Habitat Action Plans - Reed beds

Current Status

Definition

• Reedbed is defined in this plan as S4 National Vegetation Classification communities, all other communities containing reed to be included in the fen action plan.
• In Broadland, the fen resource has been surveyed and mapped. The distribution of reedbed vegetation by valley is as follows:

• A rare habitat. The RSPB Reedbed Inventory suggests over 1540 ha in Norfolk - almost 30% of the UK resource. However, the definition of reedbed used for this inventory was wider than that proposed here. Tables 1 and 2 show the sites over 20 and 10 ha respectively from the inventory excluding known fen sites.
• Reedbeds of less than 10 hectares are listed in Table 3 below.  Some of these sites are known to support priority species, including bittern.
• Over 50 species of conservation concern in Norfolk depend fully or partly on reedbeds and associated fens. However further research is necessary to fully identify the status of many species. The following are likely to provide the main focus:

• birds - bittern, bearded tit, marsh harrier, Savi's warbler;
• mammals - otter, water shrew, harvest mouse;
• moths - small dotted footman, Fenn's wainscot, reed leopard;
• other invertebrates - including BAP species such as the diving beetle (Bidessus unistriatus).

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Current factors affecting the habitat in Norfolk

• Several important reedbeds in north Norfolk are threatened by coastal erosion and some by increasingly frequent saline incursion including the Broads.
• Lack of biological information, particularly concerning reedbed invertebrates.
• Lack of appropriate management of some existing reedbeds leading to drying and scrub encroachment and unsympathetic cutting regimes.
• Lack of hydrological information.
• Water abstraction leading to concern over freshwater supplies.
• Inappropriate water level management.

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Current Action in Norfolk

• Of the 16 sites in Tables 1 and 2, all but five are within SSSIs and most are under sympathetic management (eg NWT, NT, EN, RSPB reserves).
• Current agri-environment schemes now include actions for reedbeds, which allows landowners to maintain and manage reedbeds.
• A number of key sites have been enhanced eg Titchwell, Hickling, Strumpshaw, Holme, Woodbastwick.
• There are a number of reedbed creation projects being progressed at Stiffkey, Ant valley.
• The TEN project and Broads vision have identified potential reedbed creation sites.
• The Broads Reedcutters' Association has been established and is being encouraged to undertake the sustainable management of reedbeds.

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Action Plan Objectives and Proposed Targets

National

• Identify and rehabilitate by the year 2000 the priority areas of existing reedbed (targeting those of 2 ha or more) and maintain this thereafter by active management.
• Create 1200 ha of new reedbed on land of low nature conservation interest by 2010. This should be in blocks of at least 20 ha:

• in areas near to existing habitat;
• linked with existing habitat wherever possible.

Norfolk

• Maintain existing area and quality as a minimum. Identify and rehabilitate by the year 2010 the priority areas of existing reedbed which are not currently at favourable conservation status.
• Create new reedbed to replace reedbeds likely to be lost due to changes to coastal management. These should be located as near as possible to existing sites on areas of current low nature conservation interest.
• Create an additional 600 hectares of new reedbed safe from future threat of sea level rise within Norfolk by 2010. This will be on areas of current low nature conservation interest.

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Norfolk Distribution

Table 1 - Sites >20 ha from RSPB Reedbed Inventory 1993 - Norfolk

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Management Guidance

The management of reedbeds falls into two broad areas: the management of water and that of the reed itself. Within these, the fundamental requirement is the frequency of cutting of the reed and control of water levels and movement.

Control of water levels can:

• Encourage reed at the expense of other species;
• Increase the rate of 'litter' (dead plant material) breakdown and reduce the rate of drying out of reedbeds;
• Facilitate management practices;
• Provide an aquatic habitat.

Reed cutting can be used to:

• Reduce the rate of 'litter' accumulation;
• Provide reed as a product for thatching etc;
• Stimulate new bud production;
• Provide variety of habitats and control reed encroachment.

Cutting reed in the winter is a sustainable method of managing reedbeds. Annual cutting favoured for the production of reed for commercial purposes will create a different type of reedbed than one cut less frequently. A variety of cutting regimes will create conditions for a wide variety of species. The presence of open water is a crucial component of reedbeds, providing additional habitat variety for a number of scarce species such as bittern.

Over a period of time, many reedbeds will dry out as reed 'litter' accumulates. Reedbed restoration either through raising water levels or lowering the surface of the reedbed may then be required in order to maintain the interest.

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References and Contacts

Hawke, CJ and Jose PV. 1996. Reedbed Management for Commercial and Wildlife Interests. RSPB.

Key Contact:

• RSPB
  East Anglia Regional Office
  Stalham House
  65 Thorpe Road
  NORWICH
  Norfolk
  NR1 1UD
  Tel: 01603-660066 / Fax: 01603-660088

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