Malham

Malham is a small farmers’ village located in North Yorkshire. The village is famous throughout the United Kingdom for its nearby natural beauty. However, the region has been put in the spotlight for other reasons, such as new ways to make farming more environmentally friendly.

Neil, the owner of the ‘Hill Top Farm’ which sits above the small village of Malham, has looked at ways of increasing biodiversity on his lands that will allow the farm to still make a profit. Unlike most modern-day farms, the cattle, which are the farm’s main product, roam freely around the fields, allowing them to exhibit more natural behaviours than other farms, which in turn makes for a better product.

During my time in the town, I studied the vegetation coverage on two different fields in Neils’ Farm: one that is currently being grazed on by a herd of cattle (B), and the other that has been left for a few months to allow nature to re-grow (A).

Figure 1 – Map of the two studied fields and their location in relation to Malham. Image from Google Maps

Method

Equipment:

• 2 x 2-metre foldable rulers
• 1 visual plant guide
• Pen
• Table to write data on

Gather a one-by-one-metre square and randomly throw it in the field you want to measure. When the ruler lands, make sure that it is a completed square, then measure the vegetation coverage inside it, taking note of the species inside the square. The identification of these species is done using a physical plant guide that includes the region’s vegetation types. Once you have taken note of all species in the 1 by 1-metre square, walk a few metres in a random direction and throw the square once again, repeating all the previous steps until you have five samples from that field. Then move to the other field and repeat the steps in the previous field until you have five samples from that field.

Results

Figure 2 – Graph showing vegetation coverage at an Ungrazed field.

Figure 3 – A graph showing vegetation coverage on a grazed field

The graphs above show the difference in vegetation species and coverage in two fields in Malham. Both fields were only separated by a small stone wall that was put in place to regulate grass length so the farmer could rotate his animals through different fields.

Summary

The data from Figures 2 and 3 show a stark difference in both the overall percentage coverage of vegetation and the levels of vegetation excluding grass. Grass remained the main component for both fields, but the ungrazed field had around 10% less than the grazed field. Furthermore, plants like Trifolium, Geranium, and Mouse-Ear increased dramatically in Figure 2.

The increase stems from the fact that the grazed fields are still being actively used, with a herd of around 10 cattle grazing on them at the time I gathered the data. The effects of this were that the vegetation was controlled by the cows consuming it. Furthermore, the act of the cows walking on the field compacts the soil, making it harder for plants to grow.

Daly Forest

Dalby Forest is an 8,500-acre forest that is part of the greater North Riding Forest Park in the North York Moors National Park (Forestry England, 2023). The forest is actively managed by the park authority, and when venturing into the forest, you can see newly planted saplings up to tall, 30-year-old mature trees that shade the forest floor. The forest is mainly made up of Sitka Spruce, Larch, Pine, and Beech, along with a few other species.

The aim of visiting Dalby Forest was to see how plant coverage on the forest floor varies in relation to the age of the trees. This will allow us to see if tree height and girth affect the vegetation on the forest floor, and if they do, we hope to be able to conclude as to why this might be the case.

Figure 4 – Map showing the areas of study. Image from Google Maps

A – 21-year-old woodland

B – 17-year-old woodland

C – 29-year-old woodland

D – 5-year-old woodland

Method

Equipment needed

• 50-metre tape measure
• 2 x 2-metre foldable rulers
• Light meter reader
• Random number generator (can be used on your phone)
• Plant guide
• Ranger metre

Mark out 30 metres into the forest, and you will use your random number generator set at 0 to 30. Then use the random number generator and place your 1 by 1-metre quadrate down at the number the generator gives you that will correspond to the distance along the 30 metres you have measured out. Repeat this five times at different locations along the 30 meters. At these locations, also measure the light reading. This reading should be taken in the same place in the quadrat each time, whether that be in the middle of it or one of the corners, as this will increase accuracy.

