|
Farmland: Hargatewall
Farmland is the principal habitat within the Peak District, and is mostly occupied by highly productive grass leys. Although some species-rich areas, such as grasslands, remain, and have been considered elsewhere, current farming practices do not lend themselves to species-rich habitats, even within the National Park. Nevertheless, some farmland features remain important to a range of wildlife and add to the overall biodiversity value of the Peak District.
In particular, field margins and rough grassland along wall-lines around Hargatewall, along with hedgerows elsewhere, are important features; providing refuges for depleted populations of formerly much more widespread species.
|
These include skylark and curlew, whose nesting regime has been affected by the change from hay to silage making; barn owls, which hunt over rough grassland; brown long-eared and whiskered bats, which feed along field margins and hedgerows; and bird species such as linnet, bullfinch, tree sparrow and song thrush, which are suffering from large-scale hedgerow loss.
In addition to this, small-scale features such as marshy field corners, ponds, scattered old trees, patches of scrub and even farm buildings around Hargatewall provide further refuges for other wildlife, including brown hare, pipistrelle bat, great crested newt, buzzard and little owl. |
