A Guide to Habitat Creation

About this book

The second revised edition of this guide to the creation or restoration of all types of habitat including grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and wastelands. Featuring black-and-white drawings, this pocket guide contains practical information and guidelines, instructing readers how to work with existing habitats and adapt them, as well as converting habitats. The text should be of particular interest to wildlife gardeners, woodsmen, farmers, school teachers, park-keepers and local authority planners.

Contents

- Introduction

Part 1 Grasslands: adapting existing grasslands
- mowing regimes - flowery formal lawns, springtime wildflower meadows, summer meadows
- introducing wildflowers to established grasslands - over seeding, introduction to planting, introduction by turf
- creating meadows from seed
- first year establishment

Part 2 Woodlands: lessons from nature - letting a woodland develop "naturally"
- creating woodland in existing grassland - scrub promotion, planting scrub species
- woodland planting into soil
- revitalizing existing stands of mature trees
- hedgerows
- tree seeding into open ground
- diversifying woodland for wildlife
- commercial woodland

Part 3 Wetlands: improving existing open waters
- new wetlands
- wetland management

Part 4 Wastelands

Part 5 Interpretation and education: telling people what is going on
- habitat creation in schools

Appendix 1: Specialist seedsmen selling wildflower seed originating from native British sources
Appendix 2: Insects associated with commoner British trees
Appendix 3: Plant species suitable for establishment in grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and wastelands

Customer Reviews

Biography

Professor Chris Baines was trained as a horticulturist and landscape architect, and has been a champion of habitat creation and nature conservation for more than forty years. In the 1980s he taught landscape design and management to postgraduate students and became well known to the public through environmental programmes on TV and radio, and through his writing. He created the first wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show as long ago as 1985. He has been a long standing Vice President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and his work honoured by the RSPB and the British Naturalists Association. He now concentrates on advising central and local government and corporate clients in utility, mineral and development industries.