39 - Humberhead Levels : Analysis: Ecosystem Services

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Cultivation of cereals and other arable crops
• Fishing, wildfowling

State – Fertile soils, with 10% of the land classified as Grade 1, 33 per cent as Grade 2, and a further 41 per cent classified as Grade 3.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – To retain the current levels of productivity, need to ensure that soils remain fertile; peaty soils in particular are vulnerable to desiccation and erosion.

Also water table level management and availability of water for irrigation, especially in the summer, need to be addressed.

The generally high levels of nutrient input can lead to issues around nutrient run-off into ditches and wetlands.

Some soils, especially peaty ones, are prone to erosion and oxidation if intensively cultivated; different cultivation practices or crop selection could reduce these impacts.

Wildfowling, and to a lesser extent fishing, are local activities providing food.

Opportunities – Encourage sustainable land management practices such as over- wintering stubble, to avoid leaving peaty soils exposed.

Encourage the introduction of break crops or fallow into rotations, to improve soil structure and organic content especially on sandy soils, and to improve resistance to erosion on peaty soils.

Consider the selection of crops to reduce impacts on soils.

Maintain wetland and riparian habitats and water quality to enable continued fishing and wildfowling.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Food provision
• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating water quality
• Climate regulation

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Existing woodland cover

State – Existing woodland covers 5.4 per cent of the area, and is limited to small scattered woodlands, with some blocks of conifers in the south.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – There is limited potential for increasing the timber production in this area by bringing all existing woodlands under management to increase their productivity. The scope for new woodland is limited, as the predominant land use is agriculture

Opportunities – Ensure that existing woodlands are under management to produce timber, primarily for local use

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Timber provision
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Climate regulation

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Major river systems including Ouse, Trent, Aire, Derwent, Don, Idle, Torne and Went
• Sherwood Sandstone Aquifer underlies western half of the area

State – The western half of the NCA overlays the major Sherwood Sandstone aquifer, which provides a strategically important source of public water supply, as well as industrial and agricultural abstractions (The Idle and Torne Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, March 2007).

Surface water sources are over abstracted in the southern half of the NCA (River Basin Characterisation 2, Environment Agency, January 2009). The rivers Torne and Idle in the south of the NCA are over-abstracted, and the Environment Agency aims to reduce actual abstraction from both surface and groundwater sources (Idle and Torne Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, May 2007). There is no water available along the River Don, (Don and Rother Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, October 2003) while the only resource available for additional abstraction is the River Foulness in the northeast, although this will be downgraded to ‘no water available’ by 2015 if there is shown to be demand for abstraction (Hull and East Riding Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, March 2006)

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The whole of the Sherwood Sandstone Aquifer is currently over licensed and is expected to remain over- licensed to at least 2015.

There is no groundwater available for abstraction within the Selby area, as groundwater levels have dropped below sea level. Thus the replenishing of the Sherwood Aquifer needs to be addressed, as does the issue of potential salination of groundwater supplies.

Further abstractions would risk the availability of water to existing license holders and may lead to the introduction of saline water, and therefore are to be prohibited. Throughout the aquifer, abstractions will only be allowed where groundwater levels are above sea level (Aire and Calder Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, May 2007).

The availability of water is likely to become more critical with the anticipated effects of climate change, including more storm events and summer droughts. The latter may result in an increase in reservoirs on farms for irrigation.

The sandy permeable soils (30 per cent of the area) may be valuable for aquifer recharge, thus requiring the maintenance of good soil structure to aid water infiltration.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to increase areas of semi-natural habitats, especially grassland, to improve water infiltration.

Encourage the restoration of peat bogs to increase their capacity to store water.

Work with Internal Drainage Boards and land owners/managers to manage watercourses and allow water table levels to rise where appropriate.

Ensure that new irrigation reservoirs are assimilated into the local landscape, and are designed to contribute to biodiversity where possible.

Adopt agricultural practices on sandy soils to build up a good soil structure and increase the organic matter content to improve permeability.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Water availability
• Regulating water quality
• Food provision
• Regulating soil quality
• Climate regulation

No information available.

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Existing woodland cover
• Cereal cropping

State – The existing woodland cover (5.4 per cent) offers only limited potential for the provision of biomass through bringing unmanaged woodland under management.

The straw produced from the extensive cereal cropping could be considered as a source of biomass.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Local power stations, including Drax, are all exploring ways of achieving more energy production through use of renewable biomass sources, and their decisions may impact on the crops grown in close proximity.

There is a medium potential yield for short rotation coppice, and high potential yields for miscanthus throughout the NCA (Defra’s Opportunities and optimum sitings for energy crops within the Yorkshire and Humber region).

