monitoring reports 2008
wildland project 2008 surveys organised and compiled by Theresa Greenaway

 

Knepp Wildland Project Annual biodiversity report and monitoring update 2008

Introduction

Ecological monitoring continued in 2008 in accordance with the Monitoring Strategy (T Greenaway, 2007).  It included selected surveys repeating the methodologies initiated in 2005 together with an additional baseline survey of the H30 SNCI Horsham Common complex. Those groups most likely to fluctuate in terms of diversity or size from year to year, such as breeding birds, are surveyed annually to allow a far better analysis of the effects of grazing and other environmental factors. Other groups or habitats likely to show slower rates of change will be surveyed at less frequent intervals. The 2008 fieldwork was funded by the Knepp Castle Estate

Surveyor

The survey was undertaken by Theresa Greenaway November 2008.

 

  

for the main report in MS word click above

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Knepp Castle Estate Bird Survey

 2008

Introduction

A repeat though more robust survey of the breeding bird communities present within two areas of the Knepp Castle Estate was carried out in spring 2008 following similar surveys in 2005 and 2007.  The purpose of this survey was to provide a comparison with the results of the previous surveys in relation to the conversion of the estate from intensive arable to a near-natural grazing system.

Surveyor

The survey was undertaken by Paul James who also carried out the surveys in 2005 and 2007.

Species recorded

A total of 57 species was recorded on the Estate in 2008 (see Appendix 1), 28 in area A and 41 in area B.  For details of the approximate number of territories of each species recorded on each transect see Appendix 2.  (Note that where a bird was recorded in the same place on more than one site visit, a single registration is shown on the map).

 

 

for the main report in MS word click above

If you would like to see the following transects referred to in the above report please click on the following pdf documents below:
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Timed Butterfly Transect Surveys of the Knepp Estate 

July 2005 - 2008  

Introduction

Butterflies have been the subject of monitoring through annual surveys in July on the Knepp Estate by the Sussex Wildlife Trust as part of the overall monitoring programme to assess the effects of the naturalistic grazing regime that is being instituted there. The three surveys run to date, in conjunction with fixed point photo monitoring, have detected a total of 23 different species, whereas previous recording by Butterfly Conservation (BC) Sussex branch lepidopterists during 1995-2004 had registered 26 species (mostly the same ones).

Surveyor

The survey was undertaken by Rich Howorth Sussex Wildlife Trust - West Weald Landscape Project, SxWT

 

 

for the main report in pdf click above

If you would like to see the following transects and spreadsheet reports please click on the following pdf documents below:

 

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Fixed Point Photography Survey of the Knepp Estate

July 2005 - 2008  

Introduction

Annual series of photographs have been taken over four survey years now on the Knepp Estate to enable visual comparison and detection of significant changes in the site’s structure and composition over time. Such an approach is extensively used as a general technique to monitor gross ecological changes in protected areas worldwide, its value increasing with repeated application over time (as for all long-term monitoring studies).

Given that substantial changes in habitat composition might be expected from the introduction of the extensive semi-naturalistic grazing regime, this simple method should provide an adequate photographic record of the site’s evolution.

Surveyor

The survey was undertaken by Rich Howorth Sussex Wildlife Trust - West Weald Landscape Project, SxWT

 

 

for the main report in pdf click above

If you would like to see the following report please click on the following MS word documents below:

 
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Knepp Castle Wildland Project

Botanical Survey of Horsham Common SNCI 2008

Introduction

A botanical survey of the Horsham Common SNCI (H30) was carried out by Kate Ryland of Dolphin Ecological Surveys over a period of several days during late April and early May 2008. 

Horsham Common SNCI lies within the Knepp Castle estate in West Sussex at central grid reference TQ157237.

The purposes of the survey were to obtain an overview of the vegetation of the SNCI complex, to identify those areas of greatest botanical interest within the site and to collect baseline information about the composition of most botanically diverse areas.

Surveyor

The survey was undertaken by Kate Ryland of Dolphin Ecological Surveys.

 

  

for the main report in MS Word click above

If you would like to see the following reports please click on the following documents below:

 
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