CLM20-2 full issue-1 - Flipbook - Page 4
EDITORIAL
I
n this issue, we look in-depth at the
contribution of different habitats to climate
change via sequestration or emission of
greenhouse gases, and the ways in which
management can influence this. If you’re
getting a feeling of déjà vu, it will be because
nine months ago I introduced another article
(CLM 19(3): 23–28) exploring this topic in the
context of efforts to embed climate priorities
into management of Shropshire’s reserve
network. The potential for reserve management
to mitigate or exacerbate climate change has
until recently flown mostly under the radar
as the focus has – understandably – been
on more influential industries and activities;
energy generation, and transport, for example.
Clearly, though, the issue is now coming to the
fore, amid realisation that climate needs to be
considered as standard during decisions in dayto-day life. While our previous article provided
an exemplary case study of work from one
county, in this issue Malcolm Ausden and Rob
Field take a broader outlook and offer a userfriendly guide to viewing habitats in terms of
their potential contribution to climate change,
and thereby understanding how management
might affect flux of greenhouse gases. Climate
will not be the priority in every situation,
but greater awareness of where and how
greenhouse gases are stored and lost can shed
light on ways of adapting management plans
in order to reduce negative impacts on climate
while still meeting targets for conservation. We
hope that this information will prove useful to
readers attempting to navigate the moral maze
of land management during the twin crises of
biodiversity loss and climate change.
Our remaining articles cover methods
for restoring saltmarsh, efforts to balance
productivity and conservation on farmland
and the associated benefits for birds, and the
potential for humans to replicate the actions of
beavers via beaver dam analogues. I hope you
enjoy the magazine.
Guy Freeman
Editor
e-mail: gfreeman@britishwildlife.com
Above Carol Branch beaver dam analogue series in Baltimore, USA. Ecotone
2 Conservation Land Management Summer 2022 | Vol. 20 No. 2