Biomass crops could be easily assimilated into the current pattern of cropping, although there are areas where historic field patterns should not be obscured. However a significant increase in biomass would have implications for agricultural outputs from the area.

A substantial increase in the area of miscanthus and coppice would affect local landscape character. Information on the potential landscape impacts of biomass plantings within the NCA can be seen here (Ibid).

Opportunities – Encourage the establishment of biomass crops including miscanthus and short rotation coppiced willow, locating them on the less fertile soils (to reduce impact on agricultural production), and avoiding any adverse impacts on long views or historic landscapes.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biomass energy
• Climate regulation
• Timber provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Peat and peaty organic soils
• Wetlands
• Woodland cover

State – Significant carbon regulation is offered by the peat and peaty soils (30 per cent) with their high carbon content soils.

The wetlands, including floodplain grazing marsh, reedbeds and fens (5 per cent), also contribute.

The relatively low woodland cover (5.4 per cent) makes a limited contribution.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Peat and peaty soils should be managed so that they are actively sequestering and storing carbon. Peaty soils under cultivation are highly vulnerable to oxidation, as well as wind and water erosion; cultivation practices should avoid leaving them exposed.

Such soils can be protected by keeping the water table levels high and managing as permanent grassland.

The carbon content of mineral soils can be increased under permanent grassland and managed on an extensive regime that reduces or excludes the use of artificial fertilisers.

Woodlands can be managed to increase their productivity, thus improving their efficacy in carbon sequestration. The natural regeneration of woodlands on wet peaty soils would effectively capture carbon.

Opportunities – Maintain lowland bogs and peaty soils in favourable condition.

Encourage the natural regeneration of wet woodland on peaty soils where appropriate.

Adopt agricultural practices that do not require ploughing, or that reduce the frequency of ploughing, such as including fallow in rotations, and avoid soils being left exposed by, for instance, retaining stubble over-winter.

Increase the area of permanent grassland and other semi-natural habitats, and manage them on a low-input basis.

Improve management of existing woodlands.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Climate regulation
• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Water availability
• Regulating water quality
• Biodiversity
• Timber provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Upper reaches of Humber estuary
• Tidal stretches of all the main rivers

State – Much of the NCA is at risk from coastal flooding. The protection of the area depends upon flood defences along the Humber, which in places are at risk of overtopping. Over 26,000 properties are at risk, including land in the floodplains, in particular of the rivers Ouse and Aire, and the whole of the town of Goole. To protect these properties, the lower reaches of the River Trent and the River Ouse, and the Humber are confined by flood defences.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The risk of coastal flooding is exacerbated by combinations of high rainfall within the extensive river catchments flowing down to meet high tides and increases in sea level, which in turn are exacerbated by low atmospheric pressure and on-shore winds.

Future plans include maintaining the flood defences, for example, around Goole, but accepting occasional overtopping of defences, such as from Brough Haven to Weighton Lock; Faxfleet to Saltmarshe; Goole Fields and Crowle. Possible sites for increasing flood storage are under consideration near Goole and Flixborough Grange (The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy, Environment Agency, March 2008).

Allowing the development of intertidal habitats such as reedbeds and salt marsh are an effective way of dissipating wave energy and thus providing coastal flood defence, and reducing the costs of maintenance of flood banks. Thus managed realignment schemes are a cost effective flood defence strategy, in addition to proving new intertidal habitat, which enhances biodiversity (The Seascape character area assessment for the East Inshore and East Offshore marine plan area)

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to expand inter-tidal habitats along the Humber to offset coastal squeeze.

Seek opportunities for managed realignment of the estuary banks, to increase the capacity of the estuary to hold flood waters, and restore suites of inter-tidal and wetland habitats in the process.

Measure, monitor and record elements of the historic environment to enable a prioritised response to rising sea levels and increased inundation events.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating coastal flooding and erosion
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Sherwood Aquifer in western part
• Groundwater
• Major rivers and dykes

State – For information regarding the current state of water quality within this NCA, refer to the Environment Agency (Draft river basin management plan maps).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The aquifer, other groundwater sources and all the watercourses are vulnerable to nutrient pollution. With the predominance of arable cropping in this area, it is essential to ensure that nutrient inputs are matched to needs.

The rivers form important corridors for migrating salmonids, so good water quality and lack of barriersare essential to enable this movement of species.

Opportunities – Encourage arable reversion and the establishment of permanent grassland, especially alongside watercourses, with low input management, to reduce nutrient run-off and aid water infiltration.

Encourage management of farmland under principles established under the Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery initiative.

