A
herd of nearly 30 Exmoor ponies is playing an important role in maintaining
the unique character of the South Downs, some 180 miles from their
traditional home.
Exmoors are one of the few native British pony breeds to graze on
tor grass, a species avoided by most livestock.
Left unchecked, tor grass can become dominant, crowding out the rarer
species of wildflower which characterise chalk grassland.
By keeping it at bay, the ponies are helping preserve the delicate
biodiversity of the landscape, which in some areas supports up to
40 different species of grass, wildflowers and herbs per square metre.
Monty Larkin, a senior ranger for the South Downs Conservation Board,
who brought the ponies to the Downs, said: "Exmoor ponies are an extremely
hardy breed."
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Exmoor
ponies are listed as an endangered species
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"They have
thick coats, are sure-footed on the steep slopes of the Downs, and
are able to cope with the unpalatable tor grass."
He added: "The ponies have been so successful in coping with
tor grass levels that some farmers have requested the herd returns
to their land. We are seriously looking at bringing in a second herd."
Grazing management of this kind forms an essential part of the Environmentally
Sensitive Areas Scheme, operated by the Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs.
Around a quarter of the South Downs is part of the scheme, with over
240 agreements in place there, and covering 26 Sites of Special Scientific
Interest.
The wandering Exmoors are benefiting many of the ESA farmers on the
Downs, whose sheep and cattle don't graze the tor grass.
Rosie Davies, DEFRA's ESA Project Officer, said: "The ponies have
had a dramatic effect on the areas they've grazed.
"The long-term aim of the herd is to achieve control of this
usually unpalatable grass, and so increase the survival chances of
more threatened chalk grassland species," she said.
Countryside Minister Elliot Morley echoed the project's success.
"The Exmoor pony project on the South Downs has resulted in some of
the best displays of orchids flowering on the Firle escarpment since
the 1960s," he said.
"This is a cracking example of the type of land management that
DEFRA is encouraging in the countryside through grant aid to farmers".
Exmoor ponies are listed as an endangered species, with around only
1100 in the world.
It is hoped that schemes of this kind will provide some kind of insurance
to the free-living population, by leaving groups living as nature
intended.
The Voluntary Rangers check the ponies on a daily basis to ensure
there are no problems, and the South Downs Conservation Board is monitoring
the effect of grazing on the flora and butterfly populations.
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