Creating Habitats

Question 1

What is important in creating habitats in hort sites?

Answer 1

layering of plants

diversity of habitat (groundcover, trees etc)

nesting sites

shelter

food

overwintering/hibernation sites.

access for foraging animals.

habitat corridors

soil.

Question 2

How to create a natural garden for habitats?

Answer 2

think not of the garden in isolation but in connection with other gardens, local
parks and regional areas of more genuinely natural habitat.

Wildlife needs to move safely. Layering, corridors and access is important.

Diversity is KEY…birds eat worms etc. so pests stay in check.

Less manicured allows wildlife habitat and nests.

Dense ground-cover is attractive and provides great biodiversity cover.

Question 3

What is layering?

Answer 3

Trees
Large shrubs
small shrubs
perennials
ground layer (often creeping)
Climbers provide linkages

Question 4

What to avoid in landscaping

Answer 4

Hard landscaping offers little to wildlife.

Unsustainable resource (extraction and export)

Overly mowed lawns

Question 5

What is definitely good to include?

Answer 5

Ponds
Water features
Nest boxes
Roosting boxes
bee hotels

Place in some shade and little disturbance.

Include thorny hedges for birds.

Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn) and Hedera Helix good choice. Both vigorous and need maintaining but great for wildlife. Hedera has late season nectar and fruit for birds.

Question 6

Should you feed wildlife with birdfood?

Answer 6

Not necessary if biodiverse yard.

Commercial pressure to buy and feed them but is not good for ecosystem.

Plant diverse plants to attract as much wildlife as possible and nature will take care to feed the animals.

Question 7

What is a good place for biodiverse plants in public?

Answer 7

Roundabouts. Predators may be reduced due to the road but wide variety of drought tolerant/low maintenance plants is good.

Question 7

What maintenance should be done with biodiversity in mind?

Answer 7

1. Low work.

Pruning woody/thinning vigorous perennials

weeding (somewhat, but leave some for invertebrates)

Compost/mulch applice to soil occassionally to limit weeds or preserve soil noisture.

Tasks to be times to avoid disturbance (nesting birds and hibernating insecdts) Early Autumn is probably best time.

Question 8

Where is the most important area for wildlife friendly garden?

Answer 8

Soil level

1. Bare soil unfriendly to wildlife. Use low groundcover like Ajuga reptans and some debris.

Most of the year plants cover soil; but for other times use mulch for habitat.

Question 9

Habitat corridors

Answer 9

Wildlife wanders - sometimes a few miles.

Fencing and walls should include gaps at base to allow passage (hedgehogs)

Trees could be between 2 houses overing habitat in two places.

Make the garden a habitat corridor.

Mixed hedging good for long corridor.

Planting between gaps in paving is a micro habitat.

Question 10

Soil is most important but what should a gardener do in their garden?

Answer 10

1. Work with what you have.
2. Don’t try to amend the soil to fit the plant - other way around.
3. EX: Builders rubble will support the best range of British native wildflowers as these are natives of shallow limestone soils.

Don’t import topsoil unless absolutely necessary. This is often full of weed seed which regenerate.

Maintain soil health
Avoid disturvance
Limit fertilizers and fungicides (affect michorizal fung)
Compost and mulch will provide food sources to microorganisms and benefit soil food web.

Some plants don’t need soil. Some species thrive in stressed environments - competitive species reduced so easily achieve plant and wildlife diversity.

Question 11

What plant has been spread throughout britain by moving soil.

Answer 11

Japanese knotwood

It does provide good cover for wildlife thru summer and spring and wildflowers co exist with it.

Question 12

How does this subject link with others in the course?

Answer 12

Links with plant adaptation and hort and society, citizen science and biodiversity surveys.

Question 13

How does this help in hort?

Answer 13

Creating attractive plantings needs to go hand-in-hand with designing habitat that maximises wildlife benefit

A variety of growth forms is crucial.
Visually exciting
Avoid double flowers
Avoid species with absolutely no known biodiversity value.

Species selection less important that ensuring a diversity of growth forms and large number of species.

