A wildlife charity has said gorse clearance work on Greenham and Crookham Common is taking into account the impact on wildlife and will be done before the ground nesting bird season gets underway.<\/p>\n
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) has been working on the land since January as part of ongoing vegetation management on the common.<\/p>\n
Greenham and Crookham Commons<\/p>\n
The organisation says it is increasing the area of scrub, mature leggy gorse and trees that are cleared this winter in order to create more open grassland and heathland for the species that need it.<\/p>\n
While it acknowledges there will be an \u2018impact\u2019 on wildlife, the charity says the work is necessary.<\/p>\n
Principal ecologist Andy Coulson-Phillips explained: \u201cThe increase in clearance work will result in some parts of the site looking very different and undergoing big changes in a short space of time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be a short-term impact, both on wildlife and visually, but the re-set will benefit our target species and habitats going forwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the habitat regenerates, insects and other animals will re-colonise.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can only happen when healthy, long-term populations remain to provide new colonists, which our works are seeking to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trust says it is considering the impact on wildlife<\/p>\n
By carrying out the works in winter, says the trust, it avoids disturbing nesting birds and many other species such as reptiles, amphibians and mammals who will be either hibernating below ground or tucked in areas of deeper cover.<\/p>\n
While monitoring data is being used to treat other areas more sensitively to ensure the habitat management works \u2018does not remove all suitable nesting habitat come next spring\u2019.<\/p>\n
Contractor\u2019s excavator stands burnt out and cordoned off on Greenham Common<\/p>\n