The latest RSPB publication on wetland management

(posted to the Ramsar Forum, 4 October 1999)

Philip Benstead [philip.benstead@RSPB.Org.uk ] writes

Hi all,

Those of you working in Europe may be interested in the following publication due to be launched this month:

European Wet Grassland: guidelines for management and restoration

Published by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, October 1999, and endorsed by Ramsar.

European Wet Grassland is a practical handbook to the techniques of wet grassland management. The guidelines aim to enable wet grassland managers to implement best management practice by providing information on the practical aspects of wet grassland management and restoration in Northern and Central Europe. The guidelines largely comprises case studies from the region and aim to:

• share practical management and restoration experience
• present alternative management and restoration options
• describe the functions of wet grassland (as well as biodiversity conservation), e.g., flood storage and nutrient removal.

The book is in four sections:

Part 1 Definition and wildlife value of wet grassland - defines wet grassland and emphasises its importance for European biodiversity conservation, as well as detailing the threats the biotope faces and speculating on the future.

Part 2 Site evaluation and management planning - highlights the importance of planning for management and restoration. This section considers what should be done once the potential to rehabilitate a site or create new wet grassland has been identified. It explains how to evaluate a site and examines the range of physical, chemical, wildlife and legal factors that may influence management decisions.

Part 3 Management - summarises the main management techniques practised in European wet grassland. Individual sections deal with grassland management, water management, the management of associated biotopes, restoration techniques, management for specific wildlife and monitoring.

Part 4 Case Studies - 16 case studies illustrating management best practice comprises the bulk of the guidelines. They are taken from Northern and Central Europe and represent a broad cross-section of the main types of wet grassland within the region. The nature of wet grasslands varies across Europe from highly regulated grasslands in the UK and the Netherlands, to near natural systems such as the floodplains of the Biebrza in Poland and Pripyat in Belarus. Similarly, approaches to management techniques and available resources differ throughout the region which results in a range of management scenarios. The case studies have been selected to reflect these differences.

The Guide is softback A4, 169 pages long, with 38 figures, 43 plates and 35 tables. It costs GBP15.95 plus GBP2.60 per order.

If you wish to buy or know more about this or other wetland management handbooks published by the RSPB, please email Sara Smith at the RSPB on the eddress below: sara.smith@rspb.org.uk

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