Sustainable Farming in the Environment

Habitats
Peatlands

Peatlands are a major part of the Irish landscape and in good condition they are very important
places for wildlife. Peatlands in Ireland include raised and blanket bogs, fens, as well as wet and dry
heath.

They often form in poorly drained areas of high rainfall. There are two main types of peatland in
Ireland: raised bogs and blanket bogs. Raised bogs form in the basin of former lakes and are mainly
found in the midlands. Blanket bogs are mainly found in upland areas especially along the west coast
of Ireland. These peatlands cover roughly 17.6% of the Irish landscape.

Peatland functions include:

 Habitat for many types of wildlife

 When they are in good condition act as a major carbon store and sink trapping damaging
greenhouse gases
 Storing and filtering water to keep it clean
 Preventing flooding

Actions on the farm:

In a healthy bog, water levels are generally at or near the surface year-round. If the bog is dry, it is an
indication that the water levels have dropped. A dry bog can’t support the same level of biodiversity,
so the water levels must be restored.

ACTIONS TO TAKE:

BLOCK DRAINS

 Drains stop the bog from holding water and dry it out. This makes it a less suitable habitat
for water-loving plants and animals.
 Dams installed along drainage ditches are a low-cost, easy method of rewetting the bog or
wetland area.
 Dams can be made of plastic piling or of waterlogged, decomposed peat. While peat dams
are cheaper, they are also generally less efficient dams than plastic piling and can only be
used on narrower drains. For wide drains, plastic piling dams are more efficient.

REMOVE TREES FROM BOGS

 Water tolerant trees such as alder and willow dry out sections of bog by absorbing the water
through their roots.
 This drier bog can then be colonised by less water-tolerant trees, further drying the bog and
changing the habitat. As such, it is important to promptly remove trees from the bog to
 Sustainable Farming in the Environment
avoid damaging the sensitive bog habitat. However, peatlands that have dried out and
cannot feasibly be re wetted, then they may provide an interesting bog-woodland habitat.

AVOID OVERGRAZING

 Where grazing is suitable, it is important to only graze the amount of livestock that the bog/
peatland can support. Overgrazing, poaching and erosion can reduce the ability of the
peatland to support wildlife and livestock.

Field Boundaries

Field boundaries are a common feature of the Irish countryside. Those of value to wildlife include:

 Hedgerows
 Stone walls
 Fences
 Watercourses

They are key areas for nature providing food, water, shelter, nesting sites and essential corridors for
movement of wildlife between otherwise isolated habitats. They are home to a variety of wildlife
including birds, small mammals, and many insect species including pollinators such as bees and
hoverflies.

For the farmer, they may provide shelter and shade for livestock, prevent soil erosion, and help
reduce agricultural runoff reaching rivers and causing pollution. There are a variety of actions
farmers can take to improve the quality of their field boundaries.

Actions on the Farm

MAP WHAT’S ALREADY THERE:

 The first step to improving the value of your field boundaries is to have a look at their
current condition and what wildlife they support.
 Take some time to record the plant and animal species in your field boundaries, this will help
identify which areas are the best and worst for biodiversity. Once you know this, it will be
easier to plan improvements.
 There are several free and easy to use apps that can help with this task. These apps can help
to identify and record plants, bird song, or make maps for what habitats are on the farm.

USEFUL APPS:

Biodiversity Data Capture: allows you to record and submit wildlife sightings to the National
Biodiversity Data Centre.

BirdNet or similar: helps to identify bird calls.

PlantNet: helps to identify plants using photos.

ViewRanger: mapping app that can be used to map habitats found on the farm.
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HEDGEROWS:

REPAIRING DAMAGED HEDGEROWS

 Gaps or ‘leggy’ hedgerows are less beneficial to wildlife and offer less shelter to livestock.
Planting any gaps with native flowering hedgerow species will increase available habitat for
wildlife and provide food for important species such as pollinators.
 Fill gaps in hedges with native – and preferably local – species to increase the hedgerow’s
value for nature. You can do this by laying, coppicing or planting up the gaps and improving
the leggy areas.

