Evaluation of the restoration of priority open habitats on the Forestry Commission estate in Dorset
Dr. Kathy Hodder; Dr Anita Diaz, Prof Adrian Newton & Chris Moody
CCEEC have been commissioned by the Forestry Commission (FC) to evaluate the biodiversity outcomes of the restoration of priority open habitats from plantation forestry in Dorset. The lowland heaths, bogs and mires that have been restored by the FC are priority habitats for biodiversity conservation in the UK with at least 350 species of conservation concern found in the Dorset heaths natural area.
The Dorset forest estate provides an ideal opportunity to assess the impacts of the conservation and restoration investment over a range of open and mosaic habitat types that have received a range of conservation actions.
The CCEEC research comprises
- Survey of the habitat character, quality and condition of the restored sites in the Dorset forest by comparison with target vegetation communities. Mapping output designed for compatibility with the client’s GIS in order to facilitate ongoing monitoring and hence, adaptive management.
- Survey of priority species in restored and target sites to evaluate the impacts of a suite of restoration actions. Establishment of protocols and systems to encourage ongoing monitoring of species recovery.