Adopt management that encourages emergent vegetation along ditches, and introduce reedbeds and other wetland habitats, that help to filter water.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Food provision
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Lower stretches of major rivers including Ouse, Aire, Derwent, Trent, Don, Idle, Torne and Went , as well as the River Humber into which they all flow

State – This NCA encompasses the open, flat plain that is dominated by the major river systems of the Aire, Ouse and Trent, which flow from surrounding higher ground south, north and east into the Humber estuary. Some land is now close to sea level and is maintained as agricultural land by pumping.

Most stretches of the rivers are contained between flood banks to prevent flooding of adjacent land.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The majority of the NCA is at risk from fluvial flooding, exacerbated by combinations of high rainfall within the extensive catchments of the rivers with high tides and rising sea level.

The major flood risk in the Aire and Don catchments arise through an increased frequency of flooding and greater depth and speed of flood water, which can be mitigated by further washlands and additional flood storage.

Settlements at risk include Doncaster, Goole and Selby.

The Lower Derwent Valley is vulnerable to increased flood water flows, which can be mitigated by changes in management upstream, including improvements to floodbanks and washlands.

Drainage from development can be managed by reducing new developments within flood risk areas (Catchment Flood Management Plans for the Ouse, Don, Aire, Environment Agency, 2010).

Sites suitable for allowing occasional over-topping of flood defences will also need to be identified.

Opportunities – Work with key partners and landowners to identify suitable sites for flood storage and occasional over-topping of flood defences.

Optimise design and implementation of future flood storage areas to create new wetland habitats, such as floodplain grazing marsh, and creating links with existing semi-natural habitats.

Manage water bodies, including ditches, to increase structural diversity which will help to retain winter floodwater for longer and provide refuges for species vulnerable to inundation events.

Encourage agricultural practices that build up organic matter and reduce the risk of soil compaction and thus improving water infiltration.

Restore and expand wetland habitats on floodplains, including wet pastures, reedbeds and traditionally grazed alluvial flood meadows, to attenuate flood flows.

Find ways of assimilating new or reinforced flood defences into local landscapes with minimum visual impact and disruption to existing habitats or species movement.

Adopt strategic approaches to increasing the capacity of catchments to retain water, including addressing river management upstream to reduce impacts on landscapes downstream, notably the vulnerable floodplain of the Lower Derwent Valley.

Allow watercourses to revert to natural, dynamic courses where possible, thus allowing the energy of the water flow to dissipate.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water flow
• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Wide range of soil types

State – This NCA has 13 main soilscape types:

• Slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils (24 per cent).
• Loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater (22 per cent).
• Naturally wet very acid sandy and loamy soils (14 per cent).
• Freely draining slightly acid sandy soils (11 per cent).
• Loamy soils with naturally high groundwater (8 per cent).
• Loamy and clayey floodplain soils with naturally high groundwater (6 per cent).
• Loamy and sandy soils with naturally high groundwater and a peaty surface (4 per cent).
• Fen peat soils (2 per cent).
• Raised bog peat soils (2 per cent).
• Freely draining slightly acid loamy soils (2 per cent).
• Freely draining lime-rich loamy soils (1 per cent).
• Slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (1 per cent)
• Freely draining very acid sandy and loamy soils (1 per cent).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils may suffer compaction and / or capping as they are easily damaged when wet. This may lead to increasingly poor water infiltration and diffuse pollution as a result of surface water run-off. Management measures that increase organic matter levels can help reduce these problems.

The loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater (22 per cent) have a high agricultural potential but this is dependent on the continued ability to pump drain and protect the soils from sea flooding/saline intrusion. With continued abstraction, locally some soils are at risk of becoming saline; these soils are also vulnerable to sea level rise. Where there is a high silt / fine sand content, compaction and / or capping may be an issue which can be reduced by increasing soil organic matter content.

The freely draining slightly acid sandy soils (11 per cent) have potential for increasing organic matter levels by management interventions, which would also help to minimise erosion risk.

The quality of the more fertile soils here needs to be maintained, as it underpins the importance of the area for significant food production.

Opportunities – Encourage agricultural practices that build up organic matter, especially on the free draining sandy soils.

Ensure that agricultural practices do not further deplete peaty soils, for instance, by avoiding leaving surfaces bare and thus vulnerable to drying out and oxidation.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil quality
• Climate regulation
• Regulating soil erosion

• Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –
• Loamy and clayey soils
• Peat and peaty soils (8 per cent)
• Sandy soils (30 per cent)

State – Just over half of the NCA has soils that are at low risk of soil erosion, covering the slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils, loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater, and the loamy and clayey floodplain soils with naturally high groundwater. In addition, the loamy soils with naturally high groundwater are at low risk of erosion except where coarser textured variants occur on sloping or uneven ground.