Hedge laying (B.Bryce)

 Laying is the best method of rejuvenating gappy or damaged hedgerows as the hedge
continues to flower providing food for wildlife. This involves cutting the stems part the way
through, bending them over and interweaving them.
 Another option is coppicing – this is cutting the stems all the way through. However,
coppiced hedgerows may take years before flowering again so are less beneficial to wildlife
while they regrow. Both methods should be done in short sections rather than long ones as
both take a while to provide habitat for birds and insects.

MANAGING HEDGEROWS

 Ideally hedgerows should be left grow and expand as much as possible but this is not always
possible on a farm and they have to be managed.
 To avoid the whole lot being cut at once, hedgerows should only be cut on a 3-5 year
rotation. Ideally, only cut a short section of the hedgerow in any one year as this allows
flowers and berries to grow on the older trees.
 In a 3- year rotation cut only a third in winter. If the fields either side of a hedgerow are
under the same management, consider cutting one side this year, other side next.
 Aim to shape your hedgerow into a roughly triangular A-shaped profile, with a wide base;
however, as before do consider leaving one side uncut altogether to encourage growth. The
broad base allows light in at the base which encourages dense growth at a ground level
which is more ideal for some birds nesting.
 Take care to avoid cutting mature trees or saplings that will become your future hedgerow
trees. These trees form an important canopy habitat for birds.
 Allow trees to mature (M.Auchmuty)
 Take time to observe as ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ – for instance if you have a row of one
species, such as Sycamore or Ash which can be gappy at the base but have a dense canopy
consider it’s cutting management in patches to allow more light in and therefore more
diversity such as ivy, honeysuckle and other smaller flowers in between the healthier
specimens.
 Under the Irish Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, it is important to note that no hedge cutting
can be done between the 1st of March and the 31st of August.
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 However, if you can delay trimming as late as possible such as January and February, the
berry crop will provide valuable food for wildlife. If this is not possible, a 3-year rotation is
required to provide a bumper crop of berries in one year of the rotation.
 Cutting is usually undertaken with a flail, but a circular saw is a less damaging alternative
which creates a cleaner cut and encourages better re-growth.
 Reduce cutting intensity each year to allow for the expansion and the diversity of your
hedgerow to increase.

PLANTING NEW HEDGEROWS

 When planting new hedgerows, use a variety of flowering species. If possible, choose locally-
sourced native shrubs as they are adapted to local conditions and better for wildlife than
introduced species. Also include native trees interspersed along the new hedgerow which
should be allowed to grow into mature, full height trees.
 When planting, consider how to connect the new hedgerows to other natural features.
Wildlife uses hedgerows for navigation and foraging; connecting new hedgerows to existing
ones may help support the spread of wildlife into new areas.

RETAIN THE OLD

 Either leave dead trees or pile up dead wood as habitats (B.Barry)

 Where they are not a hazard or where they don’t prevent younger trees from growing,
retain old, dying and dead trees. They can be really important for nature as they support
important insect communities, bat roosts and cavity-nesting birds.

PROTECTING HEDGEROWS AND THEIR BASES FROM LIVESTOCK

 To prevent livestock from damaging new and existing plants, especially between May-July,
consider fencing up to 2-meters out from the hedgerow base and other field margins. Avoid
grazing or cutting this area until after the main flowering period.
 Avoid using sprays or fertilisers near to these margins as they can have an extremely
negative effect on the variety of plants and animals that live there. Over time, this area will
gradually develop the natural vegetation needed to support a range of wildlife.

CONTROLLING WEEDS

 Good management is key to controlling the spread of weeds. Avoiding fertiliser or slurry
input near field boundaries limits the growth of weeds such as docks which thrive in
nitrogen-rich areas.
 Docks, thistles and nettles can all be topped at flowering to prevent their spread, but note
that they are all valuable for wildlife: finches feed on docks in seed, butterflies and bees
drink the nectar in thistles, and nettles provide the food plant for certain species of
butterfly’s caterpillars such as Peacock & Red Admiral so consider leaving patches of these
too (especially in sunlight areas).
 For localised weed issues with plants such as ragwort, manual weeding is effective. However,
where ragwort can be safely left, it supports insects like the cinnabar moth caterpillars.
 Sustainable Farming in the Environment
 Mulching can be used in problem areas to prevent the weed seedlings from germinating, by
blocking their access to light, but too much mulching can lead to build up of nutrients
favoured by nettles.
 For invasive species it is important to use the appropriate removal method to prevent their
further spread. If you suspect you have invasive species growing on your land you can
consult the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s site for more information on the problem
species (www.biodiversityireland.ie/projects/invasive-species).

