About this unit

This unit is about the skills you need to identify, arrange and oversee habitat management work.  This involves identifying the need for work to be carried out and planning the necessary work. It also involves the selection and briefing of a suitable workforce and evaluating that habitat management work achieves its objectives. This evaluation includes checking that all aspects of the work specification have been adequately completed (i.e. evaluating the work on its completion) and monitoring the impact of the work over a longer period to determine its impact and effectiveness with regard to habitat condition. The length of time over which such monitoring and evaluation should take place will vary according to the habitat and type of work.

The unit is applicable to the management of all types of habitats and covers the full range of appropriate management techniques from the coppicing of native  woodlands, through the management of grazing regimes to the cutting of reedbeds and the control of erosion. It also covers the management of habitats for a variety of reasons.

Examples of habitat specific work which fits the objectives listed in the scope include:

• opening up of woodland canopy or coppicing to promote woodland wildflowers
• management to encourage the growth of food plants for specific insects
• removal of deer fencing to reduce deaths of capercaillie
• control of alien or invasive species such as rhododendron. Japanese knotweed or bracken
  
• manipulation of water levels
  
• erosion control
  
• scrub control in reedbeds, grasslands or heathlands
  
• site amelioration and habitat creation in urban or post-industrial sites
  
• creation of open areas in woodland through selective felling

» Element CU88.1 Plan habitat management work

» Element CU88.2 Co-ordinate and oversee habitat management work

» Element CU88.3 Monitor the effectiveness of habitat management work

Element CU88.1 Plan habitat management work

What you must be able to do:

1. identify the need for habitat management
2. identify the objectives of required management
3. recognise the environmental value of sites and take account of this in your planning
4. select appropriate habitat management methods to achieve management objectives
5. produce work plans and specifications for the identified work
6. carry out risk assessments and identify safe working procedures
7. seek agreement from all relevant interested parties
8. ensure that all necessary permissions are in place
9. identify the most appropriate workforce for the planned habitat management work
10. identify and access the resources required to carry out the planned work
11. schedule management work
12. record your plans in a suitable format

This standard covers:

A. Identify:

1. site monitoring
2. management plan
3. reports from others

B. objectives:

1. to create or maintain suitable conditions for particular species
2. to create or maintain a desired mix of habitats for access and recreation
3. to conserve desirable physical or archaeological features
4. to reduce the pressures of human activity on habitats
5. to promote site safety

C. environmental value:

1. ecological
2. archaeological
3. recreational

D. work plans and specifications:

1. schedule
2. location
3. methods and procedures
4. physical resources
5. human resources
6. legal requirements
7. standard of outcome required

E. schedule:

1. identified priorities
2. effects of season and timing

What you must know and understand:

1. how to identify the need for habitat management
2. how to identify the objectives of required management
3. how to recognise the environmental value of sites
4. how the environmental value of sites affects the planning of work
5. how to assess risks and develop safe working procedures
6. how to produce work plans and specifications
7. how, and when, to seek agreement for your plans
8. the types of work and site where permissions are required
9. how to decide upon the suitability of potential workforces
10. how to identify and access resources
11. how to schedule management work
12. organisational requirements for plan format
13. how your planned work fits into organisational objectives local and UK biodiversity action plans

Element CU88.2 Co-ordinate and oversee habitat management work

What you must be able to do:

1. make available the necessary resources to allow habitat management to be carried out in a safe and effective way
2. inform the appropriate person without delay where these resources are not available
3. select the most appropriate workforce for the planned management
4. brief those who will be carrying out the work
5. oversee habitat management as it is taking place
6. take required corrective actions without delay and inform the relevant people of any changes which may affect them
7. conduct communications with the work team and other interested parties in a way which promotes understanding and goodwill
8. make sure that records of work are complete, accurate and comply with organisational procedures

This standard covers:

A. habitat management:

1. to create or maintain suitable conditions for particular species
2. to create or maintain a desired mix of habitats for access and recreation
3. to conserve desirable physical or archaeological features
4. to reduce the pressures of human activity on habitats
5. to promote site safety

B. resources:

1. natural
2. physical
3. human
4. financial

C. brief:

1. work specification
2. environmental value of the site and its implications for the planned work

What you must know and understand:

1. the required type and quantity of resources needed for management activities
2. appropriate action in the case of inadequate resources
3. relevant aspects of work specifications, and individual responsibilities
4. how to select a workforce which is appropriate for the planned work
5. how to brief workers
6. how to effectively oversee management work which is being carried out
7. how to identify and minimise the effect of disruptions; reasons for selecting corrective actions
8. how to establish and maintain systems to monitor work; how to identify improvements to work
9. methods of communication likely to promote understanding and goodwill
10. the importance of complete and accurate records which comply with organisational procedures

Element CU88.3. Monitor the effectiveness of habitat management work

What you must be able to do:

1. evaluate the success of habitat management work once the practical work has been completed
2. set in place systems to monitor the longer-term effectiveness of habitat management
3. monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of habitat management in creating desired conditions over appropriate timescales
4. plan and implement additional work to rectify any problems or failures to achieve original management objectives
5. use the outcomes of your monitoring to inform the planning of future habitat management work

This standard covers:

A. appropriate:

1. the habitat being managed
2. the work which was carried out

B. inform:

1. your own planning of future work
2. planning by other people

What you must know and understand:

1. how to evaluate the success of habitat management work at completion of practical activities
2. the requirements of the original work plan and specification
3. the importance of longer-term monitoring to determine whether habitat management has been effective
4. how to determine the length of time over which monitoring should take place
5. when and how to plan additional work
6. how to use the outcomes of monitoring to improve future plans

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