The Cookham Plan
Phase I Habitat Survey of Cookham Parish, Berkshire
1. Introduction
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1.
Introduction
1.1 General introduction
A Phase 1 habitat survey of the Parish of Cookham, Berkshire, was commissioned by Cookham Parish Plan Steering Committee in 2007. The aim of a Phase 1 survey is to provide, relatively rapidly, a record of the semi-natural vegetation and wildlife habitat over large areas of countryside (Anon, 2007). Residential and urban centres were generally excluded. Emphasis was placed on habitats likely to be of the greatest wildlife value, with a view to targeting these for phase 2 surveys. Legally protected species were considered in this respect. Habitat maps of the survey area have been produced. Species, habitat and designated site data searches were also made. Information on the birds of the parish from previous and ongoing work is incorporated. Recommendations for further survey are made. The overall long-term aim is to produce a Biodiversity Action Plan for the parish, as part of an overall Plan in order to guide future planning and maintain and where possible enhance biodiversity.
1.2 Limitations of the survey
A phase 1 survey does not provide detailed information on habitats or the flora and fauna present in those ecosystems, but provides an overview of an area. Since different habitats are best surveyed at different times of year, and the flora and fauna in evidence differs in the same way, more detailed information can only be provided by more specialised phase II surveys for flowering plants (using the National Vegetation Classification system, NVC), invertebrates and reptiles and amphibians, for example.
Therefore, in this survey it was not possible to accurately classify all of the grasslands as either semi-improved (poor) or semi-improved (good), since this should be carried out in mid-summer. Similarly, it was not possible to classify the ponds and other water bodies as either eutrophic, mesotrophic, oligotrophic, etc., because this must be carried out from June to September.