{"id":592,"date":"2010-12-27T17:55:31","date_gmt":"2010-12-27T16:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oldvarieties.com\/contents1a\/?p=592"},"modified":"2010-12-27T17:55:31","modified_gmt":"2010-12-27T16:55:31","slug":"help-available-for-orchard-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldvarieties.com\/contents1a\/2010\/12\/help-available-for-orchard-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Help available for orchard management"},"content":{"rendered":"

Natural England hope that a new guide will curb the demise of the English fruit orchard.<\/p>\n

Traditional orchards are a classic feature of the English landscape and are fantastic places for wildlife but they have been disappearing at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n

According to Natural England over 75% of traditional orchards in England have vanished since the 1950s.<\/p>\n

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New guides produced to help orchard owners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orchards are home to wildlife<\/h2>\n

Restoring and managing orchards is good for wildlife and it is hoped the new guides will also help protect the orchard eco-system.<\/p>\n

The guides are designed to provide practical advice to land managers on how best to look after orchards in their care and are now available as PDFs \u00a0by following the links below.<\/p>\n

Orchards are important for a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna and in 2007, traditional orchards received UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority status in recognition of their importance to wildlife.<\/p>\n

Wildlife is attracted to the mosaic of habitats such as dead wood, scrub, hedgerows, unimproved grassland and ponds.<\/p>\n

Declining bird species such as the lesser spotted woodpecker and bullfinch can thrive in orchard environments, as can a wide diversity of mosses, lichen and fungi and bat species.<\/p>\n

Traditional orchards also provide important habitats for the beautiful, but rare noble chafer beetle, that lives in the dead wood of older trees.<\/p>\n

Orchard advice guides (.pdf)<\/h3>\n