Native is not as important in Britain, unlike US, but some key species for specialist insects:

Question 14

Biodiversity Action Plan

Answer 14

it might be an idea to prioritise - e.g. Hedge garlic (Alliaria petiolaris) as a food source for Orange tip butterflies.

Wildlife corridors

Diversity

Layering

Pond

Nectar stations

(marsh marigolds and purple loosetrife)

Bee hotels

Hedgehog home

Hedges for bird nests

Let lawn grow long

Plant a flowering tree or berry bearing shrub

Use native trees and group together for corridors

Question 15

Examples of layering plants

Answer 15

Tree layer: e.g. oak, silver birch, etc.

Shrub layer: e.g. hawthorn, hazel

Herb layer: e.g. fern, bluebell

Ground layer: e.g. short grass, primrose

Question 16

Definitions for garden diversity

Answer 16

Layering of plantings: to provide a mosaic of habitat types, and mimics natural habitats

Diversity of habitat, e.g. ground cover, trees: to include meadows, water, bare ground, mud, and shade.

Nesting sites, outbuildings, climbers and shrubs can all create potential nesting sites.

Shelter, layered plantings allow multiple canopies to provide shelter and cover.

Food, nectar and pollen, leaves for fodder, aphid populations, wild berries.

Overwintering/hibernation sites, undisturbed fallen leaves, hollow stems, crevices, gaps, rotting timber.

Access for foraging animals, wildlife often forage quite large distances, hedgehogs often wander 12 miles in one night foraging for food.

Habitat corridors, wildlife often need corridors, which can be at ground level or in canopies.

Soil, is often overlooked as a habitat. It is used in nest building and as habitat by solitary bees. Soil also has an unseen ecosystem.

Question 17

how garden layers be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 17

GARDEN DESIGN: Design to include layered plantings from groundcover, to herbaceous, sub shrub, shrub, and tree.
Examples could be woodland edge plantings, or forest gardens as a productive growing system.

MAINTENANCE: Minimal interventions, as required to maintain the layer integrity, reducing excessive shade, removal of nontarget species, and mulching.

Question 18

how diversity of habitat (groundcover, trees etc) be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 18

GARDEN DESIGN: The deliberate inclusion of habitat within the garden design process. Minimising hard surfaces, and maximising
plantings. Design areas to include bare soil or mud
adjacent to ponds and water features, or within swales and rain gardens.

MAINTENANCE: Ensuring that habitat areas are maintained to preserve the habitat, for example, height of cut of hedging, which impacts on wild bird nesting. The RSPB website has information about height ranges for wild bird nesting

Question 19

how nesting be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 19

GARDEN DESIGN: Inclusion of hedging, taller
shrubs, and trees in the design. The inclusion of nesting friendly species. The inclusion of bug
hotels, bat boxes and bird nesting boxes in the design. The design of trellis and wall coverings. Specify plant species to provide nesting materials.

MAINTENANCE: Pruning decisions, to include the timing of operations and desired height of hedging/shrubs. The selection of wild bird
friendly species. The maintenance of wall shrubs. The placement of nesting materials, for example wool packaging materials from chilled deliveries. Maintenance decisions, such as leaving moss in the lawn as a nesting material.

Question 20

how shelter can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 20

GARDEN DESIGN: The inclusion of shelter within the design to include placement of nesting boxes, hedgehog houses, log piles, hibernacula, compost heaps, bug hotels and toad houses. Other design
decisions include the with the design of areas of shade to provide shelter from the sun.

MAINTENANCE: The cleaning of nesting boxes at the end of the season, the repair and maintenance of hedgehog houses. The topping up of log piles and hibernacula, the repair, replacement, renewal of bug hotels. The pruning of shelterbelts to maintain 50% permeability for wind filtration, the management of shade within pruning.

Question 21

how food can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 21

GARDEN DESIGN: Design decisions to include the specification of plants to provide a wide range of food to target species. For example, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Other considerations include the
selection of trees, such as Acer sp. which can attract aphids.
These produce honeydew, which can be a food source for white admiral butterflies. Other examples could include Rosa sp. which can tolerate low level populations of aphids, which
are in turn food for wild bird species. The design of feeding stations for wild birds. Butterfly feeding stations. The provision of long grass to boost invertebrate populations as food sources at the base of the food chain.