Deep peat and peaty soils cover some 8 per cent of the area, and where cultivated are vulnerable to wind and water erosion and oxidation.

Sandy soils cover 30 per cent of the area.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – Responses need to be different to respond to the two main concerns with soil erosion in this NCA. Peat and peaty soils are at risk of both wind and water erosion when left bare, and of loss through shrinkage and oxidation.

The free draining sandy soils are light textured and prone to erosion on sloping ground where cultivated land is left bare, and especially when organic matter levels are low following continuous cultivation or compaction. There is also widespread potential for erosion of sandy soils from rapid run-off during storm events or where compacted.

Oxidation of peaty soils and erosion of all soils needs to be addressed here, as the soils underpin the importance of the area for food provision.

Opportunities – Ensure that on peaty soils agricultural practices encourage minimum cultivation and avoid leaving surfaces exposed, for example by introducing fallow into rotations, over-wintering stubble, or reversion to permanent grassland.

Encourage agricultural practices that retain cover and build up organic matter especially on free draining sandy soils

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil erosion
• Food provision
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Semi-natural habitats

State – Limited extent of semi-natural habitats throughout the area, with substantial blocks of raised bog and lowland heath.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – With extensive areas of cereal and general cropping, there are limited sites currently supporting pollinating insects.

Floodbanks contain most of the main rivers, and could provide pollinating support if the sward comprised a greater range of flowering species.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to introduce species- rich grassland, pollen and nectar strips, margins along arable field edges and alongside watercourses within the agricultural landscape, to encourage and support pollinating insects .

Seek opportunities to create species-rich grassland on floodbanks.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Pollination
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Food provision

No information available.

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Open, large scale low- lying farmed landscape, with extensive network of ditches and dykes
• Variation introduced by slight changes in soils and elevation
• Long views, big skies

State – A sense of place is created by the generally flat, low-lying intensively farmed landscape, divided by ditches into large regular fields, with variation introduced by slight changes in soils and elevation, giving rise to lowland heathlands and raised bogs. The watercourses form a key part of the landscape, with the extensive network of ditches and dykes, large rivers contained within floodbanks, and wide river floodplains.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – This is a distinctive large scale open landscape, dominated by agriculture, providing striking contrasts to the upland landscapes of the region. Its general lack of hedges, long views and openness create a strong sense of place.

Opportunities – Retain long views and the experience of big skies.

Ensure that the network of ditches and dykes are managed so that they contribute visually to the landscape, by encouraging emergent vegetation, and thus also provide effective linking habitats with diverse vegetation and wildlife.

Adopt cultivation practices that will ensure the long term sustainability of agriculture.

Seek opportunities to bring attention to the rivers and their role of water in shaping the landscape, especially where rivers are concealed behind flood defences.

Retain the contrasts with the local differences in landscape character, notably the more enclosed pastoral landscape north of Doncaster, and the wild and remote feel to the lowland bogs and heaths and the lower Derwent valley.

Protect and enhance the biodiversity interest, so that more people can enjoy the sights of overwintering birds, of water voles, marsh harriers, nightjars and bitterns, dragonflies and butterflies, and all the plant and animal communities associated with the important semi-natural habitats.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of place/inspiration
• Food provision
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating water flow

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Artefacts associated with drainage history
• Areas of distinct field patterns, for example warps, cables
• Isle of Axholme medieval open strip fields

State – A sense of history is revealed through all the many features associated with the reclamation and control of the drainage of the area, such as dykes, floodbanks, berms, bridges, canals, pumping stations, disused windmills, water towers and old river courses. The watercourses and canals were also important communications and trading routes linking the industry inland with the North Sea and Europe. More recently, the several power stations reflect the close links between the plentiful water supply and underlying coal supplies.

The historic landscape character is further reinforced by the contrasts between the large rectilinear fields of relatively recent reclamation, and more intimate areas such as the enclosed pastoral landscape around Fishlake and Sykehouse. Also there are strong field patterns notably the remnant medieval open field patterns of the Isle of Axholme, the cables near Goole and the warps near Thorne. The landscape at Haxey and Epworth Turbaries also reveals past practices of peat cutting, while the Lower Derwent valley still maintains some of the medieval strip field meadow system (JCA statements of historic interest, English Heritage, 2007 (unpublished)).

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The distinctive field patterns are of note, and can be retained through sympathetic farming practices.

The open strip fields on the Isle of Axholme are particularly vulnerable to amalgamation.

