Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures to protect soil and water resources. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 2: Create riparian buffer zones

This measure promotes the creation or enhancement of riparian buffer zones to protect watercourses and improve water quality. PM2 is mapped to all rivers, streams and significant ditches, but would be beneficial anywhere that there is a water flow pathway into a larger watercourse.

Potential measure 4: Protect and improve water resources

This measure recognises the importance of land management decision-making in improving the quality of the water within our rivers and streams. It suggests actions that could be taken to protect watercourses, wetlands and aquifers. PM4 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location. 

Potential measure 35: Improve soil health

This measure recognises the importance of the ecological health and resilience of soils to nature recovery, and of sharing knowledge and best practice in soil management and regenerative agriculture. PM35 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Potential measure 36: Protect soils from erosion

This measure seeks to halt the loss of agricultural soils through erosion, in particular where soils are at high risk of erosion by rainfall run-off. PM36 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location, however areas most at risk within Worcestershire are modelled and shown in maps.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for arable land. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential measure 17: Enhance condition of hedgerows

This measure promotes good practice in the enhancement and management of hedgerows for the benefit of a variety of species. PM17 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Potential measure 33: Create new arable wildflower sites

This measure recognises the importance of Worcestershire for rare arable wildflowers and promotes their conservation. PM33 is a mapped measure targeted to locations identified by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland and by Plantlife which are important or could be of importance for arable wildflowers. 

Potential measure 34: Create new wildlife habitats on cropped farmland

This measure suggests actions that could be taken to provide food sources and places of shelter for wildlife on cropped farmland. It promotes increasing the connectivity of wildlife-friendly habitats so that species can move and disperse around the landscape safely. PM34 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for the creation and enhancement of pond and wetland habitat. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 2: Create riparian buffer zones

This measure promotes the creation or enhancement of habitat within riparian buffer zones to protect watercourses and improve water quality. PM2 is mapped to all rivers, streams and significant ditches, but would be beneficial anywhere that there is a water flow pathway into a larger watercourse.

Potential measure 7: Create and enhance wildlife ponds and surrounding habitat in high-density and high-value pond areas

This measure seeks to enhance the value of Worcestershire’s ‘pondscapes’: landscapes with a current or historic high density of high-quality ponds. PM7 is a mapped measure, targeted at locations where existing pond clusters could be enhanced, or where lost or ‘ghost’ ponds could be re-created. However, creating or enhancing a wildlife pond anywhere in Worcestershire would be beneficial for nature.

Potential Measure 8: Create and enhance wetland habitat

This measure promotes the creation or enhancement of a range of wetland habitat types. PM8 is mapped to locations where data modelling suggests that the geology and soil type would support these features, and where watercourses and their floodplains can be re-connected and made better for nature.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for the creation and enhancement of woodland, tree, orchard and hedgerow habitats. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 13: Enhance condition of existing woodlands for wildlife

This measure promotes actions to make existing woodlands more valuable for wildlife through good management practices and additional habitat provision. PM13 is mapped to woodlands that could contribute most significantly to providing more, bigger, better areas of habitat at a landscape-scale, due to their proximity to other woodland. However, the suggested actions could be delivered in any woodland to benefit nature.

Potential measure 14: Increase tree cover in the farmed landscape

This measure recognises the opportunities that exist for planting new trees on farmland outside of areas of woodland, such as hedgerow trees, orchards or creating copses and shelter belts. PM14 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Potential measure 16: Create new or restore lost hedgerows

This measure encourages the creation of new hedgerows or the reinstatement of hedgerows that have been previously lost from the landscape. PM16 is non-mapped and would be beneficial for nature anywhere within Worcestershire.

Potential measure 17: Enhance condition of hedgerows

This measure promotes good practice in the enhancement and management of hedgerows for the benefit of a variety of species. PM17 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Potential measure 18: Increase numbers of hedgerow trees

This measure encourages the planting and management of hedgerow trees. PM18 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature anywhere within Worcestershire.

Potential Measure 24: Create and enhance scrub habitat

This measure promotes the creation and management of scrub as a valuable habitat for wildlife in its own right. PM24 is a non-mapped measure and could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature.

