Wildlife - Natural Area Profiles

In the late 1990s, English Nature provided a comprehensive overview of the importance of the Isle of Wight for wildlife in its Natural Area Profile Series.

More information on Natural Areas in England

Isle of Wight Natural Area Profile No. 76 (consistent with the National Character Area boundaries No. 76)

       NB  Priority Biodiversity Action Plan habitats in bold italics

Characteristics

• Lowland calcareous grassland, mostly chalk grasslands
• Some dry neutral grasslands on northern plain
• Fragments of well developed lowland heathland
• Coastal and floodplain grazing marshes in river valleys
• Vegetated sea cliffs

Issues

• Pressure for agricultural intensification
• Opportunities for habitat creation
• Lack of appropriate management
• Coastal development and protection works

Objectives

• Avoid further intensification of agriculture
• Encourage traditional low intensity agriculture
• Promote agri-environment schemes where changes in farming practice will benefit wildlife
• Create or restore grassland and heaths, especially where this extends existing habitat or links fragments
• Create wetlands by increasing groundwater levels and/or restoring appropriate flooding regimes on floodplains
• Promote appropriate management through extensive low intensity grazing and control of scrub invasion on grasslands and heaths

Solent & Poole Bay Natural Area Profile No 109 -

       NB Priority Biodiversity Action Plan habitats in bold italics

Characteristics

• Extensive stretches of cliffs, especially chalk cliffs and soft cliffs of sand and clay
• Small number of sand dune sites
• Several shingle beaches and spits, including vegetated shingle
• Numerous saline lagoons around the Solent and the Isle of Wight
• Large areas of saltmarsh in large, shallow enclosed estuaries and embayments of the Solent
• Large areas of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and embayments
• Intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs on the Isle of Wight, including chalk reefs

Issues

• Sea level rise/climate change
• Maintenance of coastal processes (see also Landscape and Earth Heritage)
• Water quality
• Fisheries
• Recreation and tourism 

Objectives

Plan for continued coastal erosion and sea level rise by having a sustainable sea defence strategy; preventing development on areas subject to coastal erosion or flooding; and creating where lost suitable maritime habitats to landward.

Allow natural and dynamic coastal processes to operate, by avoiding development that interferes with natural sedimentation and erosion; minimising dredging; and mitigating harmful impacts of necessary dredging.

Maintain and restore high water quality by reducing inputs of untreated sewage effluents; and reducing contamination due to industrial discharges and agricultural run off.

Ensure that exploitation of marine wildlife resources is sustainable.

Avoid detrimental impacts on key wildlife features by promoting recreation and tourism that is environmentally sensitive, and by avoiding development of tourism infrastructure that would demand unsustainable sea defence.