Management
Natural England's role is to advise and help the owners manage Whitton Bridge Pasture effectively. To achieve this Natural England provides guidelines for each SSSI. Species-rich grassland, such as that found at Whitton Bridge, requires careful management for it to retain its high species diversity. This means many activities are not allowed at the site including: ploughing, drainage and the use of fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.
Management of the site requires moderate grazing during the summer and autumn to help maintain the species diversity. This is because grazing removes each year's new growth which helps stop the site becoming dominated by vigorously growing grasses. Such grasses would allow a build up of dead organic matter, which together with the increased growth, would reduce the growth of less vigorous species. The overall effect would be a reduction in species diversity, which was one of the reasons for the SSSI designation. Trampling can be of benefit because it breaks up accumulated dead organic matter.
The small and isolated nature of the site makes it susceptible to damage from the surrounding area. For example herbicides, thought to be generally damaging for the species richness, could get onto the site from the drift of spray from surrounding fields. To help combat this the maintenance of mature hedgerows around the perimeter is encouraged. As of 2006 the condition of Whitton Bridge Pasture is described as favourable, which means that the land is being adequately conserved and any conservation objectives are being met, but that there is scope for enhancement of the site. The condition of the site was also described as favourable in 2004 and 2005 assessments. In the future it is hoped that the grazing regime will become more regularised and will be of high priority.
Read more about this topic: Whitton Bridge Pasture
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