Potential Measure 26: Enhance wildlife value of traditional orchards

This measure recognises the importance of Worcestershire for traditional orchard habitat and the species that it supports. It suggests actions to ensure that surviving old orchards are maintained and restored for wildlife benefit. PM26 is mapped to traditional orchards recorded on the Worcestershire Habitat Inventory. 

Potential Measure 28: Plant hedgerow fruit trees

This measure encourages the planting of fruit trees within hedgerows to provide food for wildlife, noting that species such as damson and crab apple are locally distinctive within parts of Worcestershire. PM28 is a non-mapped measure and could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for the creation and enhancement of grassland habitats. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 3: Revert land to wet grassland and floodplain meadow

This measure promotes the creation and management of wet grassland and species-rich floodplain meadow habitats. As well as being valuable for wildlife, these offer a nature-based solution to managing flood risk. PM3 is a mapped measure within the floodplains of Worcestershire’s rivers and streams.

Potential Measure 29: Create or enhance species-rich neutral grassland

This measure recognises the importance of Worcestershire for lowland meadow habitat, and promotes its creation, restoration and good management. PM29 is mapped to existing lowland meadow habitat, habitat considered to be restorable to lowland meadow, and sites where creation of the habitat would maximise connectivity between existing habitat of high value.

Potential Measure 30: Create or enhance species-rich acid grassland and lowland heathland

This measure promotes the creation and management of species-rich acid grassland and lowland heathland habitats. PM30 is mapped to locations where the geology and soil type would support these habitats, and where connectivity of habitat could be enhanced at a landscape scale.

Potential Measure 31: Create or enhance species-rich calcareous grassland

This measure promotes the creation and management of species-rich calcareous grassland habitat. PM31 is mapped to locations where the geology and soil type would support these habitats, and where connectivity of habitat could be enhanced at a landscape scale.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures to recover species populations. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance. LNRS Priority Species are those that need bespoke action to support the recovery of their populations. Many other species are equally important within Worcestershire, but they can be helped by delivering measures to provide more, bigger, better-managed areas of joined-up habitat.

Potential Measure 54: Increase Hedgehog population

This measure seeks to make habitats on farmland more hedgehog-friendly, to enable the species to recover its population numbers and thrive. PM54 is non-mapped and the suggested actions would be beneficial anywhere in Worcestershire.

Potential measure 56: Habitat creation and enhancement for Brown Hairstreak

This measure promotes good hedgerow management specifically for the brown hairstreak butterfly, to allow its population to increase within its core range and its range to then expand. PM56 is mapped to existing known hotspots where the species has been recorded within Worcestershire.

Potential Measure 60: Habitat creation and enhancement for woodland bats (Barbastelle and Bechstein’s) and Potential Measure 61: Habitat creation and enhancement for cave and building bats (Greater Horseshoe, Lesser Horseshoe, Brandt’s and Serotine)

These two measures focus on providing habitat for Worcestershire’s rarer species of bats. Delivering these actions will also benefit commoner bat species such as Pipistrelle and Brown Long-eared. Both measures are non-mapped and could be delivered anywhere in Worcestershire to support nature recovery.

Potential measure 64: Recovery of Turtle Dove population

This measure promotes habitat management and other actions that would support the recovery of turtle dove as a breeding bird species within Worcestershire. PM64 is a mapped measure, targeted to locations with recent records of the species and where potentially suitable habitat is in close proximity. 

Potential measure 65: Recovery of Farmland bird populations

This measure seeks to support the recovery of farmland bird populations, by suggesting actions that will provide for species’ needs throughout the year. PM65 is non-mapped and actions would be beneficial anywhere within Worcestershire, however locations where the biggest impacts in recovering species populations could be achieved are illustrated.

Potential Measure 77: Waxcap and other grassland fungi

This measure encourages the protection and good management of Worcestershire’s old grasslands (those undisturbed by ploughing and other intensive agricultural management), as well as community spaces such as churchyards, which are important or could be important for waxcaps and other species of grassland fungi. PM77 is non-mapped and should be delivered wherever these types of habitats occur.