STONE WALLS

 Stone walls support various plant species as well as cavity-dwelling animals such as insects,
snails and small mammals. This is because the variety of nooks and crannies in the walls
offer slightly different micro-habitats that suit many different types of plants and animals.
 Try to minimise the disturbance to hibernating animals by avoiding repair works in the late
autumn /winter.
 Avoid using sprays near the walls as it can harm the wildlife and/or their food sources.
 Avoid planting trees or shrubs too close to the walls as their roots can damage or topple
sections of wall.
 Maintaining the walls in a good state is the best way to ensure that they provide a home for
wildlife into the future.

FENCES

 Avoid sprays, fertilisers and major disturbances in these areas to allow natural communities
to develop.
 Leave areas of long grass along fences for bumblebees to nest. If cutting is needed in these
areas, where possible wait until after flowering (August onwards) or note that there are
short circuits you can acquire to prevents your fences earthing.

WATERCOURSES

 Maintain at least a 3-metre buffer of unfarmed land along rivers and a 2-metre buffer along
streams. This should be done by fencing off the watercourse to prevent livestock or
machinery from entering this area.
 Protecting water from livestock is especially important as animal faeces can cause water
pollution and damage aquatic habitats. This may require installation of drinking points away
from watercourses for stock if that is their main access for water.
 Avoid sprays and fertilisers along watercourses as these can also get into the water systems
and can be carried long distances.
 Avoid sprays, fertilisers and major disturbances along ditch banks. Banks slope and
vegetated margins are important habitats for wildlife in which many species including bees
may find essential resources such as food and nesting/overwintering sites.

Woodlands

Woodlands are dominated by tree cover, with a diverse range of animals and plants, some of which
rely entirely on this as a habitat. Irish woodlands are characterised by trees like oak, ash, hazel, holly
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etc and contain plants include bluebells, bugle, primroses, wood anemone and wood avens; animals
include pygmy shrews, red squirrels, badgers, bats, pine martens and many insect species.

At only 11% of the land, Ireland currently has one of the lowest tree covers in Europe. Most Irish
‘forests’ are in fact non-native plantations; only 6% is considered to be semi-natural. These
fragments of native woodlands are the most valuable for biodiversity as they host plants and animals
adapted to rely on them. As such, it is vital to protect and improve the biodiversity value of our
native woodlands wherever they occur.

Actions on the Farm

WHAT’S THERE ALREADY?

The first step in improving the value of any farm habitat is to understand what’s currently living
there. Understanding what animals and plants are living in your woodland will help you to tailor your
actions to best suit its wildlife. This is especially important for noting any rare or protected species
that are living in or visiting the woodland as they may require specific actions such as the red
squirrel, pine marten, Kerry slug and lesser horseshoe bat. As such, understanding what areas are
being used by different species is an important first step in maintaining your woodland. A healthy
woodland will have a variety of habitats to suit its varied inhabitants.

Going Further:

KEEP AREAS OF DEAD WOOD: EITHER STANDING OR FALLEN TREES

 Standing dead wood is an important nesting site for hole-nesting birds.

 Dead wood in semi-shaded conditions is good for fungi and invertebrates.

HAVE A VARIETY OF TREE AGES

 A native woodland plantation at 20 years old (B.Barry)

 Having trees of different ages gives the woodland a structure and allows natural
regeneration over time.
 Coppicing* can be used to thin dense areas of similarly aged trees and allow light to reach
the smaller plants on the ground.
 When planting new trees, ensure you use native species preferably from local stock.
 Where possible, allow the woodland to regenerate naturally.

