RESTORATION
SERVICES
The ecological capability of ERC is provided by a team of associates with a long and proven record obtained through our work with a wide range of government funded bodies, industries, local authorities and research institutes.
SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT
- Ecological survey/ habitat survey
terrestrial, aquatic, wetland and coastal marine habitats.
- Coastal, lowland, upland and montane surveys throughout the
UK;
Terrestrial and freshwater including canals.
- Use
of standard Extended Phase I and National Vegetation Classification
survey methods and use of specifically designed methods for special
situations or particular objectives.
- Use of advanced plant identification skills for difficult groups such as grasses, sedges and bryophytes.
- Ecological Impact Assessment including the following practices;
- Baseline
assessment, identification of ecological impacts and design of
mitigation approach, assessment of nature conservation importance,
design of rescue procedures and reinstatement of habitat, evaluation of
substitute habitat areas and design of best practice management.
- Survey
of hedgerows to ascertain ecological and archaeological importance and
determine the presence of breeding birds, other fauna or plants that
are protected by legislation or listed Red Data Books.
- Landscape
scale biodiversity assessment and guidance within a strategic master
planning context for new commercial and housing developments.
- Risk Assessment of SUDS and green/living roofs for bird hazards in the vicinity (13 km radius) of airports.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
AND MANAGEMENT
- Ecological restoration of specific habitats including upland and lowland heath, mire, woodland (trees and ground flora) hedgerows, acid/neutral/calcareous grasslands and reed bed.
- Habitat creation and ecological restoration for mitigation at specific development sites including;
- New roads, pipelines and other linear features.
- Post-industrial derelict and underused land for soft-end uses such as woodland.
- Post-industrial waste sites including quarry sites, colliery waste, mixed industrial wastes, closed landfill sites and closed ordnance sites.
- Active quarry and landfill sites, housing development with mitigation agreements.
- Farmland.
- Creating
restoration specifications, method statements and project protocols;
liaison with engineering design teams and contractors, site supervision
of contractors (ecological clerk of works).
- Translocation
of specific vegetation communities (e.g. heathland, grassland and mire)
when no other mitigation solution is possible.
- Design and
implementation of monitoring procedures for flora and fauna, analysis
and assessment of ecosystem recovery and application of statistical
analysis of field data including multivariate analysis.
- Performing
glasshouse tests to estimate buried viable seed populations (seed
banks) prior to translocation or use of native topsoil or to assess
recovery potential.
- Performing preliminary field trials
to test restoration options before large scale implementation, from
small plot experiments (e.g. 2.0m x 2.0m) to large scale implementation
covering areas such as 0.25 ha to 1.0 ha or greater.
- Restoration of endangered aquatic species populations including rescue from disturbed/endangered habitats, ex situ propagation in freshwater tanks and ultimate re-introduction to original restored or other appropriate habitats.
- Identification of unwanted invasive non-native aquatic and terrestrial species and design of management programmes to contain and ultimately eradicate pernicious species such as Crassula helmsii (Australian Swamp Stonecrop), Lemna minuta (Least Duckweed), Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating Pennywort), Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed) and Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant Hogweed). Quarantine and holding facilities for indigenous aquatic plants (particularly species of conservation interest) whilst field eradication of invasives is undertaken.
