| Tayside Biodiversity - Tayside
Biodiversity Action Plan - Urban -
Businesses with Land |
|
 |
The Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
requires
nearby water and sufficient ground cover to breed. Here a small pond
about 1 metre wide located on the Orchardbank wildlife corridor is perfect for their needs. |
|
ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Case
Studies
Orchardbank Industrial Estate Wildlife Corridor
A sand bank stretching from the edge of Forfar Loch Country
Park into the heart of the Orchardbank Industrial Estate
has been transformed into a wildlife corridor in collaboration
between local residents, local business owners and Angus
Council Ranger Service. Local businesses have allowed their
land boundaries to be used and with volunteer input the area
has become rich in wildlife.
As the area was initially very exposed, a variety of trees
and shrubs were planted to provide cover and shelter. Local
residents contributed food scraps
and garden waste to make compost piles along the length of
the corridor. Over time this has turned almost pure sand
into a much richer soil and a variety of plants such as Elder,
Nettle, Clover and Hop trefoil have colonised from the nearby
Country Park.
The greater water-holding properties of the soil have increased
the diversity of invertebrates and the area has become a
popular Hedgehog feeding site. The creation of a pond has
further increased invertebrate life and both Mallard and
Common Frog have bred as a result. The increase in insect
diversity has attracted bats to the area which use the corridor
as a flyway.
Songbirds have benefited from the increased availability
of nesting sites and food source and many species have bred
within the corridor including Blackbird, Wren and Sedge warbler. |
|
|
Car
park Improvements at A. Sturrock and Son (Kirkbuddo) Ltd.,
Whigstreet, Angus
The site is a showcase for what can be achieved with an absolute
minimal amount of land available - the existing car park
boundary consists of gravel and chips no wider than 1 metre.
An initial survey showed virtually no usage of this site
by wildlife. The narrow area by the boundary fence was planted
with a variety of wildlife friendly plants - both native
and non-native e.g. Elder and Buddleia. Within a few weeks
insect life was noticeably more abundant, including the appearance
of a Great green grasshopper.
A survey has shown Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus
in the area so it is hoped in future they will utilise the
site for feeding as the planting scheme is already attracting
a variety of moths and other night active insects.
The business owners have become increasingly interested in
the project and further wildlife friendly features are to
be included on their site, including the addition of bat
and bird boxes on the actual building. |
 |
The Peacock butterfly
Inachis io has become more frequent in Tayside in recent
years, but it is still an unusual sight. Nettles are
the primary food plant for their caterpillars; other
food plants benefit not only adult Peacocks, but numerous
other butterfly and insect
species as well. |
|
Lidl
Ltd., Forfar
Permission has recently been given from Lidl senior management
to carry out major improvement work around the car park of
this popular supermarket.
In association with the Store Manager, local volunteers and
Angus Council Ranger Service the car park boundary will be
enhanced with a variety of wildlife friendly plants, shrubs
and trees. This will encourage butterflies such as Red admirals
and Peacocks, birds such as Goldfinch and Greenfinch and
a number of bat species to use this site.
It is particularly hoped to attract the Peacock butterflies
which although becoming more common, are still a fairly unusual
sight in Tayside. All these species will be monitored and
recorded by the supermarket’s employees and its customers,
together with local volunteers and the Angus Council Ranger
Service. Bird feeding stations and boxes for both birds and
bats will also be erected to encourage wildlife to breed
within the car park area. |
|
CURRENT
FACTORS CAUSING LOSS OR DECLINE
Construction
of new industrial sites on greenfield areas
Many greenfield sites have been transferred from agricultural
use. With current intensive farming practices greenfield
areas may no longer be as species rich as they first appear.
Sensitive planning consideration could enable the enhancement
of both the immediate and surrounding areas to improve
the habitat for wildlife. |
Destruction
of existing habitats owing to industrial development
Existing habitats may be destroyed when new industrial
sites are built. To alleviate this potential impact extensive
survey work should be carried out prior to any new development
and, where possible, valuable wildlife areas should be
incorporated into the design and construction of the industrial
site. |
Fragmentation
of habitats
Intensive industrial development may result in habitat
fragmentation with resultant interference to existing badger
or otter routes or flyways for bats. In many cases, however,
it is possible to retain or create wildlife corridors linking
isolated habitats together. As has been shown at Orchardbank,
Forfar, the width of such corridors need only be a few
metres (for example, following a fence, wall or tree line)
for them to be of use to wildlife. |
Pollution
from industrial sites contaminating air, land and water
Pollution should be kept to an absolute minimum. Regular
monitoring of industrial areas should be carried out to
identify any sources, or potential sources, of pollution
and minimise any impact on the wider environment. The Scottish
Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Water
and local authority Environmental Health departments all
have responsibilities for monitoring and limiting pollution.
In partnership with such agencies, local planning authorities
should consider carefully the potential impact on adjacent
and nearby residential and countryside areas of any planned
development or expansion of industry. |
Dumping
of rubbish
Providing litter bins for the resident workforce could
alleviate indiscriminate littering. However, serious fly
tipping creates eyesores and dangers in both countryside
and urban areas. Such rubbish dumping should be discouraged
by raising awareness about the illegality of fly tipping,
together with the provision of alternative legitimate disposal
sites. Members of the public and employers alike should
be encouraged to report any witnessed incidents direct
to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. |
|
MAIN THREATS TO
KEY SPECIES
Bat species Pipistrelle,
Brown
Long-eared, Daubenton’s bat) |
Loss of roost sites.
Loss of feeding sites. |
| UK Importance
of Tayside population: |
high |
| Stoat and Weasel |
Loss of habitat.
Loss of habitat for prey species. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
unknown |
| Hedgehog |
Use of slug pellets in
landscaped areas.
Loss of hibernation sites.
Loss of feeding areas in designed landscape. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
unknown |
| House Martin, Sand Martin,
Swallow |
Loss of nesting sites.
Loss of feeding sites. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
unknown |
| Kestrel |
Loss of hunting ground/reduction
in prey species. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
moderate |
| Tawny Owl |
Felling of roost/nesting
trees.
Destruction of habitat that supports small mammals. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
small |
Song Bird
species |
Loss of nesting sites.
Loss of feeding habitat.
Loss of roosting areas.
Planting of non-native species as part of designed landscape. |
| UK Importance of Tayside
population: |
small |
| Butterflies and Moth species |
No available food plants
for larvae/adults due to grass cutting regimes. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
moderate |
| Invertebrate species |
Loss of food plants/cover.
Use of insecticides.
Planting of non-native species as part of designed landscape. |
| UK Importance of Tayside population: |
unknown |
Native tree species (including
Ash, Oak, Alder, Elder, Hazel, Aspen, Willow, Hawthorn,
Scots Pine,
Bird Cherry, Gean Wild Cherry), Holly,
Wych Elm, Rowan, Juniper, Birch and Yew) |
Felling of mature trees
and destruction of existing hedgerows for development purposes.
Replacement of native species with ornamental species.
Planting of non-native species as part of designed landscape. |
| UK Importance of Tayside
population: |
moderate |
|
|
