Sustainable grazing of the Welsh uplands by Welsh Mountain (Section A) ponies: enhancing BIODIVERSITY

Mr D A Murray, Conservation Scientist

MATILDA, P O Box 550, Leicester, LE5 2WB. david-murray@boltblue.com

Britain's 9 native equine breeds are increasingly under threat of extinction within their traditional environments. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust prioritises 2 'endangered' and 4 'vulnerable' breeds, including the Welsh Mountain (Section A) pony, based upon genetic conservation importance, numerical scarcity and geographical distribution.

Recent decline of the feral Welsh Mountain pony is associated with a national agricultural policy that rewarded over-intensive grazing systems, regular reseeding of grasslands and removal of ponies from upland heather and non-heather habitats. Absence of economic incentive for breeders, undervaluing of foraging tendencies that could benefit species and landscapes, and failure to appreciate significant cultural heritage have exacerbated this crisis.

Imminent radical reform of Britain's agricultural policy (decoupling) offers an opportunity for environmentally sustainable grazing regimes on severely degraded or inadequately grazed upland sites. English Nature's Traditional Breeds Incentive favours the use of the 'Locally Adapted' and 'Rare' Welsh Mountain (hill type) pony to help graze semi-natural habitats extensively.

This breed exhibits selective grazing and extreme tolerance of adverse environmental conditions. However, its profile relies upon incomplete anecdotal evidence. No formal study has examined the preferred diets of ponies living in their traditional upland habitats.

A preliminary investigation is documenting some grazing characteristics of feral Welsh Mountain ponies living within the Brecon Beacons National Park and other mountainous districts. How might land managers utilise these animals as conservation grazers to enhance biodiversity throughout Wales?

Note: The title for Presentation 2 was slightly different to that given in Abstract 2, though the substance of the talk was essentially that presented above. The conference title, changed to include latest research observations, is: ‘Sustainable grazing of the British Uplands by native breed ponies: maintaining and enhancing biodiversity.’

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