General overview of Module Habitat Management

Rationale for the module To become familiar with the range of habitats and their individual management requirements To develop practical and professional skills in relation to habitat and species management To develop analytical, evaluative and decision-making skills To critically evaluate key aspects of site & species management Rationale for the module

What we cover The ecology necessary to understand site management Aspects of site history in relation to site management A critical evaluation of the principles, methods and techniques of management of a selection of specific habitat types Case study examples of management of a variety of habitat types

It is also important to consider: The link between management of wildlife and management of people on sites The risks, hazards and effects of people on wildlife sites (including visitors, volunteers, contractors and staff) The financial aspects of site management

Structure The structure of the programme is a mix of lectures, field visits (see module guide), and self-managed directed research At postgraduate level we expect students to interrupt and develop discussion, and to give examples of their own experiences Many of the SHU staff have experience of working in different sectors of the conservation 'industry' You are expected to do a significant amount of background and specifically targeted reading around the subject area

The coursework assignment

The task THE TASK: This will be a critical assessment of a particular approach to conservation site management with reference to on-going nature conservation or landscape management projects for urban and urban-fringe grasslands.   Some specific examples will be introduced in the lecture sessions. Your report will be based on a number of sites and not one individual location. [Ask if you need FURTHER specific guidance on suitable locations] The particular approaches to grassland conservation management to be investigated may include: creation vs restoration management; native wildflower 'meadows' vs exotic 'pictorial meadows'; zonation and timing of cutting regimes, deliberate abandonment to successional processes; grazing vs cutting / mowing; and more. The lectures and field visits will provide much of the necessary background to the studies and there will be substantial, supporting literature provided The word limit is 3,500 words.

General notes:

the grassland site management against · You will assess & evaluate the grassland site management against standardised criteria that you will develop to include: 1. Ecological interest - LBAP/ Local Red Data Book status et c, protected species; 2. Heritage, historic or archaeological interest; 3. Access and accessibility issues; 4. Stakeholder engagement or participation; 5. Educational outputs and issues; 6. Economic / financial issues such as for example grant aid, farming, forestry, countryside recreation, tourism , cost benefit ; 7. Actual project costs – set up and running costs 8. You should consider relevant s ite factors such as Carrying Capacity, Limits of Acceptable Change, site condition status, protected status or designations of the site, species or features , sustainability 9. Any planning related issues; 10. Any other site management or management implementation issues;

You should visit your chosen site but you must complete a risk assessment with one of the module tutors   An individual presentation is expected, but for safety reasons you must have someone with you when you carry out any site visits For this reason it is acceptable that more than one student can choose the same site, but the management reports produced by each individual must exhibit their own interpretation of the data and their own literature research The work may involve requesting information from different individuals or organisations. In all forms of communication, please remember that how you make your approach will affect the way that you and future students are treated by that individual or organisation

Where students go wrong Not recognising the differences between what is an aim, what is an objective and what are prescriptions/action plans Not applying SMART objectives criteria (or other evaluation techniques) in their analysis (defined in one of the lecture sessions) Not supporting discussion with references to a breadth and depth of literature sources Relying too heavily on websites Not providing illustrations to aid discussion Not providing a relevant location map to orientate the reader Producing 'scrappy', unprofessional documents

SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely Specific – target a specific area for improvement Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress Achievable – specify goals that are reachable Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved

The FIELD VISIT sites – Gleadless Valley / Graves Park; Rother Valley nr Sheffield

Some key issues & thoughts Keep an open mind about issues, opportunities and conclusions Think Investigate Research Much current management* is not based on sound science, on agreed strategies & policies, or even on good professional standards……. Analyse Challenge Question *It is often not accountable to the public or any democratic process

Much current management is not effectively tracked or reviewed

Suggested readings:

www.ukeconet.org