Further experiments on the management of saltings pasture for wigeon (Anas penelope L.) conservation at Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve, Somerset.
Abstract
Counts of wigeon droppings on plots of Puccinellia maritima/Agrostis stolonifera and of mown and unmown Festuca rubra on the salt marsh on Fennings Island indicated that unmown F. rubra was grazed least; sward preferences of wigeon and sheep were found to be similar. A pilot turf-cutting experiment on F. rubra swards showed that an almost complete Puccinellia/Agrostis cover was established over the bare areas after 3 years; P. maritima colonized more rapidly than F. rubra where the cut areas were >30 cm wide. [See also HbA 44, 2430]