Heathland restoration hailed a success as rare species returns to Kinver Edge
A rare species of insect has been spotted in a conservation site nine years since it was restored to its former heathland landscape.
Sightings of black oil beetle have been made at Kinver Edge in South Staffordshire, where a diverse landscape of rare, lowland heathland has been created to support nature and wildlife.
Heathland is characterised by wide, open landscape, dominated by scattered trees and low-growing shrubs, such as gorse, heather and grasses.
Sandy soils provide ideal habitats for lots of invertebrates, including the black oil beetle.
As one of the UK’s rarest habitats, heathland needs to be managed and maintained.
National Trust rangers at Kinver Edge care for the heath by cutting vegetation and grazing livestock to control invasive plants.
Without these interventions, the landscape quickly becomes over-taken by bracken, scrub or woodland, and this rare habitat, which supports lots of wildlife, is lost.
National Trust lead ranger Ewan Chapman said: “I was so excited to see evidence of the black oil beetle on Kinver Edge. These insects make their home in sandy soils by digging nest burrows into bare earth, which is a key characteristic of heathland habitats.
“The discovery of the beetle is regionally significant, as well as being a good indicator that our work to restore the heath on Kinver Edge is really paying off.
“We are now hoping to restore an area of conifer plantation, which was previously an area of open habitat, on the Worcestershire side of Kinver Edge in Blakeshall Common.
"This phase of work will help us stop the extinction of rare species on the site and hopefully attract wildlife back to the heathland habitats we're planning to restore.
“Seeing these species emerge in the area restored back in 2014, is a visual reminder of the reasons why we’re saving this important habitat and the wildlife that call it home.”
Andy Perry, National Trust conservation advisor, said: “Oil beetles are great indicators of good quality habitat; for part of their life cycle they are dependent on ground nesting solitary bees which feed on wildflowers.
“They have become rarer in the wider countryside as key habitats such as heathland and wildflower meadows have been lost, and so the discovery of black oil beetle at Kinver is testimony to the quality of habitat and health of wild bees at the site.”
For more information about Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses visit nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shropshire-staffordshire/kinver-edge-and-the-rock-houses
