What are springs and seepages?
Seepages are areas where underground water is released onto the surface over a wide area, whereas springs well up from a single point. These create marshy and wet habitats where unique groups of plants and animals thrive.
Where are springs and seepages found?
The nature of these habitats is defined by local geology and so occur in a variety of areas including cliffs, woodlands, heathland and limestone areas. They can easily be distinguished by a change to water-loving vegetation and a sudden need for wellies!
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| Wet Flush at Burcombe © Roger Key |
What lives in springs and seepages?
A range of invertebrates are known to be associated with these habitats including: flies (Soldier Flies), crane flies, caddisflies, stoneflies, spiders, flatworms, worms and water beetles as well as dragonflies and smaller damselflies (the Small Red Damselfly).
Why are these areas vulnerable?
Springs and seepages are vulnerable due their small size and due to a lack of research. It's likely that many important spring and seepage sites in the UK are unprotected. These habitats are vulnerable to the affects of climate change, drainage and water abstraction, all of which can lead to the loss and damage of these unusual habitats.
Wessex Springs and Seepage project
In 2010 due to funding from Wessex Water we started a project to assess the springs and seepages present in Wessex. We are investigating a range of springs and seepages sites in this five year project, establishing what invertebrates and mosses live on these sites and how they should be managed. The project has identified four priority survey areas. We are starting by looking at the sites in the Blackdown Hills area, which is a fantastic area, rich in springs and seepages.
 Roger Key.bmp) |
| Four-barred Major © Roger Key |
The Wessex Water region is an important area in the UK for springs and seepages with 7 associated Biodiversity Action Plan species occurring in the region along with many of the 53 associated Red Data invertebrate species.
At the moment these sites are under surveyed in Wessex and there is little awareness of their importance.This project seeks to identify key spring and seepage sites for invertebrates in the Wessex Water area and to provide management advice for the future preservation of these habitats over a 5 year period.
Project Reports
The Blackdown Hills on the Devon/Somerset border were selected as the area to cover in the first year of the project with sites located within 7 different SSSI sites; Blackdown & Samford, Hense Moor, Ruttersleigh, Deadman, Ashculm Turbary, Ringdown and Southey and Gotleigh Moor. Invertebrate and bryophyte survey work was conducted on 16 survey sites in August 2010 and March 2011. A total of 121 aquatic invertebrates and 291 terrestrial invertebrates were recorded and these include one possible Red Data Book and 14 Nationally Scarce species. Ashculm Turbary was the site which had the greatest number of species of high nature conservation value (a total of 7 Nationally Scarce species recorded).
Listed below are the species of conservation concern recorded in the Blackdown Hills area during the 2010/11 surveys:
Red Data Book: Tabanus miki.
Nationally Scarce: Agabus melanarius, Chaetarthria seminulum, Laccobius atratus, Tipula yerburyi, Dixa maculata, Ptychoptera longicauda, Sphegina verecunda, Xylota florum, Sapromyza basalis, Sapromyza zetterstedti, Psacadina verbekei, Tetanocera punctifrons, Elachiptera pubescens, Meonura minutissima.
To see the Blackdown Hills Invertebrate Survey click here.
To see the Blackdown Hills Bryophyte Survey report click here.
To see the Wessex Springs & Seepages Project Summary Sheet click here.
For information on Buglife’s other freshwater projects click here.
