{"id":1334,"date":"2025-06-05T16:05:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/?page_id=1334"},"modified":"2025-07-08T15:52:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:52:45","slug":"landscape-biodiversity-action","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/landscape-biodiversity-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Landscape Biodiversity Action"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-d0b3c9c8 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"--col-width:60%;flex-basis:60%\">\n<p>Building on the LDP evidence and ELCC LPP this map expands the ideas and develops them further for co-ordinated landscape scale action along with broad brush areas for local interventions and initial prescriptions, starting simple.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"--col-width:50%;flex-basis:50%\">\n<p><a href=\"#map\">Comment on the Map<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#menu\">Prescription Menu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#mapping\">Mapping Units Key<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/u\/1\/folders\/1qJ8iw_Zq9UNmHSacMKhbS7imoAhLi9as\">Download the indicative intervention areas<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Comment either using <a href=\"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1181\">this website<\/a> or on the <a href=\"https:\/\/felt.com\/map\/East-Lammermuir-Landscape-Nature-Recovery-UY629C5A2QtmwQZ1qQ6aEkD?loc=55.9619,-2.5603,11.69z&amp;share=1\">felt map<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex tw-block-animation tw-animation-scale-in\" id=\"map\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/felt.com\/map\/East-Lammermuir-Landscape-Nature-Recovery-UY629C5A2QtmwQZ1qQ6aEkD?loc=55.9619,-2.5603,11.69z&amp;share=1\">Comment on the Felt map<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignfull is-type-wp-embed is-provider-felt wp-block-embed-felt\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"East Lammermuir: Landscape &amp; Nature Recovery\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/felt.com\/embed\/map\/East-Lammermuir-Landscape-Nature-Recovery-UY629C5A2QtmwQZ1qQ6aEkD#?secret=THhDQOvddj\" data-secret=\"THhDQOvddj\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" id=\"mapping\">Mapping Units explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How the map was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table alignwide is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Heading<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>This map<\/strong><\/td><td>Building on the LDP evidence and LPP this map expands the ideas and develops them further for co-ordinated landscape scale action.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>LDP Core connections<\/strong><\/td><td>The ELCC LPP map closely mirrors that of the LDP evidence to expand and link up native woodlands into a county-wide nature network, boosting habitat connectivity and species recovery.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>LPP Biodiversity Extensions<\/strong><\/td><td>Target main river corridors and their micro-catchments from summit to sea\u2014recognising them as priority zones for focused conservation interventions.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>River Extensions<\/strong><\/td><td>These extensions ensure the riverine corridors and tributories are reflected. Strengthen deans and burns with leaky dams, barrier removal and re-meandering, adding riparian woodlands, wetlands and small ponds to stitch together native habitat links.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Foreshore &amp; beaches<\/strong><\/td><td>Embrace managed retreat\u2014prioritize natural beach and dune processes (e.g., seaweed-mediated sand binding and wrack retention), allowing erosion to maintain ecological links from sea to shore rather than resisting it with hard defenses.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Coastal strip &amp; raised beach<\/strong><\/td><td>Restore the fragmented raised-beach corridor\u2014healing waste- and power-station scars and threading roads, rails and cable routes\u2014to reconnect seabird nesting refuges and the land-to-sea ecological link.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Moorland recovery<\/strong><\/td><td>Re-wet and revegetate heather-peat mosaics\u2014rough grass, scrub and wet flushes\u2014slowing turbine-road runoff and rebuilding fragile organic upland soils.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Regenerate soils and connections<\/strong><\/td><td>Cover crops, rotations and low-till soils, teamed with broad field margins, hedgerows and shelter-belts to rebuild soil life, create crop-friendly microclimates and stitch habitats back together.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Paths &amp; quiet roads<\/strong><\/td><td>Connect and upgrade underutilized farm tracks, informal paths, recognised routes and rural lanes (under 2\u2013300 vehicles\/day, &lt; 40 mph) into a coherent network for safe active travel and countryside recreation.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>ELC Native Woodland Expansion<\/strong><\/td><td>Expand and link native woodlands into a county-wide nature network, boosting habitat connectivity and species recovery.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Listed Wildlife Sites<\/strong><\/td><td>Key habitat hotspots and wildlife corridors, offering vital refuges for scarce species within the farmed landscape.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Watercourses<\/strong><\/td><td>Dense East Lammermuir burns weave a biodiverse corridor, their clean-water life revealing ecosystem health from moor to sea.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Access network<\/strong><\/td><td>By combining Core Paths, locally recorded \u201cOther Paths,\u201d ScotWays routes and the National Cycle Network into one layer, the map highlights where segments overlap or end\u2014pinpointing gaps where new links or upgrades can stitch together a continuous rights-of-way network across rural and peri-urban areas.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Landscape Restoration Areas<\/strong><\/td><td>Reinforce the special identity of East Lammermuir&#8217;s Special Landscape Areas\u2014particularly where industrial, extractive or infrastructural development has degraded scenic and cultural qualities. These zones offer targeted opportunities to restore hedgerows and dykes, re-establish designed woodland features, rehabilitate quarries and landfill scars, and protect key views. Integrated action can recover legibility, enhance biodiversity, and renew the visual coherence of these historically rich but fragmented settings.