*COPPICING

Coppicing is a type of woodland management where areas of suitable woodland are cut down to
nearly ground level. This allows the trees to regrow without replanting. This allows sections of
woodland to be cut for stakes, walking sticks, use in thatching hurdles each year on a long rotation
while allowing coppiced areas to regrow.
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KEEP WET AREAS AND NATURAL FEATURES

 A mix of sunny, shaded and sheltered streams benefits wildlife. Wet areas and ponds are
also great for insects. Temporary pools can be used by frogs and insects.
 Do not remove natural debris such as fallen logs as these are important wildlife spots.

WOODLAND STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT FOR WILDLIFE

 Having a diverse range of structures including glades, buffer zones along rides (pathways)
and woodland edges, ground vegetation, shrubs, and the tree canopy encourages a wider
range of wildlife.
 Considering adding these areas into new and existing woodlands where possible.

MAINTAINING OPEN AREAS

 Low intensity grazing can maintain open areas such as glades provided newly planted trees /
shrubs are protected by fencing or thorny-scrub – mimics parkland grazing. (Fencing may be
temporary, e.g. length of fence-life – perhaps 15 years.)
 However, long-term grazing of unprotected seedlings / saplings can affect woodland
structure and prevent natural regeneration.
 Deer fencing may be needed to allow the woodland to regenerate without grazing pressure.

CONNECT YOUR WOODLAND TO OTHER HABITATS

 As with any habitat, connectivity is important. It is harder for wildlife to move through
fragmented habitats so try and avoid isolating different sections of the woodland from the
rest.
 Try and link your woodland to other wildlife areas such as hedgerows, ponds and wet
grassland using buffer strips. If planning a new woodland, consider how to connect it to
existing habitats ahead of planting.

MANAGING WOODLAND RIDES

 Rides are tracks through the woodland for people and machinery provide opportunities to
vary the width, shade and cutting regime of woodland to favour varied biodiversity
 Cut the plants along the rides in small segments on a rotational basis as needed.
 You can create a variety of habitats by cutting the grassy verges of the track or buffer zone
every 1-3 years, about 25% of the small shrubs every year on a rotation, and then coppicing*
the larger shrubs and small trees at the woodland edge on a piecemeal rotation every 8-20
years.
 To avoid negative effects on invertebrates. coppicing* and mowing should be done in
autumn or winter.

MANAGING BUFFER ZONES

 The buffer zone between the edge of your woodland and the other habitats is an important
area for wildlife.
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 Allowing a 6m buffer of vegetation to grow along the edge of your woodland improves its
value for wildlife. This area creates a gradual change from woodland plants at the edge to
small trees and shrubs giving way to grassland; it will be easier for wildlife to move between
the different areas. Edge grassland can be rotationally cut in a similar method to the
woodland rides explained above.

CREATE AND PROTECTING HOMES FOR WILDLIFE

 Bats and birds may roost and nest in your woodland, particularly in old or hollow trees.
 Protecting such areas from destruction or disturbance will benefit wildlife.
 Adding new bat and bird boxes can encourage more of these species into your woodland.
 Bat boxes should be placed at least 4m high in sunny, sheltered locations away from artificial
lights. Place in a location where there is at least 1m radius of free space around the box to
allow the bats an easy flight path.
 Bird boxes should be at least 2.5m high in sheltered, sunny positions away from other nest
boxes or bird feeders.

Grasslands

Grasslands cover a large part of the Irish countryside; depending on the underlying soils and geology
they vary from freely draining and dry to waterlogged and poorly drained.

Historically, low intensity farming was very good for biodiversity; however, agricultural
intensification has led to widespread declines in biodiversity. Management plays a major role in how
biodiverse our grasslands are. As such, managing even 5-10% of your grasslands for biodiversity can
make a huge difference to wildlife. Where they remain old hay meadows and semi-natural (or ‘more-
natural’) grasslands have very high biodiversity and can be some of the most species rich habitats in
Ireland’s farmland

Important functions of semi-natural grasslands include:

 They provide a food source for many types of livestock and wildlife.
 Healthy grasslands can store carbon.
 Good soil structure in well-managed grasslands reduces waterlogging and the impacts of
droughts.
 Wet grasslands, say on floodplains, can provide really important feeding habitats for
thousands of wild birds (eg ducks, geese and swan) that spend their winter in Ireland

Semi-natural grasslands are some of the most biodiverse habitats in Ireland.

