Dr Nial Moores, National Director, Birds Korea
This rather long post aims to share some of the key insights gained through a genuinely inspirational short study tour to the UK. Although the UK was ranked in the bottom 10% of nations globally in the Biodiversity Intactness Index (Phillips et al 2021), the sense gained through this short visit is that some of the decline in biodiversity is now, finally, starting to be reversed, with thousands of restoration initiatives ongoing, and many species being successfully reintroduced.
Birds Korea has been working to support Yeoncheon County and the Yeoncheon Imjin River Biosphere Reserve for five years now, through conducting research to identify key species and internationally important areas for biodiversity; and by making proposals designed to help conserve biodiversity as an integral part of the SDGs – with the health of the biosphere understood to be vital to social and economic health and vice versa. Explicit recognition of the importance of biodiversity to human well-being is of course key for building public support and for changing the way in which natural places and processes are valued.
Accordingly, we consider that the best approach to conserving the population of wintering cranes and Eastern Taiga Bean Geese in Korea in general – and in a Biosphere Reserve in particular – should not be based on artificial feeding (which increases the risk of disease in the birds and the dependence of these species on people). Instead, it will require the restoration of floodplain habitat in ways that can simultaneously generate benefits for people – through e.g., restoring the capacity of wetlands to reduce flooding downstream, and through generating additional revenue for local communities.
Cranes in the Yeoncheon Imjin River Biosphere Reserve roost in/on natural riffles in the Imjin River; and then usually spread out to feed in arable fields during the day. Once the river starts to freeze, most of the White-naped Cranes tend to feed in adjacent rice-fields, while groups of Red-crowned Cranes can often be seen also feeding on Yulmu (Adlay Millet) in much drier hill fields – apparently unique behaviour for this floodplain specialist species.
Data gathered over the past two decades shows that the number of both crane species continues to increase in the Biosphere Reserve. This is even though most floodplain wetland in Yeoncheon has been lost because of dams, reinforced dykes and conversion to other land uses. These count data do not tell us the “why” of the increase, however – though it is thought likely largely due to a combination of artificial feeding, climate change (allowing White-naped Cranes especially to winter further north) and habitat loss elsewhere, forcing both species to concentrate further.
In a somewhat similar way, data gathered meticulously in recent winters on the distribution of cranes in Yeoncheon reveal much about current behaviours – including their sensitivity to disturbance. However, such data do not reveal how cranes might be distributed if disturbance by people was reduced much further, and if more natural foraging habitat was available to them.
In recent winters, the cranes in Yeoncheon have shifted their main roost away from the largest river-riffle in the Imjin River to a rather smaller area even closer to the DMZ proper. This shift coincided with the construction of a prominent structure immediately above the former preferred roost used by photographers. This photographers’ “hide” is also located next to a road on which cars are not permitted to stop by the military and has therefore been closed. To this background, Team Leader Yoon Misook in Yeoncheon County’s Tourism Department last year asked our opinion about improving conditions for Red-crowned and White-naped Cranes wintering within Yeoncheon’s militarily-controlled CCZ.
Seen through the lens of a biologist, perhaps the most obvious way would simply be to reduce disturbance to their preferred roosts and to improve the amount of food that is available – through increasing artificial feeding and by planting more crops like Yulmu that can be eaten by the birds. While helpful to cranes in the short term, in our opinion, such measures would do little to change peoples’ value systems; and they would do nothing for additional biodiversity or to build ecosystem resilience.
Much more meaningful and sustainable instead would be to restore floodplain wetlands, and to manage them both for biodiversity and for people. As we have long argued, some of these restored wetlands need to be inside and some outside of the CCZ, so that tourists’ access can be guaranteed at all times, and managed in ways that can provide economic benefits to local farmers.
Over the years, we have therefore made several proposals that aim to improve conditions for cranes in Yeoncheon, including e.g., restoration of the confluence of the Samicheon and the Imjin River, and putting up screening below the Gunnam Dam. In response to last year’s request from Team Leader Yoon Misook, we also identified an area of former arable land in the CCZ as a potential site for restoration, dependent of course on local support. This area was in the past inundated by a major flood; now it has along one side a small, channeled stream with the remainder a large area of tangled grass and low bushes. We proposed that if some of the former arable land was dug-out, and the stream was returned more-or-less to its former, natural course, this would help to create an area of floodplain wetland – the natural habitat of cranes. Excavated material from this area could then be used to form earth bunds. These bunds would increase protection of the village from flooding in the future, and could also provide the ideal location for the siting of birdwatching and photography hides. Immediately behind this same small area lies an even more degraded patch of land. This could be used for creating a compact space for environmental education (e.g., pond-dipping and the like) in the summer. Because the area is close to the village, again if the villagers agreed, revenue could then be earned by the village through charging money for entry into the hides – as in Cheorwon – and for guiding visitors. We also propose that similar approaches could be taken at one or more additional sites within the CCZ, and at several sites outside of it
As part of the process of evaluating this proposal and proposals made by other experts, the environmental engineering company Land Aura was asked this summer by Yeoncheon County to conduct a study tour to the UK. I was contracted to organise and lead it.
Four major areas in Somerset and Gloucestershire (adjacent counties in western England) were selected. At all sites we visited, we were able to learn how each organisation overcame initial scepticism and opposition, to build support for habitat restoration.
