part of routine tasks for the Fen staff).
3. Survey of existing population of Fen Dandelion; protection
    from predation should be tried.
4. Effects of timing and frequency of litter cutting.
5. Effects of path and drove cutting treatments.
6. Reappraisal of the area covered by each vegetation type in
    each compartment.
7. Survey of carr for its sedge content.
8. Survey of litter fields for their sedge content.
9. Systematic survey of water-bodies to produce floral inventory
    of each.
10. Systematic survey of compartments to produce floral
    inventory of each; to include quantitative data where
    possible.
11. Surveys of invertebrates of Adventurers' Fen as a necessary
    prerequisite for drawing up plans to change the management of
    the Charles Raven Reserve.
12. Surveys of several invertebrate groups for which there is as
   yet no list for Wicken (e.g. Rotifera, Cnidaria, Porifera).
13. Studies of effects of eutrophic water, and in particular of
    the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus, on the growth and
    competitive ability of Cladium.
    a. Literature survey
    b. Pot experiments
    c. Small-scale field experiments involving nutrient
        addition.