Salcombe Ecology Network

Here are ten field work exercises designed to help you understand the specific ecological dynamics of the Salcombe Hill area:

1. The "Nectar Bridge" Survey

Location: Alma Field or any meadow edge. 

Activity: Use a "transect" (a straight walking line) to count the variety of flowering plants. Compare the number of bees and hoverflies in "tidy" mowed areas versus the "tussocky" perimeter. 

Goal: To understand how "Pollinator Corridors" and nectar bridges support the insect populations mentioned in Part 4.

2. Ancient Hedgerow Dating (Hooper’s Rule)

Location: Milltown Lane. 

Activity: Choose a 30-yard stretch of hedge and count the number of different native woody species (e.g., Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly). According to Hooper's Rule, each species represents roughly 100 years of age. 

Goal: To identify "Relict Forest Corridors" and understand why Milltown Lane is a high-biodiversity site.

3. Soil pH Gradient Testing

Location: From the Lockyer Observatory down toward the coastal cliffs. 

Activity: Use a simple soil testing kit to measure pH at different elevations. 

Goal: To see the "Acid to Alkaline" shift described in Part 2, identifying where the greensand ends and the calcareous (chalky) soil begins.

4. Habitat "Structure" Mapping

Location: Page Wood. 

Activity: Instead of looking at species, look at layers. Map the "Ground Layer" (mosses/ferns), "Understory" (scrub/saplings), and "Canopy" (mature trees). 

Goal: To understand why "messy" natural regeneration creates better bird habitats than uniform conifer plantations.

5. The Cirl Bunting "Sound Map"

Location: Lower slopes of Salcombe Hill or near The Donkey Sanctuary. 

Activity: Sit quietly for 15 minutes and map every bird call you hear on a circle representing your location. Listen specifically for the "jangling keys" metallic rattle of the Cirl Bunting. 

Goal: To practice identifying "indicator species" and mapping breeding territories.

6. Freshwater Bio-Indicator Search

Location: The stream near Coombe Wood Farm. 

Activity: Carefully turn over stones in the stream to look for freshwater invertebrates (like Mayfly larvae or Freshwater Shrimp). 

Goal: To investigate the "Hilltop Wetland" paradox and see how moisture-loving species survive at high altitudes.

7. Connectivity "Barrier" Assessment

Location: The intersection of Salcombe Hill Road and Page Wood. 

Activity: Walk the boundary. Document physical barriers (fences, roads, dense dark woodland) that a butterfly or small mammal would have to cross to reach the next site. Goal: To identify the "Physical and Ecological Barriers" highlighted in the SWOT analysis.

8. Invasive Species Audit

Location: Coastal cliff paths. 

Activity: Use a plant identification app (like iNaturalist) to find and map "garden escapees" like Hottentot Fig or Spanish Bluebell hybrids. 

Goal: To understand the "Threats" to native flora mentioned in Part 7.

9. Grazing Impact "Exclosure" Observation

Location: South Combe Farm. 

Activity: Find an area where cattle have grazed versus a fenced-off area where they haven't. Compare the height of the grass and the presence of low-growing wildflowers. 

Goal: To see how "Landscape Architects" (cattle) create the structural diversity needed for wildflowers and insects.

10. Winter Stubble Scavenge

Location: Fields near The Donkey Sanctuary (Winter only). 

Activity: Examine the "waste" left in a harvested barley field. Look for fallen seeds and compare it to a "clean" ploughed field. 

Goal: To understand the "Sidmouth Model" of providing winter food for birds like the Cirl Bunting.