Habitat Management
The management of Little Wittenham Nature Reserve is primarily targetted to ensure the long-term viability of the important features found there. These are mainly habitats (such as woodland), species (such as Loddon Lily) or cultural features (such as landscape).
For more about Little Wittenham's Important Features click here
The designated features are of primary importance. Given the SAC status of the reserve, the population of Great Crested Newts must be seen as the overriding concern. Additional designated features are other breeding amphibians and dragonflies (both cited in the SSSI designation) and the Iron Age hill fort (a SAM).
Woodland Management
The primary objective within Little Wittenham Wood is to maintain suitable dry land habitat for the Great Crested Newts. This is most easily achieved by leaving the abandoned coppice within 200m of the breeding ponds largely unmanaged. This results in a large number of fallen trees and branches provide abundant hibernation sites, whilst accumulations of mossy leaf-litter provide feeding habitat. This type of management also meets the habitat requirements of many other species of mature woodland, including uncommon invertebrates, such as hoverflies and jewel beetles.
At present much of the woodland retains large stands of even-age plantation, including much conifer. To achieve a more natural composition and structure these dense, shady plantations are being slowly thinned to leave deciduous shrubs and trees. In other areas temporary glades are cut to allow plants such as Marsh Thistle to flower. In turn these provide an essential nectar source for many woodland invertebrates.
Wetland Management
Although Great Crested Newts are the primary concern, other amphibians and dragonflies are very important. Pond management is kept to a minimum, only clearing a small part of any one pond when necessary. This management also suits the many uncommon invertebrates, such as water beetles and hoverflies, which also inhabit the ponds and their margins. To provide suitable conditions for the reserve's specialist soldier flies encroaching scrub is periodically cut back from around wet flushes. This helps maintain the wetness of the habitat and the sunny glades created also benefits wetland plants and other woodland invertebrates.
The Trust has recently received several grants towards the restoration of wetland habitats across the reserve. Projects have included the excavation of a complex of ponds and pools along the river bank, damming the woodland streams to raise water levels and digging scrapes (shallow pools) that dry out in summer.
Grassland Management
Most of the reserve's grasslands are not rich in wild-flowers. The long-term aim is to restore flower-rich grassland communities appropriate to the local soil type. However, it is essential to maintain the dynamic mosaics of short grassland patches where wild-flowers thrive, without the losing the equally valuable areas of rough grassland and scrub. To encourage the establishment of such mosaics the thinner chalky soils of the hillsides are winter grazed at low intensity. In some areas patches of mixed scrub have been planted. On the low lying, fertile Gault clays the grassland is managed as a traditional hay meadow cut in July and aftermath grazed in autumn. The reserve has its own small flock of sheep for this purpose, but cattle from a local grazier are also used.
