A6.1 sedge A6.2 litter A6.3 droves and paths A6.4 reed A6.5 carr A6.6 trees A6.7 ditches A6.8 turf-digging A6.9 fire: use and control A6.10 management of named speciesA6.1 Sedge
YEAR YEALMS PRICE PER YEALM INCOME
1983 2700 80p £2160
1984 2622 85p £2228.70
1985 2250 90p £2025
1986 510 95p £484.50
1987 1877 100p £1877
1988 1700 125p £2125
1989 1088 140p £1523.20
1990 2591 150p £3886.50
1991 3540 85p* £3009.00
* Single yealms. The price per single yealm is, in 1992, 90p.
The future
2. Fields are to be surveyed before cutting, and parts where sedge is sparse cut first, and the cuttings stacked to rot. Some localised burning of cut material may be necessary to limit the amount stacked and the damage caused by moving it.
3. Trials of mechanical harvesting to be carried out.
4. All aspects of the process described are to be looked at for economies, including the process of 'bushing-out' after harvesting; bush growth may become less severe now that the Fen is wetter.
Pre-1928: no detailed records; irregular cutting assumed.
c.1928 - 1948: Two cuts each year with a scythe. Second cut delayed until most flowering finished. Cut material removed.
By 1948: this had been slightly modified to give a central strip cut in June or July, and a broader strip cut in the autumn. Autumn cut removed.
1949-1955: Three cuts annually, June, July, August-October. Allen scythe (motorised) replaced hand scything in 1949.
c.1956 - c.1978: Frequency of cutting increased and first cut taken earlier (April-May). Cutting frequency of central strip depended, essentially, on usage, with the most-used paths on the Sedge Fen being cut every 2-4 weeks, giving 5-8 cuts per year; less-used paths (e.g Verrall's and St.Edmund's Fens) cut 2-4 times each year.
1978 - 1980: Frequency reduced again, partly because of manpower, but also because of a feeling within the Committee that the Fen was acquiring too regimented an appearance.
1980 - present: The central strips are mown at least twice, and, in addition, the whole width is cut in the autumn and the material carried off. The mowing of the central strips is now carried out with a rear-mounted Twose rotary flail cutter mounted on the Kubota mini-tractor, and with this combination the entire network of paths and droves can be cut by one person in one day. The facility and speed afforded by mechanisation allows a greater frequency of cutting to be sustained.
Problems
Future management
YEAR BUNDLES PRICE PER INCOME
BUNDLE TO FEN
1986 4020 125p £5025
1987 6000 90p £5400 Bundle size reduced
1988 5806 60p £3483.60 ]
1989 8700 65p £5655.00 ]
1990 6527 70p £4568.90 ] costs split
1991 2070 75p £1352.50 ]
1992 823 90p £740.70 ]
1. to complete the Parish Strip (subject to agreement and prior delimitation); 2. the western end of Cpt 13 towards Sedge Fen Drove; 3. possibly also the areas adjacent to the existing sedge field in 02, 03 and 05 (subject to surveys of their sedge content). 4. to develop a management strategy that produces a mosaic of uneven-aged stands of carr.
Management
Management Techniques
2. Malcarse Drain (71)
3. Cross Dyke (73)
4. New Dyke (70)
5. North Dyke (72)
6. Howe's Dyke (87a)
7. Spinney Bank Dyke (87b-d)
8. Gardiner's Dyke (91a-d)
9. Thomson's Dyke (95)
10. Windpump Dyke (78d)
11. Sedge Fen Drove - Spinney Bank connecting dyke (78g)
12. Sedge Fen Drove ditches (90a and 90b)
(See also H.J. Harvey's three papers to the Committee of 12/77, 9/78 & 12/78).
1. Re-open some of the former ditches, now dry.
2. Leave untouched some other old ditches pending a study of
Definitions 'Peat' - the material in the ground; 'Turf' - peat once extracted for use; plural = 'Turf'; 'Top' - the poor-quality black top soil; 'Moor' - the peat suitable for digging turf; 'Turf - the dug moor.
1. in the late 1930s, Barnes' Mere was created in Cpt. 05, to encourage wildlife, and not primarily as a turf-digging site; 2. in the 1950s, diggings were made in Cpt 19 (these were found to contain the rare stonewort Nitella tenuissima in 1957). 3. in the 1970s, some scattered non-traditional diggings were made in Cpt 19, just outside the William Thorpe Building, to supply peat to the Cambridge Botanic Garden for creation of the fen display. These diggings were filled in during 1992. 4. In 1980, similar diggings were made in Cpts. 12 and 18 for colonisation studies. These are now completely overgrown with carr; 5. in 1989, a trial, using traditional methods, was carried out in Cpt 18 at the junction of Thomson's Drove and Gardiner's Drove and adjacent to the boardwalk. A programme of further digging is underway in this area (see A4.7).
A6.9 Fire: its use and control
Key criteria for reintroduction
i evidence of the former natural occurrence of the species;
ii species is known to have been lost from the site;
iii an understanding of the reasons for the loss;
iv a low chance of natural recolonisation;
v the presence of a sufficient area of suitable habitat;
vi a source of individuals for reintroduction of appropriate genetic form;
vii a population from which individuals may be taken for
reintroduction without risk to the source population.
Key recommendations for implementing predator control
i there must be a clear and fully justified reason for the proposed control; there must be clear evidence that the target species is having an undesirable impact; ii the native and local status of the target species must be considered; iii alternative ways of solving the problem must be evaluated; iv the proposed method of control must be humane and acceptable in respect of the Trust's other obligations; v it must be shown that control measures will reduce the size of the target population; vi the control programme must also be shown to reduce the damage or nuisance attributed to the target species (reduction of the target population alone is not an adequate criterion of success); vii the results of any cull should be carefully monitored.
