~ Bure Marshes - Trip Report ~

A very enjoyable walk around this largely private NNR, guided by the extremely knowledgable Rick Southward, below I have listed some of my favourite moments and things of interest from our visit:

• Rick showed us a Water Solider (Stratiotes aloides), a freely floating aquatic plant that favours the  dykes of the fens, it was really interesting to learn of the ecological role this plant has in adding structure to the water and providing shelter for aquatic invertebrates such as the larval form of Norfolk Hawker (which favours, but is not dependant on the plant) from fish predation.
• Rick also mentioned that all the plants in the UK were one gender, and having researched this, it would appear they are all female (with only a couple of male records, likely to be escapes from garden ponds etc.)!



• Current research suggests that the new leaves that grow in spring contain air pockets allowing the plant to float. As the older leaves die back in autumn they become waterlogged which causes the plant to sink again.

• I also enjoyed learning about the management techniques employed in managing the fens, as well as seeing this ecosystem service first hand.
• In order to disrupt succession and cut costs, cattle are used for grazing
• grazing a natural management technique as it mimics the herds of large herbivores Britain will have once had
• Marsh orchids for example grow on grass verges on edge of reeds and marshes
• grazing also adds to topography, again increasing microhabitats and can offer invertebrates protection from high water levels
• increases light levels to surface, allowing plants such as Marsh pennywort to grow

There are so many other things to mention including the problems from nitrates in agricultural run-off, and the management of the wet alder woodland, but I don't want the post to drag on too long!