More than just some hills
The Pumlumon Living Landscape project
Location: Cambrian Mountains
The Assignment Phototeam
What will 2020VISION be doing?
Our aim is to highlight the benefits that the Pumlumon restoration project will bring for upland communities and to show the potential for an ecologically-rich environment where wildlife is able to thrive.
When will 2020VISION be there?
- 26th to 29th March 2012
Where is it?
The Pumlumon project area covers 40,000 hectares of the Cambrian uplands in mid-wales, including 250 farms, 15,000 inhabitants and catchments for 5 rivers which supply water to 4 million people.
Why is it important?
Land management has eroded the area's diversity through long-term drainage and overgrazing to leave a bare landscape that provides little income for farmers and a limited range of wild species. But in five years from now it is estimated that the Project will deliver 1,500ha of land managed for carbon storage, store over 30 billion litres of water helping to prevent flooding and more than 5,000ha of restored habitat.
What's the project's aim?
To demonstrate alternative land management models for upland farmers based on the sale of 'ecosystem services' and a sustainable use of the environment to deliver not just food but biodiversity gain, floodwater and soil management and carbon storage in response to changes in the Common Agricultural Policy.
Who's involved?
The Pumlumon Living Landscape project is hosted by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust on behalf of Wildlife Trusts Wales with the full support of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.
What's happening there?
The Project has so far trialled 6 pilot schemes focused on 3 restoration approaches: ditch blocking (which leads to the re-establishment of peat forming mosses that lock up carbon), switching from sheep to low density cattle grazing (which improves habitat quality and biodiversity) and planting trees to connect upland habitats and lowland woodland. Local farmers and contractors have been paid to undertake these projects with positive results.
Find out more
http://www.montwt.co.uk/pumlumon.html