On September 10th, thanks to the generosity of reserve manager Damon Bridge, we were able to visit two reserves managed by the RSPB in the Somerset Moors/ Somerset Levels, and to learn much more about the UK’s “Great Crane Project” (a collaboration between the RSPB, the WWT and Pensthorpe). This Project is helping to support the recovery of the breeding population of Common Crane in the UK, lost for over 400 years, through a combination of conservation breeding and the restoration of floodplain habitat. Most impressive from the Korean context was to learn just how much has been invested in this project, in terms of expertise and funding – all the more so as the Common Crane is at least 200x more numerous globally than Red-crowned Crane (the minimum Waterbird Populations Estimate for Common Crane is 718,000 globally, but only 3,150 globally for Red-crowned Crane). It is not really possible to over-estimate the global value of Yeoncheon and its crane flocks.
This was followed by a late afternoon visit to Steart Point/ Bridgwater Bay on the edge of the Bristol Channel, where again a coalition of organisations are working to restore wetlands – including the restoration of wet grassland and saltmarsh through coastal realignment. Coastal realignment is the intentional breaching of a sea wall to restore tidal inundation as a response to rising sea-levels.
On September 11th, we spent the day at the beautiful Holnicote Estate managed by the National Trust. Here, thanks to an introduction from Ben Eardley (Nature Development Project Manager) we were expertly guided by Mathieu Burtschell – and able to see wetland habitat restoration achieved through the reintroduction of Eurasian Beavers (similar to Common Crane, a species extirpated from the UK approximately 400-500 years ago) and “Stage zero” stream restoration. Stage zero restoration aims to restore historic flow patterns to streams, which in the UK now mostly flow along the edge of fields. Toward this end, historic and current flow patterns are identified; and where needed short channels are dug to reconnect streams to their old floodplain (and the floodplain to the river). In addition, lots of beaver-like barriers that help to slow stream flow are added – including felled trees and “sausages” seeded with native plants. In addition to restoring habitat for biodiversity this approach can help to reduce peak flood events downstream; and also help to recharge aquifers / the local water table. As a testament to the success of this approach during this year’s severe drought, fields along the stream course stayed green and lush – much to the relief of local farmers. As on the Somerset Levels, the various projects at Holnicote are also the focus of various university research projects. Every opportunity is taken to learn from the work that is being done in ways that can help to inform and improve other projects.
On September 16th, we then spent the whole day at WWT Slimbridge, finishing with 90 minutes in the company of Sue, one of the educators working on very popular environmental education programs which are largely aimed at schools.
This site includes a large centre (which more than two decades ago provided at least some of the inspiration for the Nakdong Estuary Eco-centre in Busan); heavily-managed areas used for education and to bring people closer to waterbirds and waterbird conservation issues; and more natural areas, including reed-beds, freshwater floodplain, and saltwater-influenced grasslands, most of which are overlooked by a series of hides.
During this visit, it was easy to appreciate how meticulously planned and designed WWT Slimbridge is – with play areas for children; beautiful gardens that contain pond dipping areas and “insect hotels” aimed at slowing and / or reversing the decline in pollinators; and in more natural areas, many different kinds of screens and hides, arranged along vegetated bunds with stunning views of many species of waterbird – almost all of which are shared between the UK and the ROK. That so many waterbird species are shared by both nations is very important when considering restoration projects focused on wetlands and waterbirds. It means that there is no need for us here in Korea to start from the very beginning when researching shared species’ ecological requirements (that research has already been done for decades in the UK); and there is no need to come up with wholly new concepts – sites in the UK have already done most of the pioneering work, potentially saving us decades of trial-and-error here in Korea.
On 17th, we were guided to a Stage Zero restoration project in Kingscote Woods, Stroud, by local government official George Maslin, who specialises in reducing downstream flooding through Nature Based Solutions. Stroud was suffering from frequent flooding. Hard engineering options in the town itself looked to be exorbitantly costly and potentially ineffective. The district council therefore looked upstream and at the whole river catchment, and identified the most efficient and economical ways in which they could reduce the flooding risk. To date, Stroud has made a total of 1,200 interventions, including returning streams to their original channel, and slowing stream-flow down.
At this particular site, geology and climate means that the stream – which had been separated for many decades from its natural course and valley floodplain – is effectively seasonal, only showing above ground in winter. A few meters of channel were freshly dug, to help redirect the flow away from its artificial course; and trees were felled, and placed across the stream bed to force water to spread out across the whole valley.
Even though we visited when there was little water to see, the enormous value of this visit was being able to see how even very small interventions can make a huge difference. Coincident with – or as a result of – these 1,200 interventions, downstream flooding has been greatly reduced, and the habitat matrix at this and many other sites has become much more diverse – great for biodiversity and for human visitors.
Taken as a whole this study tour was hugely inspirational, showing how many of the elements in our proposals would work – as long as there is the funding and political will to embrace Nature Based Solutions as key to environmental, social and economic development. Another important takeaway was that birdwatching and concern for the environment is unlikely to grow by itself. People need reliable, beautiful, interesting places to go to, where they can witness the marvels of birds and wildlife for themselves. Once we see, we cannot easily unsee…
Reference
Helen Phillips; Adriana De Palma; Ricardo E Gonzalez; Sara Contu et al. (2021). long_data.csv (from The Biodiversity Intactness Index – country, region and global-level summaries for the year 1970 to 2050 under various scenarios) [Data set resource]. Natural History Museum. https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/bii-bte/resource/2876792f-98d9-4a8d-beee-7dc3e572e2b1
Acknowledgement
My sincere thanks go to Yeoncheon County and Land Aura for the opportunity to organise and participate in this study tour; to Charlie Moores, for his greatly appreciated help; to Damon Bridge and the RSPB for their generosity with time and information; to all of the staff at the National Trust Holnicote Estate, including most especially Mathieu Burtschell for his expert and enthusiastic guidance to the site and all things “beaver”; to the WWT at Slimbridge, including Alex Hughes and especially “Educator Sue”; and to Stroud District Council, and especially George Maslin for his excellent guidance.