Actions on the Farm

AVOID OVERGRAZING OR POACHING

 Increase the time fields are left to rest between grazing to allow them to recover and
regrow.
 Sustainable Farming in the Environment
 Alternatively, reduce the grazing intensity by reducing your stocking density.
 Preventing overgrazing and poaching reduces open space in the grass sward for problematic
weeds to colonise.

AVOID DAMAGING THE SOIL

 Avoid using heavy machinery on the soil in or after wet weather as this compacts the soil
and damages its structure.
 Minimise or avoid chemical, including NPK fertilizers or pesticide use as this will damage the
health of your soils by reducing their biodiversity.

ALLOW AREAS OF LONG GRASS TO GROW

 Fence off or reduce stocking density in certain areas to let taller grass grow and for longer
into the season.
 Having a diversity of grass lengths provides a variety of habitats for insects, birds and small
mammals. .
 Allow longer grass to grow near field boundaries or hedgerows to create nesting habitats for
bumble bees.
 If you are growing for winter feed, consider hay (weather permitting) or even haylage rather
than silage as that leaves a chance for more seed to remain on site, replenishing the seed
bank and try to harvest as late as possible to allow flowers to set seed (at least until after
mid-July, if possible early Autumn). It’s important to harvest the field as taking the crop off
will reduce nutrient loading and encourage biodiversity.

ADD POLLINATOR FRIENDLY PLANTS

 Planting species such as clover naturally increase the nitrogen levels in your soil while also
feeding our pollinators.
 If your grassland is already filled with native wildflowers, protect them! Don’t reseed areas
of wildflower meadows; they are probably already really important as they are for all kinds
of wildlife.
 Advice on managing wildflower rich meadows can be found in the links below.

MANAGE WATER FOR WET GRASSLANDS

 Plan and manage to have enough water for ‘splash’ floods in the winter. Options might
include not draining off naturally occurring floods too fast or using sluices and structures to
move water around to create ‘splash’.
 Keep wet grasslands damp into July and August. These will be important for lots of
biodiversity including charismatic breeding ‘wading birds’ such as lapwing, snipe and curlew.
Where drains have been used in the past these can be blocked.
 Graze the area as needed to stop plants such as willow from growing and drying the area
out. Do this after the bird breeding season (March to July/August).

REDUCE LIVESTOCK ACCESS TO RIVERS AND WATERWAYS

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 Fence off watercourses to prevent bank erosion and water pollution, provide alternative
water sources.
 Allow native vegetation to grow along the river bank to stabilise it against erosion.

MINIMISE ANTI-PARASITIC DRUG USE

 Dung is really important and supports many insects and fungi for instance, so think hard
about reducing anti-parasitic drug use. Consider non-avermectin alternatives to treat
animals.
 Only treat animals with these drugs when absolutely necessary as avermectin is harmful to
native invertebrates living in and around animal dung. Insect eating birds once abundant
round the farm, such as swallows and house martins, are becoming rare because amongst
other things the insects on which they once fed are now getting scarce.

Tillage

How farmers manage their tillage fields and margins is important for farm wildlife. Tillage impacts
the structure and function of soils upon which many habitats depend. By farming to protect soils,
tillage farmers can make space for nature without losing productivity. By managing 5-10% of your
farm for biodiversity, you can make a huge difference for nature with relatively small effort.

Using nature-friendly management can offer a host of benefits including:

 Good soil structure reduces waterlogging and the impacts of droughts

 A healthy predatory insect population reduces the need for pesticides
 Reducing pesticide use benefits pollinators immensely and can increase pollination
 Healthy soils don’t produce as many greenhouse gas emissions as damaged soils

Actions on the Farm

WHAT’S ALREADY THERE?

