Restoring our valuable grasslands

Plantlife continued to influence conservation efforts on the national stage during 2021/22 after presenting the findings from a trial designed to safeguard species-rich grassland to the UK Government.

We explored the advice and support which land managers would need to implement environmental land management schemes to create and restore vital grassland habitats.

The evidence we collated was presented to Defra (the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) and showed:

Online mapping tools are only as good as the data they are based on, and national datasets often have gaps or are not at a high enough resolution to inform field-scale decisions. Farmers also told us they would like mechanisms put in place so that these data layers can be more easily updated.

Although online decision-making tools could be a useful component of the advice offered to land managers, there remains a significant need to provide one-to-one skilled advice to help deliver optimum biodiversity outcomes.

The great benefits which collaboration brings to both farmers and biodiversity are most pronounced when it is coordinated locally, skilfully and with adequate resources.

As well as helping to shape national thinking, the results from the test and trial study have also supported our wider policy work around the importance of one-to-one advice and collaboration for successful land management.

Image credits: Header image - Matt Pitts

Restoring our valuable grasslands

Saving England’s lowland Juniper