Palaeo-environmental evidence is vulnerable to drying out of peaty soils through continued or increased pumping and cultivation.

Opportunities – Protect the evidence of different histories of land management, land use and settlement, including field patterns, turbaries.

Protect the internationally significant historic landscape of the Isle of Axholme and its setting.

Protect palaeo-archaeological evidence by maintaining and managing water table levels, and protect historic field features, including ridge and furrow, through appropriate land management, eg. arable reversion to permanent pasture.

Protect and interpret the history of the area, in particular that of its drainage history, and the significance of the Humber in linking hinterland with north west Europe.

Encourage use of local building materials in new build, and ensure appropriate materials and styles are used in restoration of traditional vernacular buildings.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of history
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Recreation

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Pockets of tranquillity around Thorne and Hatfield Moors, Lower Derwent Valley

State – The area has experienced a significant decline in tranquillity since the 1960s. Undisturbed areas have decreased from 72 per cent in the 1960s to 43 per cent in 2007.

Remaining areas of tranquillity are concentrated around Thorne and Hatfield Moors and the Lower Derwent Valley.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The extensive bogs of Thorne and Hatfield Moors provide a particularly strong sense of remoteness and ‘wildness’, as do the smaller scale riverine landscape of pasture, flood meadows and small woodlands along the Lower Derwent, and to a lesser extent the pastoral landscapes around Fishlake and Sykehouse.

Opportunities – Protect those areas with a strong sense of remoteness and ‘wildness’, notably Thorne and Hatfield Moors and the Lower Derwent Valley, from further intrusion and development, including unnecessary night lighting.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Tranquillity
• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Paths along floodbanks
• Thorne and Hatfield Moors National Nature Reserves

State – The NCA offers a network of rights of way totalling 1,357 km at a relatively low density of 0.8 km per km2, and open access land covering 1,949 ha or just over 1 per cent of the NCA.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Particular recreational opportunities are associated with paths alongside canals and along floodbanks, which offer elevated views out over the flat landscape, and the Trans Pennine Trail and the Peatlands Way around Doncaster.

Thorne and Hatfield Moors NNRs are flagship reserves for access and enjoyment of their special qualities.

Angling and wildfowling are popular and long established activities in the area.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to provide links to the existing rights of way network.

Develop Thorne and Hatfield Moors as flagship National Nature Reserves for access and enjoyment of their special qualities .

Provide interpretation of the history, biodiversity and other aspects of the landscape in well visited locations.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• 2 Ramsar sites
• 3 SPAs
• 6 SAC
• 3 National Nature Reserves
• 40 SSSI
• 577 local sites

State – 5,729 ha (3 per cent) of the area is designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, which largely overlap with European and international designations of Ramsar, Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

Over 85 per cent of the SSSI area is in either favourable or unfavourable recovering condition.

Supporting the international and national designated sites are 577 Local Wildlife Sites of biodiversity interest which cover another 7,264 ha, or 4.2 per cent of the area.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – Continued or increased pumping or other abstraction of water will impact on existing sites, especially the lowland raised mires, and will limit the possibilities for expanding wetland habitats.

The existing network of ditches and dykes provides an important resource for wildlife to penetrate agricultural areas and connect with other semi-natural habitats.

The management of water quality is necessary to enable the migration of important salmonid species along the rivers.

Opportunities – Ensure that sites of particular biodiversity interest are protected and managed, and that surrounding areas are managed to create buffers and reduce impacts of pollutants and sediment run-off, so that the biodiversity interest is protected and enhanced .

Work with groups of landowners and Internal Drainage Boards to manage water table levels to support a wider range of semi-natural habitats and permanent grassland.

Increase the connectivity and permeability between semi-natural habitats, especially along the network of watercourses, making links with other semi-natural habitats, to improve habitat resilience and enable species movement.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Recreation
• Water availability

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• 2 geological SSSI and 1 mixed interest (Humber Estuary)
• 18 Local Geological Sites

State – The main geological interest of the area is the influence of the post-glacial Lake Humber and the laying down of deposits.

Also of interest is the development of peat which now contains much palaeo- environmental evidence.

The underlying coal beds were exploited from Selby until 2004.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Extraction of sand and gravel deposits has taken place in several locations. The deep coal beds were exploited from Selby until 2004. The combination of a local source of coal with plentiful water supplies in the main rivers gave rise to the construction of several large power stations.

Opportunities – Ensure palaeo-environmental evidence is retained and protected where possible.

Ensure that sand and gravel extraction sites are restored to contribute to local landscape character and enhance biodiversity, providing improved access where possible.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Geodiversity
• Biodiversity
• Recreation