The first step in improving the value of any farm habitat is to understand what’s currently living
there. This is important for any rare or protected species, but also to identify new opportunities for
restoring nature.

Record which animals are visiting or nesting in your fields and what plants are growing in the field
margins. Understanding what these animals and plants need will help you to tailor your actions to
best suit them.

REDUCED OR NO-TILLAGE

 A consequence of reduced or no till farming is that disturbance to the soil structure and its
organisms is minimised; organic matter is concentrated at the surface and breaks down
more slowly.
 This allows beneficial organisms such as fungi and bacteria to break down the organic matter
in the upper layers of the soil, releasing nutrients over time.
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 Combined with crop-rotation and cover crops, this approach minimises weeds and diseases
without relying on chemical methods.

COVER CROPS

 Mixed species cover crop

 Mustard seed cover crop
 Planting winter cover crops prevents soil erosion and nutrient run-off into local waterways.
Growing winter bird cover for example protects the soil, provides cover for animals moving
through the field, controls weed levels and provides food for wildlife, especially seed-eating
birds.
 These crops are then tilled into the soil as a green manure, which slowly release nutrients
back into the soil, enriching it for the following crop. When used as a cover crop, legumes fix
nitrogen, benefiting the soil, crop yields and wildlife.

CROP ROTATION

 Changing the crop grown in a field every year prevents a build-up of pests or diseases to any
one crop.
 This system of crop rotation works well with integrated pest management (see below).

FALLOW PLOTS

 These areas, with only short or limited vegetation, provide suitable conditions for ground
nesting birds like lapwing.
 They can be created by ploughing in autumn and leaving alone over winter, or by harrowing
in February or early March to create a rough surface for birds to nest.

BEETLE BANKS

 In autumn, use a plough to create a ridge of earth about 40cm (16inches) high and 2m
(about 6.5 feet) wide. Sow with tussock and mat-forming native grasses.
 To allow wildlife to move to and from the bank, the distance between it and the field
boundary should be less than 25m.
 Cut as needed in the first summer; cutting when the grasses reach 10cm will encourage
tussocks to form. After the first year, to ensure there are undisturbed sections for wildlife,
cut on a 3-year rotation.
 These banks provide a habitat for many beneficial insects and nesting birds.
 More details on managing beetle banks can be found below.

IN-FIELD HERBAL LEYS/ GRASS AREAS

 A native grass-wild flower mix sown in August-September increases the value of the area for
wildlife, especially pollinators.
 Mixed herbal ley
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 Positioned parallel to a slope, these areas will slow down run-off, helping to prevent it
reaching nearby streams. Further. a grassy strip adjacent to a waterway provides a buffer
against run-off.
 Cut in the same way as the beetle banks: regularly in the first year and then in sections every
three years.
 Avoid pesticide use nearby as this will harm the wildlife living in the area.
 To allow wildlife to move more easily around the farm, connect these areas to field
boundary habitats.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

IPM uses a variety of non-chemical methods to reduce the use of chemicals. This is especially
important as over-use of chemicals can lead to resistance in the targeted pest species.

Methods used in IPM include:

 promoting beneficial wildlife (by protecting hedgerows, grassy areas, herbal leys etc.)
 crop rotation (to prevent increased pest and disease resistance)
 buffer-strips along field edges (to protect adjacent habitats from spray-drift)
 sterile seedbeds (for weed-control)
 targeted spot-treatment or pesticide-use if needed (aim to avoid spray drift or watercourse
contamination)
 cleaning machinery (to prevent the spread of harmful organisms between sites)
 weed management plans (look at the history of weed outbreaks on your farm and try and
identify the cause to prevent further outbreaks)

ARABLE REVERSION

 On some farms there will be fields where you might consider shifting for tillage to other land
covers – from grasslands to woodlands.
 A low-maintenance step could simply involve leaving a segment of your field alone and
letting nature reclaim. Once you decide to do this leave the area alone to allow nature to
take its course. You can start small and see what develops over time before extending.
 To promote connectivity, allowing animals to move more easily, link these new habitats with
existing natural areas. You will need to watch out for invasive species and may need to act to
limit their spread.

