SENCE Case Study – Sustainable Farming and Land Management

Shrill Carder Bee
The Shrill Carder Bee, a protected priority species in the Gwent Levels

Key to the future of sustainable farming and land management is an understanding of existing habitat types, extent and value together with the use of data modelling to establish the potential for new habitats that can deliver multiple environmental benefits.

In two recent projects, one led by RSPB Cymru in the Gwent Levels and the other jointly led by the Woodland Trust and RSPB in the Cambrian Mountains and Gwent levels, Environment Systems has worked with satellite imagery and LiDAR to map and model existing habitats, their ecosystem service and opportunity to enhance multiple ecosystem services, using its SENCE tool.

The Challenges

Sustainable farming and land management practises need to be:

  • Economically viable
  • Acceptable to the landowners, farmers and communities
  • Designed to improve carbon capture and benefit biodiversity as well as other ecosystem services
  • Targeted
  • Evidenced and monitored over time

In the these two projects the focus was on new data sources and the use of SENCE to to meet specific goals, primarily carbon capture and biodiversity benefits.

Using SENCE

Satellite imagery and LiDAR used in combination with the SENCE modelling tool enabled the likely amount of carbon stored across the Gwent Levels and the ecosystem services provided in three farms in the Cambrian Mountains, together with their opportunity to enhance carbon and other ecosystem service. The modelling also identified areas where new habitats delivering multiple environmental benefits could be established. We found that farmers were more than willing to engage with the ecosystem service mapping and opportunities as well as understanding the benefits of satellite imagery for farm level appraisals and future monitoring.

The SENCE tool was also used to look for opportunity areas to enhance carbon storage and to investigate what the impact of changing land use to enhance carbon sequestration would have on key species. Success will depend on maintaining those areas that are currently providing the highest number of ecosystem services in their existing state and good condition and understand where conflicts for biodiversity might arise when only carbon capture was pursued as the objective. The studies revealed that a diverse landscape with a matrix of different habitats and features helps maximise ecosystem services and provides a rich range of niches for biodiversity. When the carbon storage metrics were compared to the biodiversity ecosystem maps it became clear that it was important to achieve and maintain a balance between the needs of the farm business and the environment. For example in the Gwent Levels tree planting could destroy grassland habitat used by waders, impacting wildlife when an alternative of soil management to enhance organic matter within the existing grassland system would bring benefits to meet both biodiversity and carbon objectives.

Monitoring

Satellite imagery is a cost-effective source of data for the implementation and monitoring of these types of schemes, however, findings showed that it was critical to use this in conjunction with targeted field effort. The imagery was used to map habitat and land use which, with other key factors such as landform and hydrology, soil, geology and management, determined the location of the ecosystem services in the whole landscape. Targeted field work added the site-specific elements necessary to maximise impact and success.

Gwent Levels
Satellite images of the Gwent Levels – from left to right – false colour bands – habitats identified – suitability for Shrill Carder Bee

Conclusions

  • Satellite imagery used with data modelling is a cost-effective solution for mapping the multiple facets of sustainable farming schemes when used together with targeted field work. It is also an extremely valuable monitoring tool.
  • Understanding the landscape suitability of options intended to support biodiversity, as well as carbon and other ecosystem services, at the farm level is critical for creating a multi-functional landscape that supports a wide range of species.
  • Species are a valuable inclusion in a mapping and monitoring system which looks at wider ecosystem services.
  • Farmers were keen to engage with the scheme and be part of building the solution, from helping with land management history and habitats/soil information to understanding how their farm business can have wider benefits.
  • A diverse landscape with a matrix of different habitats and features helps maximise the ecosystem services and provide a rich range of niches for biodiversity.
  • Mapping the ‘opportunity spaces’ where success in habitat change e.g., woodland planting is most likely to be fast, efficient and support the wider biodiversity also enables multiple ecosystem service benefits to be delivered. This helps maximise scheme success.

This project has received funding through the Sustainable Management scheme – Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Full details of the mapping, measuring and monitoring referred to in this briefing can be found in the following reports