‘Nibbled by Generations’

Chalk Grassland is an important habitat and was created through centuries of grazing by rabbits, sheep and cattle.This grazing and the low utrients, or “poor soils”, prevented any one species from being able to dominate the grassland, giving many of the smaller herbs and grasses an equal chance to grow. The result is a habitat where up to 50 different plants can be found in a single square metre and which is also important for birds and invertebrates. Many of our most beautiful plants and insects now depend of grazing animals to survive.

Inspiring Habitat
“The air, especially in the evening of a hot spring day, is full of a fresh herby smell, to which many minute aromatic plants contribute” (Extract from W.H. Hudson 1900 Nature in Downland, Green & Co., London).

Nibbling for Future Generations

Wildlife diversity (richness) on chalk grassland is usually at its peak when grazing takes place. This is due to the conditions provided by the grazing animals, which support complex life cycles and interactions between animals and plants that often depend on each other. Bare patches, dung, mosaic of vegetation heights and the control of scrub are key results of grazing. Grazing also provides better access for people by maintaining shorter swards and controlling scrub. A few examples of species needing grazing conditions are:

• Most chalk grassland plants, but especially annuals such as Common Centaury, Yellow Rattle, Eye Bright and Fairy Flax need short turf with some bare ground in order for their seeds to germinate and produce the next generation.
• Butterflies such as the Marbled White and Chalkhill Blue live on the same sites but need different conditions. Marbled White like longer grass whilst the Chalkhill Blue prefers the grass short. Uneven vegetation height produced by grazing is ideal for this.
• Many insects including the rare Adonis Blue Butterfly take salts and minerals from grazing animal dung.

Chalk Grassland is Rare
Much of the Chalk Grassland known in the 1900s has been lost because of agricultural improvements encouraged by the government, with the remainder under threat when grazing declines or ceases. Without grazing, coarse grasses dominate and eventually scrub and trees smother the area. The ‘minute aromatic plants’ described above soon disappear without grazing. Today less than 3% of the Chalk Grassland known in the 1900's remains!

What Other Management Could be Used?
Mowing is used as a tool to maintain some areas of chalk grassland, and this has been the case at Lancing Ring and Mill Hill, Shoreham and a number of sites in Brighton & Hove. It can at least retain the open character of an area in the absence of grazing. It is however expensive and usually only regarded as holding management until grazing is possible. It is often only possible on relatively flat areas and does not provide the conditions for optimum biodiversity. For example, ant hills are destroyed, there is less variety of grass heights, fewer bare patches (important for many animals and plants) and the sudden change in one day from uncut to cut has a severe impact on many insects and beetles. The resultant cuttings are generally useless and need to be disposed of which is expensive or composted on site, which can be detrimental to the site.

Will Grazing Animals Affect Your Visit to an Area?
Yes it will, since over time you will be able to see and enjoy more wildlife and you may get to like seeing the animals grazing. If you walk your dog in these areas, it will be necessary to keep it under close control for the period of the grazing. This is often a requirement in any case under bylaws that may exist on local authority and other public land and is also part of the Country Code.

Most grazing on important ecological sites will be seasonal and many smaller sites will only be grazed for a relatively short period in the winter so you should not be overly inconvenienced.

Notices will usually be put up on well-visited sites and you can contact the appropriate organisation if you have any query or concern about visiting an area with grazing animals.

How Can You Help?
If you see people or dogs worrying animals, please report it using the number found on any particular site. If you are unsure, then contact the police and SDCB who will try to deal with the problem.

Please also report any other incidents that may affect grazing such as broken fences or gates or indeed any criminal damage such as damage to fences and gates.

In conjunction with the grazier you may wish to formerly help keep an eye on the animals if you are a regular visitor to an area. The SDCB may be able to link you with the grazier and possibly provide some training, or livestock handling opportunities.

Information and Links
Booklet - Lowland Calcareous Grassland - ISBN 1 85716 539 X – Free from English Nature
www.ukbap.org.uk
www.butterfly-conservation.org
www.biodiversitysussex.org