Wetlands

Wetland ecosystems rely on water with much wildlife is dependent on them. They cover almost
15% of Ireland and include rivers, streams and even drainage ditches; also peatlands (fens, raised
and blanket bogs), loughs and turloughs (temporary or seasonal loughs or fields – depending on your
viewpoint) and ponds.

Protecting wetlands is a great way to encourage and support biodiversity on your farm.

Wetlands functions include:

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 Providing key habitats for wetland plants and animals.
 Maintaining and even improving water quality.
 Mitigating against and managing floods.
 Storing Carbon for climate change mitigation.
 Key features of the landscape: open water, seasonal colours of wetland vegetation.

Actions on the Farm

CREATING BUFFER ZONES

 Pollution from farming can damage wetlands. It is vital to stop fertilisers, slurry, pesticides
and herbicides from reaching nearby water bodies and courses.

GRASSLAND BUFFER ZONES

 To diminish the likelihood of pollution entering the water, allow a buffer zone of wetland
vegetation to grow by the side of rivers, streams and ditches. This can be done by fencing
these areas off from grazers.
 Buffer zones of at least 3m should be used for rivers and 2m for streams and ditches.
However, the larger the buffer strip the more effective it will be at preventing pollution so
create bigger buffers if you have the space.
 In the first summer cut as needed when the grasses reach 10cm to encourage tussocks to
form. After the first year cut sections on a 3-year rotation to ensure there are undisturbed
sections for wildlife.
 These buffers will provide a habitat for many beneficial insects and nesting sites for birds.

ARABLE BUFFER ZONES

 Farm ponds on an arable farm should have a buffer of at least 2m but ideally up to 10m from
cropland.
 Fence off land adjacent to ponds and watercourses; allow wetland plants to colonise the
area naturally.

MANAGING SHADE LEVELS

PONDS

 The ideal location for a new pond is in an open, sunny spot in a grassland away from any
water pollution threats and near to other natural habitats.
 In larger ponds, some shade can benefit fish. To prevent them casting too much shade plant
trees on the north side of the pond.
 If creating a new pond, do not introduce fish; they eat frog eggs and insect larvae, limiting
the pond’s diversity.
 If you wish to reduce dominant vegetation such as scrub or bulrush (reed mace) do so in
small segments on rotation in late autumn/ early winter. Minimise disturbance as much as
possible; frogs, newts and insects may be hibernating in the muddy pond bottom.
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RIVERS, STREAMS, DRAINAGE DITCHES

 Keeping small areas of shade from trees or other plants is important to fish and other
aquatic animals to prevent the water getting too hot. However, avoid too much shade as this
prevents light from reaching aquatic plants.
 As with ponds, only taller plants to the northern banks to allow light to reach the river.
 Bankside vegetation stabilises river banks and helps prevent erosion. If possible, leave these
areas undisturbed to allow plants to grow there.
 If management is needed, it is best done in the autumn or winter on a rotational basis. This
leaves undisturbed sections of riverbank for wildlife.

MANAGING POND SHAPE

 An irregular kidney shaped pond has more benefit to wildlife as there are more areas for
micro-habitats along its curving edges.
 A pond with shallowly sloping edges allows wildlife such as hedgehogs to escape if they fall
in so try add at least one shallow slope to your pond.
 Having a varied depth with one deep section and shallower edges creates habitat for pond
vegetation at the edges and other aquatic species in the deeper section. Any excavation
work to alter the pond shape should be done in autumn, and preferably in smaller segments
over a few years to minimise disturbance.

MANAGING POND SILTATION

 Siltation occurs when too much silt builds up and chokes out aquatic vegetation. Excess silt
can be removed from ponds between September and November. This should be done in
small sections over a 3-4-year rotation.
 Try and minimise the use of heavy machinery in winter as this can compact the soil.

WATCH OUT FOR INVASIVE SPECIES

Invasive species can find their way into your watercourse or pond over time. It is important to
identify what species are there in order to know what the best removal method is. There are links to
a variety of resources on identifying and preventing the spread of these species in the further
information section below.

Data taken from https://www.farmingfornature.ie/