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Thread: The Lakes a wildlife desert?

  1. #11
    Master Stolly's Avatar
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Yes, I admit the Guardian guy is clearly bonkers and could certainly have chosen his words better but I guess he must be talking more about plants and trees rather than animal wildlife. Isn't he inferring that sheep grazing and the contiuned subsidies for hill sheep farmers to make that even slightly viable just continue to supress expansion of what would otherwise be naturally wooded mountains?

    From digging about on wiki, apprently to be considered for World Heritage Status as a natural, rather than cultural, place, the following criterea have to be met:

    * Contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
    * Is an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
    * Is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals
    * Contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation

    I guess an environment, no matter how beautiful or full of teaming wild animals, might struggle to meet those criterea if 60% of the land has made like it is through tree clearing (yonks ago) and sheep grazing?

  2. #12
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Norfolk is heavily maintained and I believe not natural anyway...peat diggings or something?
    The Fens are a drained marsh. The Norfolk Broads where dug out by hand back in ye olde days. Thetford Forest is almost entirely man made , the land the forest occupies being a bit rubbish for agriculture.

    The rest of Norfolk is almost entirely given over to intensive agriculture. I think that just leaves Blakeney Point.
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  3. #13
    Master Stolly's Avatar
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser


  4. #14
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    They both sound right in a way.

    It seems to me, to depend on whether you include human activity and its effects as part of nature. The hills would, generally (but not always) be the same shape if you removed humans from the equation. But everything else would be dramatically different.

    No roads, no stone walls, no quarry's, no settlements, no farming or any other industry, no power lines, no Jennings.
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  5. #15
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Quote Originally Posted by shaunaneto View Post
    They both sound right in a way.

    It seems to me, to depend on whether you include human activity and its effects as part of nature. The hills would, generally (but not always) be the same shape if you removed humans from the equation. But everything else would be dramatically different.

    No roads, no stone walls, no quarry's, no settlements, no farming or any other industry, no power lines, no Jennings.
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  6. #16
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    From the beginning of time the planet has been evolving and everything that lives,walks and breaths on it has an effect, someof it detrimental IMO, with the self righteous, we know best Homo Sapiens doing the greatest damage trying to manage something over which they thankfully have no control (namely nature) .

    I am lucky enough to live in the lakes and I reckon that given the size of the area there is less wildlife than I would like to see e.g. I can`t remember the last time I saw a water vole, Hare, stoat, field mouse etc etc but yes plenty of sheep.

    Bear in mind most of my running is early morning / late evening when the tourists are back in the pub B&B or wherever and you would expect to see a proliferation of critters but rarely is more than the odd crow, jackdaw, or maybe a rabbit with myxomatosis
    Last edited by JohnK; 06-09-2013 at 10:26 PM.
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  7. #17
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    If it was truly natural, I'd expect to see Bears and Wolves as well. Or at least signs of.
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  8. #18
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Rumor has it the last wolf in Cumbria was killed years ago http://lastwolf.net/5.html
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  9. #19
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnK View Post
    From the beginning of time the planet has been evolving and everything that lives,walks and breaths on it has an effect, someof it detrimental IMO, with the self righteous, we know best Homo Sapiens doing the greatest damage trying to manage something over which they thankfully have no control (namely nature) .

    I am lucky enough to live in the lakes and I reckon that given the size of the area there is less wildlife than I would like to see e.g. I can`t remember the last time I saw a water vole, Hare, stoat, field mouse etc etc but yes plenty of sheep.

    Bear in mind most of my running is early morning / late evening when the tourists are back in the pub B&B or wherever and you would expect to see a proliferation of critters but rarely is more than the odd crow, jackdaw, or maybe a rabbit with myxomatosis
    I have spent a bit of time in the Haut Jura and can't help but feel this is what the Lakes would look like if the human control through intensive agriculture and all the other catchment management that goes on was different. Okay the Haut Jura is heavily wooded in many parts and the vistas mostly don't compare to the those found in the Lakes. However, the wildlife diversity is just mind boggling in the Jura. Have come across without any great effort, Lynx and numerous deer species, a plethora of bird species, raptors and owls while out on trail runs. The list goes on. The fells back home are devoid of wildlife by comparison. A typical trail or fell run and we see sheep and that's about it. I once saw a young badger in broad daylight near the summit of Loadpot. All the creatures described in earlier posts are mostly birds - there just seems to be a distinct lack of a diversity of mammal wildlife. I'd use the word sterile because thats how it is compared to areas like the Haut Jura where agriculture is not intensive and is in sympathy with the surroundings. And they have lovely cheese and wine.
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  10. #20
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    Re: The Lakes a wildlife deser

    Quote Originally Posted by Derby Tup View Post
    Joking apart: peregrine, merlin, wheatear, buzzard, red kite, dipper, yellowhammer, ring ouzil, snow bunting aren't difficult to see on and around the fells
    Point me to a Merlin please
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