MAINTENANCE: Maintenance decisions to embrace the concept of plants as food sources, for example, leave pruning until berries are eaten, leaving low levels of pest populations as food sources.
Topping up butterfly feeding stations or bird feeding stations.
Monthly disinfection. of bird feeding stations/bird tables/bird baths to prevent infections and preserve avian biosecurity.

Question 22

how overwintering/hibernation sites can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 22

GARDEN DESIGN: Design decisions to include the provision of hibernation spaces, to include leaf piles, or under floor areas in sheds or outbuildings. The design of log piles, or hibernacula.

MAINTENANCE: Minimal intervention during the hibernation period to reduce the chance of disturbance. The provision of overwintering sites for target wildlife species, for example old pots for the overwintering of toads.

Question 23

how access for foraging animals can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 23

GARDEN DESIGN: The design of fencing to include gaps at the base for foraging animals, such as hedgehogs.

MAINTENANCE: To ensure that gaps are maintained during replacement and repair of fencing materials. The provision of the correct foods for foraging animals.

Question 24

how habitat corridors can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 24

GARDEN DESIGN: Consideration of the surrounding landscape to determine if the garden is required as a habitat corridor. The design
of mixed hedging to provide ribbons of cover and
habitat.

MAINTENANCE: The maintenance of hedges to ensure they maximise their ecosystem services. Examples could include the cutting to of hedges to an ‘A’ shape, and the growth of perennials close to the base to increase the width of the corridor, or the avoidance of mowing.

Question 25

how soil can be designed and maintained to create such habitats and encourage wildlife.

Answer 25

GARDEN DESIGN: The avoidance of importing soil as part of the build, from a biosecurity perspective, the design of permanent plantings, the design of no dig productive growing areas. The design of wetland mud areas to enhance nest building of swallows and house martins.

MAINTENANCE: The avoidance of fungicides, which impact on mycorrhizal fungi, the avoidance of fertilisers, which negatively impact on soil bacteria. The avoidance of soil disturbance/adoption of no dig techniques. Avoiding planting designed wetland soil areas. The use of composting and mulching to provide food sources to microorganisms and so benefit the soil food web.

Question 26

What are the different layers and what connects them all together?

Answer 26

tree layers; shrub layers; bigger
perennial layers; ground cover layers

CLIMBERS link them all together.

Question 27

What are the General Rules for Creating Good Biodiversity

Answer 27

1. Minimising bare soil
2. Mixed borders for maximum biodiversity
3. Importance of woody plants. Shrubs and trees (not just perennials) – trees in particular
   have been shown by research evidence to massively increase bird life.
4. Having a combination of both undisturbed and occasionally quite frequently disturbed
   areas has shown to be very beneficial
5. It’s always good to have a few locally native wildflowers
6. Remember that nature thrives on diversity and density

Question 28

Explain biodiversity audit

Answer 28

GREAT DIXTER

They found high levels of biodiversity in virtually all areas of the garden, higher than that of the surrounding countryside.

They put this down to the fact that in this garden, there is a very wide range - a real patchwork - there are areas that are never disturbed, and other areas that are very frequently disturbed for seasonal planting.

It was this combination of all these micro habitats that made this garden so good for wildlife.

It’s this continual ebb and flow of planting that keeps Great Dixter such a brilliant place for
biodiversity. Even in narrow beds, it’s possible to ensure connectivity for biodiversity.

Question 29

What is the role of water, wild area and grasses?

Answer 29

The role of water and wet areas and gardens can hugely benefit biodiversity, especially if there’s a gradient from dry through moist to wet, to open water.

f patchwork allows for different levels of micro habitat. The more of a patchwork of micro habitats we can build into gardens the better.

EXAMPLE:
build into our gardens, the better. Wild area, tightly mown grass and then grass that is left for a few weeks at a time.

GRADIENT of MOISTURE. Wetlands to dry

Question 30

Example of a linking plant

Answer 30

cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) created that psychological link with the surrounding countryside and probably fed quite a few pollinators. As a garden plant, it’s fairly non-competitive, manage it properly, it can
be an attractive and biodiverse addition to the garden.

Question 31

What is a transition zone?