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Catchment boundary<\/strong><\/td><td>Catchment boundary<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>ELCC boundary<\/strong><\/td><td>Community Council Boundary<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" id=\"menu\">Biodiversity and Landscape Restoration Prescription Menu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To supplement the map we have created an initial table with the main mapping units and the kinds of prescriptions we anticipate: actions for biodiversity, river extensions, etc. Prescriptions include riparian buffer fencing, native tree planting, invasive species control not dissimilar to former agri-environment schemes and similar funding sources. Adaptive management is a key consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table alignwide is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><strong>Mapping Unit<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Example Prescriptions<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>LDP Core Connections<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Improve ecological connectivity i.e create \u201cnature networks\u201d; 2. Engage with landowners to expand the scale of habitat improvements beyond the immediate development red lines; 3. Build up a menu of options to expand nature recovery activity across the locality in a range of different settings; 4. Establish baseline monitoring and mapping to secure durable management; 5. Maintain flexibility to update and build on prescriptions, based on landowner\/community views, monitoring results and unforeseen challenges.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>LPP Biodiversity Extensions<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Establish riparian buffer strips with native grasses and trees (see below); 2. Install livestock-exclusion fencing along eroding riverbanks; 3. Create networks of wetland scrapes; 4. Monitor water quality and biota to inform adaptive management; 5. Control invasive plants (e.g., Himalayan balsam) within riparian zones.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>River Extensions<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Construct leaky dams (woody\u2010debris bunds) on key burns; 2. Remove or retrofit fish barriers (culvert redesign, notch weirs); 3. Re\u2010meander straightened sections to restore natural flow; 4. Plant riparian alder, willow and birch to stabilise banks; 5. Excavate off\u2010line ponds or scrapes to re\u2010establish wetlands.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Foreshore &amp; Beaches<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Remove derelict sea defences and allow natural shoreline change; 2. Install sand\u2010dune fencing and revegetate with native marram and lyme grass; 3. Manage seaweed wrack deposition zones to promote natural sand binding; 4. Designate dog and people free zones around known nesting areas for shorebirds etc; 5. Work with landowners to discourage unnecessary <em>ad hoc<\/em> hard\u2010engineering.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Coastal Strip &amp; Raised Beach<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Remediate soils on former dump\/quarry sites via phytoremediation (native grass\/forb planting); 2. Re\u2010grade and cap waste tips, then seed with native herbaceous mixes; 3. Remove invasive spp. and manage dense scrub as shelter for trees; 4. Install artificial ledges or suitable nesting substrates for seabirds on exposed cliff\/rock faces or flat undisturbed areas; 5. Gap\u2010up hedgerows (hawthorn\/blackthorn) to reconnect fragments, restore old walls.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Moorland Recovery<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Block grips with peat dams or coir rolls to restore hydrology; 2. Re\u2010seed bare peat with sphagnum propagules and heather plugs; 3. Conduct rotational heather cutting to create a mosaic of age classes; 4. Replace plastic culverts on turbine service roads with soakaway systems; 5. Erect temporary fencing to exclude grazing on recovering patches.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Regenerate Soils &amp; Connections<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Cover\u2010crop seed mixtures (legumes, grasses) for overwinter soil coverage; 2. Promote reduced\u2010till or no\u2010till techniques via machinery hire grants; 3. Restore and gap\u2010up hedgerows by planting native species; 4. Create 3\u20136 m field\u2010margin buffer strips seeded with wildflowers; 5. Establish agroforestry shelterbelts (rows of native trees within fields) to build soil organic matter.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Paths &amp; Quiet Roads<\/strong><\/td><td>1. Upgrade farm tracks with grass\u2010reinforcement mesh, opening them to walkers\/cyclists; 2. Signpost and waymark linkages between core paths, ScotWays routes and quiet lanes; 3. Install low\u2010cost cattle grids or bollards at gateways to maintain livestock control while allowing access; 4. Repair stiles\/gateways to meet basic accessibility standards; 5. Introduce traffic\u2010calming features (gateways, rumble strips) on lanes with &lt;300 vehicles\/day (&lt; 40 mph).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Landscape Character Restoration<\/strong><\/td><td><br>1. Restore hedgerows and stone dykes using local materials to reinforce traditional field patterns; 2. Rehabilitate quarry and landfill scars using native grassland and scrub planting; 3. Enhance key viewpoints with selective tree management to reveal historic vistas; 4. Reinstate small copses and policy woodlands around settlements and estate landscapes; 5. Coordinate utility and infrastructure mitigation with habitat buffers and screening using native trees and topography.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Local heritage, biodiversity and geodiversity map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignfull is-type-wp-embed is-provider-felt wp-block-embed-felt\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Bio &amp; Geo &amp; Heritage Diversity\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/felt.com\/embed\/map\/Bio-Geo-Heritage-Diversity-cHcGL4W3TxCcjZsDbIUa5D#?secret=SozPXnCeNb\" data-secret=\"SozPXnCeNb\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><em>nature recovery is a work in progress<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building on the LDP evidence and ELCC LPP this map expands the ideas and develops them further for co-ordinated landscape scale action along with broad brush areas for local interventions and initial prescriptions, starting simple. Comment on the Map Prescription Menu Mapping Units Key Download the indicative intervention areas Comment either using this website or&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/landscape-biodiversity-action\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Landscape Biodiversity Action<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":586,"featured_media":1351,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1334","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1334"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1387,"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1334\/revisions\/1387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/localdevelopmentplan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}