The Greatham Site

	Site Description
	Nature Conservation Classifications
	Ecology of the Site
	Structure of the Greatham Site IBAP

Ecology of the Site

Huntsman Tioxide undertakes ecological surveys for each of its factories worldwide, as part of its policy of environmental responsibility. This has led to the assembly of an exceptionally large database of ecological information. Physalia, a group of Consultant Ecologists, have undertaken ecological surveys of the Greatham site and produced a biodiversity database. This database was put together using the expertise of a range of professional ecologists who have studied the factory and its surroundings over the past 15 or so years. The database has just over 1000 species of plants and animals, showing the enormous conservation value of the site. This large number of species of plants and animals is broken down as follows:

• Plants – 233 Species
• Terrestrial Invertebrates – 175 Species
• Aquatic Invertebrates (Marsh) – 178 Species
• Aquatic Invertebrates (Estuary) – 168 Species
• Vertebrates – 223 Species

Physalia’s database has been used for this Biodiversity Action Plan as it gives all the information on Flora and Fauna of the site, and identifies the different types of habitat on the site, making it much easier to group together key species for each different area. The habitats identified were:

• Neutral Grassland and Raised, Dry Terrain
• Marshland with mires, Freshwater Ponds and Ditches
• Enclosed Saltmarsh with Mesohaline (Brackish) Ponds
• Intertidal, Estuarine Mud and Sand Foreshore
• Permanent Subtidal Estuarine Channels

The Common Frog, Rana temporaria, is an important species in both the local BAP and the UK BAP, as it is in decline nationally. This is one of the many species that could be helped by an IBAP, as the suitable habitat, which is in abundance at Tioxide’s Greatham Site, can be managed to further improve their numbers.

The majority of the site is dominated by poor quality, low diversity, rank neutral grassland dominated by Arrhenatherum elatius with other grass species, particularly Anthoxanthum odoratum. This vegetation type is largely uniform across the whole site and extends beyond the site boundaries to the south and north. However, there are other distinct vegetation types, and along the northern site boundary is an area of relatively higher diversity grassland, where substantial populations of orchids occur. Freshwater ponds and their associated vegetation are important habitats on the site, as are the ditches and marsh areas.

In addition to the survey work undertaken by Physalia, information on birds, moths and butterflies has been collected. Tony Marron of Tioxide provided data on bird species recorded on the site. Further studies of species of butterflies and moths on site have been undertaken recently by Ken Smith of the Industry Nature Conservation Association (INCA), and Peter Waterton respectively.

The Greatham site has been extensively surveyed, resulting in a wealth of ecological data being available. This has provided a solid base for the IBAP, and meant that surveying was not necessary. There are only a few small groups of flora and fauna on the site, which may, in future, require further study. These groups will be highlighted in the IBAP so that the full ecological value of the site is known.

It is clear from the Greatham site Biodiversity database that Greenabella marsh is a very important area in terms of nature conservation. The following IBAP will give guidelines and recommendations to ensure that this biologically diverse habitat continues to provide suitable habitat for a vast array of species, and hopefully improve their numbers on the site, as well as attracting new species.