Answer 31

These semi-shade woodland edge type habitats are particularly important. They’re a zone
of transition, and transition zones are always particularly diverse. Transition zones are also
very often good wildlife corridors.

Narrow grass paths, wending their way through shrubs and perennials can be visually
attractive, enigmatic, as well as offering good habitat.

Question 32

How to deal with ponds/water features?

Answer 32

hard edges to ponds makes them very unattractive for wildlife: they’re difficult to get to; they’re exposed when they come out; and in some cases may physically actually make it difficult for many animals to access the water.

So having at least some of the pond with a soft edge, a gradient of planting going in will be far better for wildlife.

Question 33

What are the principles of plant selection with respect to diversity?

Answer 33

‘Natives only’ not necessary in Europe but elsewhere maybe.

Pollinator plants ‘ need a wide variety of flower shapes.

Double flowers not good for pollinators.

Evergreens often poor food source.

Question 34

What to determine when creating habitats?

Answer 34

Think like an insect!

Layering diff plant sizes and growth forms.

Variation in space: patchworks, juxtaposition of diff habitats

Variation in time: Moving diff management styles around from one year to another. . It’s great having things that are permanent but change and
disturbance to some extent are also valuable in creating different habitats.

Think about corridors = connectivity with neighboring gardens.

Additionally habitat facilities: log piles, bee hotels etc.

Question 35

Maintenance needs

Answer 35

1. How much is actually necessary
2. Minimize use of chemical pesticides
3. how much fertilizer do you really need?
4. Reduce or eliminate tradtional methods of digging (disturbs invertibrates without and hort benefits)
5. Focus on weeds that cause problems and leave the other alone.
6. Debris area is good. Odd piles of decaying materials providing home for pests/slugs. Wildlife nest there and will most likely eat the slugs!
7. Minimal intervention.

Question 36

Describe briefly what is meant by ‘layering’ in planting design?

Answer 36

Layering is the system of having different heights of plants that all relate to each other to provide a good habitat for wildlife. Trees, shrubs, subshrubs, perennials and ground cover along with climbers work together to provide a dense and diverse canopy for wildlife food and habitats.

To clarify, perhaps give an example: tree canopy, shrubby layer, perennial layer etc. NOEL

MODEL:
Layered planting refers to having planting that has distinct layers, primarily: trees, shrubs, perennials, ground level perennials.

Question 37

What is a transition zone? Given TWO examples which might be found in a garden

Answer 37

a. A transition zone is the area between two different habitats or vegetation areas..
i. Woodland to borders
ii. Wetlands to more solid ground.

MODEL:
A transition zone is the zone between two habitat or vegetation types, e.g. woodland edge, and pond edge.

Question 38

What is a wildlife corridor?

Answer 38

A wildlife corridor is a connection between different properties for wildlife to safely travel. It provides a diverse layered planting of hedges, trees, groundcover, or subshrubs for animals to travel safely. It would be best if this corridor had minimal maintenance in order to provide safe and secure routes and nesting habitats for the wildlife. This can be between neighbors, parks, community gardens or even wildlife areas.

MODEL:
A wildlife corridor is narrow habitat which is wildlife friendly – generally relatively unmanaged, and with a diverse layered planting which enables a range of animals, from birds and mammals down to insects, to easily and securely move between larger areas of quality habitat.

Question 39

How does the concept of ‘corridors’ help us plan for improving biodiversity? Give some examples of how the concept might work in an suburban area.

Answer 39

a. Hedging along fences between neighbors provides safety for wildlife as they travel. Put a hole in the fence for hedgehogs as they can travel up to two miles foraging for food.
b Pollinator plants allow pollinators to gather nectar and pollen in one large area.

MODEL: ‘Corridors’ are very important as the connections they make between small patches of quality habitat can effectively result in a single, much larger area. They can also link different habitats, in some cases making transitions
between very different habitats, e.g. between a pond in one garden and dry areas all around. In a suburban area, hedges and the ‘back-ends’ of gardens, where there is often not much going on, are ideal for corridors. Woody plants whose branches link up, would be another example of a corridor.

Question 40

Why is bare soil in garden borders an undesirable feature for biodiversity? What are the alternatives and their advantages?

