Studland

Managing Studland National Nature Reserve

Studland is located in Dorset, on the south coast. The satellite image shows the range of colours on the Studland peninsula - these correspond to different vegetation types.

This valuable habitat is also an extremely popular recreational area.

What management issues affect the NNR? - 1

Conflict 1 - Nature .v. nature

•Heathland .v. Scots Pine - Scots Pine invades the heath.•Rhododendron - this overpowers all other types of ground vegetation.•Pirri-pirri burr (from New Zealand via scrap wool for soil treatment) widespread in car parks, displacing native species •Slipper Limpet (from North America with introduced Oysters) now commonest shell on the beach, having displaced native shellfish.

What management issues affect the NNR? - 2

Conflict 2 - People .v. People

•jetskis .v. swimmers •naturists .v. clothed •dog walkers .v. horse riders & bathers•bird watchers and everyone else

(especially Naturists…)

Conflicts can be reduced by zoning these activities into their own areas.

The birdhide doesn’t help when fishermen are walking round in front, scaring the birds away....

Shortly after the photo was taken, the birdwatchers and fisherman started fighting, scaring away both the birds and the fish....

What management issues affect the NNR? - 3

Conflict 3 - People .v. Nature

• trampling destroys vegetation cover, allowing dune "blow-outs" to occur • dog walkers disturbing ground nesting birds• picnickers leave litter• fire risks are heightened by careless use of cigarettes or barbecues

What are the main management strategies? - 1

Zoning: create areas for different uses - barbecues, games, swimming, jet skis

Provision: create a honeypot with parking, toilets, gifts and snacks

Exclusion: create areas where activities (or indeed people) are not allowed. This implies a need for policing.

Education & information: provide leaflets or interpretation boards to help visitors appreciate/understand the qualities of the area.

What are the main management strategies? - 2

Plant communities - Foredune - Mobile dunes - Dune grassland - Dune heath - Dry, humid and wet heathland - Mires and bog-pools

Identify features of high national / international significance at Studland and zone land use accordingly to reduce pressure on these areas..

Reptiles - Sand lizard, Smooth snake

Breeding birds - Dartford warbler - Nightjar - Hobby

Invertebrates - Moths - Ground and shore bugs - Beetles - Grasshoppers

and crickets

This is the last slide.

You should now be able to

1) identify the different types of conflict in managing a nature reserve -

nature .v. nature conflicts

people .v. people conflicts

people .v. nature conflicts

2) recognise different management strategies to reduce conflicts -

* zoning & waymarking * provision (eg honeypots)

* exclusion from sensitive areas * education