Next, measure the girth of the closest tree to the quadrat using a small measuring tape. Take these measurements at the base of the tree trunk. Finally, measure the height of the same tree that the girth measurement was taken from using a range metre.

Measure the tree’s height by standing at least 10 metres away from the trunk, and then use the ranger metre from the base of the tree to the very top. If it is too difficult to get a reading or the reading does not seem right, then measure another tree that is close to the one you tried to measure.

Use this information to relate the height and girth of the tree to the vegetation coverage on the forest floor.

Results

Figure 5 – Graph showing average light reading, tree girth, and tree height at each allotment of trees.

Figure 6 – A graph showcasing vegetation coverage in a 5-year-old woodland.

Figure 7 – A graph showcasing vegetation coverage in a 17-year-old woodland.

Figure 8 – A graph showcasing vegetation coverage in a 21-year-old woodland.

Figure 9 – A graph showcasing vegetation coverage in a 29-year-old woodland.

Summary

The overall trend from the data shows a decrease in both the number of species and the percentage coverage of those species. This data also shows a correlation between the height and girth of the trees in the different aged woodlands, as the higher height allows for a denser canopy, which reduces the light that hits the ground. This is also demonstrated by the light readings at each location. The light reading was worked out by averaging the five light readings at each location. This in turn shows the correlation between the light reading, vegetation coverage, and biodiversity on the forest floor.

Figure 9 shows that the vegetation on the forest floor for trees that are 29 years old or older is limited to the Creeping Feather Moss, which covers much of the forest floor. This is because mosses are some of the most resilient species in the world and need both little light and soil to establish themselves. This is one of the reasons they were some of the first species to grow in the early stages of succession.

I can also draw similarities from Figures 6 to 9 compared to Figures 2 to 3, as Figure 2 shows the kind of habitat Dalby Forest would be in when they plant a new field of saplings. The data from both studies indicates that the younger the plants around the area, the higher the diversity will be, as they are all fighting to be the dominant species and absorb as much light as possible.

Grassington

Grassington is a large village located inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It serves as the main ‘honeypot’ for the wider National Park, with great natural beauty around it, such as the meandering River Wharfe that tumbles over Linton Falls.

The surrounding area and national parkland are predominantly moorland, which, according to the National Woodland Trust, “can be characterised by low-growing shrubs, grasses, and bog-mosses and often on damper peaty soils. These include wet habitats such as blanket bogs and valley fens” (Woodland Trust, 2023). The conservation of this environment is of paramount importance to groups like the Yorkshire Peat Partnership, which looks at restoring the environment.

The reason to restore the environment is that moorland is one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. “They store vast amounts of carbon—twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests” (UN Environmental Programme, 2019). Therefore, protecting it helps fight the effects of human-induced climate change. Also, moorland helps to regulate river levels as they act like large sponges and slowly release the water they have soaked up over the course of weeks and months.

Figure 10 – Map showing the general study area. Image from Google Maps

Method

• 10-metre tape measure
• Clinometer
• 2 x 2-metre foldable rules
• Physical species guidebook
• Pen
• Paper

First, go over to a section of moorland that has not been burned back and measure out 50 metres up a hill. Every 10 metres or so, you will then use a 1-by-1-metre quadrat and a physical species guidebook to note down all the species inside the quadrat, taking into account the percentage coverage as well. Once this has been done, you will record the next readings until you have a cumulative distance of around 50 meters. You will then switch to the burned section of Moorland and do the same thing.

If I were to calculate the hill slope profile of the studied area, I would place two ranging polls at the locations where I take vegetation coverage readings. Then I would measure the distance between those polls and the angle, making sure to take my readings from the same place on each poll to increase accuracy. You would also use a GPS at each location, including the first point, so you can get your altitude up the hill.