Answer 40

a. Bare soil does not provide any protection for wildlife traveling through the area, nor does it provide areas for nesting.
b. Alternatives include leaving the leaf litter or mulch on the soil, to provide nesting locations, safety, and food for wildlife. Also Ground cover plants.
c. Advantages for both items are they protect the soil from the sun and wind, provide nesting habitats and they will decompose and feed the soil. Additionally, it reduces the amount of maintenance time for the gardener. why? because of reduced weeding, feeding and maintaining soil. (NOEL)

MODEL: Bare soil offers no cover for many invertebrates, or indeed amphibians, reptiles or small mammals. Anything running across it is vulnerable to being eaten by something higher up the food chain. There are minimal materials for
hiding under, or roosting. A vegetation canopy or simply dead and decaying leaves and provides cover, nesting material, and microhabitat for small
invertebrates, which can be food for larger ones or birds.

Question 41

Name THREE non-planted garden features which can play a role in supporting biodiversity, and explain briefly how they can do this.

Answer 41

a. Bee Hotel: Provides safety and security for nesting bees.
b. Pond: provides water for all wildlife and encourages frogs/toads and other aquatic wildlife to take up residence in the garden.
c. Bird boxes: Provides a safe location for nesting birds.

MODEL:
Log and twig piles – they slowly rot down, providing roosting and feeding sites for a variety of invertebrates, possible hibernation sites for small
mammals too.

Bee ‘hotels’ – hollow canes and other materials that offer dry roosting and hibernating sites for solitary bees, lacewings and other insects.

Ponds, however small, offer a source of water, sometimes mud for building nests, and microhabitat, often supporting completely different invertebrates to those on dry land.

Question 42

How important is it to include a high proportion of native plant species in a garden or planting, primarily for biodiversity benefits? This is a controversial issue, but also one which may have very different answers in different places. Outline a few points for doing this, and also make a few points about why this might not be so important. Make some reference to your geographical location.

Answer 42

a. I live in California (San Francisco), with over 5000 native plants, some of which are not seen elsewhere in the world. As we are a state that suffers intense droughts and wildfires it is important to have plants that can survive these conditions or at least reseed under those conditions. Many of the native plants here can do just that.
b. We are also one of the most biodiverse regions in the world as we have such a geographical range of land, from deserts, coastal regions, forest and urban areas and the diversity of insects here is huge and therefore very biodiverse in insect populations. Many of the over 1600 native bees get their pollen from specific flowers so here it is very important to have many native plants for their sake.
c. California is an agricultural state whereby many bees are brought in to pollinate the fields. Some of these bees are native, some are not. Pollination itself is the most important aspect, and whatever gets the most invertebrates food is most important.
d. Although native plants provide pollen for the specialized insects, there are still many insects that can feed on non-native plants, and often do. If we only provide native plants for all pollinators then all of them will be fighting for the same plants, reducing the food for those specialized insects who require only one plant for pollen or leaves for larvae. We should definitely provide a substantial amount of native plants in gardens, urban areas and in wildlife to provide a corridor – but non natives support insects as well, so in my humble opinion some non-natives are acceptable.
e. I question the use of only native plants with climate change. As temperatures change, we may need to rely on other species of trees and plants in areas. At present it is recommended for gardeners here in SF to look at trees that are native to the mid coast of California as they will be able to survive the temperatures in 20-30 years. I believe the same will be true for the invertebrates, they will migrate north with warming temperatures and many more nonnative insects will arrive as well. Bringing in some non-native plants might help mitigate some of the food issues by providing a good variety of plants and perhaps build a strong corridor of wildlife habitat and food sources. (Of course, as a Master Gardener here, my native plant group might want to take my head off!)

MODEL:
Native plant species have co-evolved with their invertebrate predators and so by including a high proportion of native species we can assume that
automatically we will be providing food sources for insects.

However not all native species feed that many insects, e.g. holly does not provide for many.
Most useful are those species which are known to support a very large number of insect species, for example oak and willow species.

In the British Isles many invertebrates are generalist, so the importance of native species is therefore reduced. More important may be general diversity in the garden – diversity of species is most likely to provide continuity of food
supply through the year and to contribute to diverse habitat.