Results

Figure 11 – A graph showing the vegetation coverage on a recently burnt heather moorland

Figure 12 – A graph showing the vegetation coverage on a heather moorland

Summary

Both Figures 11 and 12 show similar species, with the burnt moorland having a higher biodiversity than the non-burned moorland. However, the burnt moorland shows a higher amount of Calluna Vulgaris than in Figure 11, but the percentage cover of species like narrow grass, mosses, and bedstraw is much higher than in Figure 12. This is due to the fact that the non-burned moorland has had much more time to develop, which has meant more species can establish themselves on the moorland.

Calluna Vulgaris, or common heather, is the most abundant species in both figures. Considering the study is from a moorland that in the UK is predominantly covered by low-lying heather, this data is not surprising.

However, I was very surprised by the variety of plants in Figure 11, as I thought the burning of the moorland would have reduced these numbers to almost zero. The data I gathered indicates that these environments are very quick to recover, and the fact that the surrounding area also has the same species helps it to recover faster as the seeds of the plants can spread more rapidly than if the whole ecosystem in the area were burned.

All three sites showcased vegetation coverage in different ecological environments that are all managed in different ways. For example:

• • The fields in Malham were from a farm that conducts pastoral farming and does not use any artificial fertilisers or pesticides.

• • The moorland near Grassington is managed by the national park, which ‘should’ only burn it back every 10 to 20 years (Miles, 1970).

• • Dalby Forest is maintained by Forestry England, which uses the land to produce timber. Giving each allotment of trees around 30 years to grow before cutting them down.

All these environments and the bodies that manage them want to preserve their naturality to some extent. All the environments that I studied are plagioclimaxes, which according to the Collin Dictionary is “the climax stage of a community, influenced by humans or some other outside factor” (Collins, 2023). All these areas would have been native woodland, not open fields. Even Dalby Forest would have been different, as the Sitka spruce, which is native to Alaska and the western coast of Canada, would not be in the forest (Woodland Trust, 2023). Instead, there would be native trees like the British Oak and Silver Birch, to name two. The moorland, which is kept at a lower level of succession by human management, would also have been a native woodland like the one Dalby would have been, as would the fields around Grassington.

Dalby Forest seems to be implementing regimes to sustainably manage their woodland while also being able to extract valuable timber. When I was there, I never felt that I was in an area that was threatened by deforestation. The forestry team seems to be implementing the Sustained Yield Management paradigm, which ensures a reliable flow of wood all year-round while also giving the ecosystem plenty of time to recover and move to younger woodland as the mature trees get felled (Peng, 2000).

The farming practices deployed in Malham have been heavily praised by environmentalists for their sustainability-first ideology. The Hill Top farm run by Neil prides itself on not using any fertilisers on its land, which has yielded substantial financial gains as he transitioned its main produce from sheep to cattle, as cattle need less looking after than sheep. Neil does say that he keeps some sheep that graze in the valley below the farm, but far less than he once did.

A report by Preston Sullivan talks about how increasing biodiversity on a farm is one of the ways to increase the nutrients in the soil (Sullivan, 2003). The farm, as mentioned before, only has cattle and sheep; therefore, they only need to make sure they have enough grass for the winter and good management of their fields. Nevertheless, Neil has started to encourage higher biodiversity on his farm by leaving large areas untouched for many months at a time, allowing more species to germinate. He has even let a portion of his farm become completely wild, which encourages birds to nests in the land’s high trees, further increasing biodiversity. All of this has helped reduce the overall running costs of the farm at a time when the cost of fertilisers is stabilising at over £100 more per tonne than it was pre-COVID-19 (AHDB, 2023).

In a world that is trying to transition itself into a clean, green future, the farming practices that Neil employs on his farm should be taken up by others both in the UK and abroad. This is one of the reasons the BBC’s Countryfile featured the farm in a 2013 episode (Hill Top Farm, 2023).

All of the data I gathered shows that different management strategies affect the vegetation coverage of the land, but the main factors are the foundations of life, such as light intensity, and by comparing Figure 5 to the data in Figures 6 to 9, we can see this correlation. Finally, the data shows that even with the management humans place on the natural world, our planet can still find ways to regenerate itself.

Bibliography

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