GB2505490A

GB2505490A - Structure for supporting a wildlife community

Info

Publication number: GB2505490A
Application number: GB1215582.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carl Benjamin Lacey
Original assignee: BIOHAVENS Ltd
Current assignee: BIOHAVENS Ltd
Priority date: 2012-08-31
Filing date: 2012-08-31
Publication date: 2014-03-05
Also published as: GB201215582D0

Abstract

A structure or feature suitable for supporting a diverse and self supporting wildlife community comprises a plurality of rocks 1.1-1.5 which are assembled to produce a complex physical environment with a relatively high surface area. The present invention incorporates rocks that are different sizes, shapes, and rock types which are arranged to produce an environment with a relatively high surface area, and such that numerous microhabitats are incorporated in the form of shelters, cracks, crevices, and holes. Also incorporated is variation in slope angle and aspect in the rocks that slope. On some or all of the rock surfaces is topsoil which is of different depths, below which can be mineral soil which is variable in physical and/or chemical condition.

Description

Background

Anthropogenic modification of earth's ecosystems has improved environmental conditions for human habitation and population growth. Significant actions include urbanisation, the conversion of large land areas to agricultural landscapes. and extraction of resources from natural systems.

However, these actions have also resulted in the reduction of biodiversity directly and/or indirectly, and measures have to be taken to rectify this in order to maintain the continuity of ecosystem services and goods. A number of techniques exist to address this but generally they involve setting aside areas of land for wildlife to persist relatively free of human influence. Many governments have agreed to take action on biodiversity loss and have set challenging targets for this. However, certain proposals become unattractive when land take and low effectiveness of traditional conservation approaches are incorporated. There is a need for technologies protecting a high number of species while using a relatively small area of land. The present invention is a Biohaven able to provide a suitable habitat for a species rich, self sustaining wildlife community and focussed on halting biodiversity loss.

Problem addressed Biodiversity loss is occurring at an alarming rate and on scales from local to &obal. with many species going extinct and many others becoming endangered with extinction. Historically, conservation efforts have focussed on creating nature reserves to ensure the survival of species that exist within. However, the areas in which nature reserves are created are often absent of environmental conditions that allow habitation of a diverse wildlife community. This could be because of poor soil quality, low water availability, and degradation by past human activity.

There are examples of highly species rich nature reserves but these are often large in area and require regular maintenance which can be both time consuming and costly. Developments in ecology and conservation biology have over recent years improved our understanding of the mechanisms and processes that occur within natural systems and provided a means of solving ecological challenges on many levels. Put into practice for reducing biodiversity loss, there are examples of creating woodbnd patches in agricultural landscapes, creating corridors between habitats, However, these again can be unattractive because of land talce and often do not sufficiently contribute to halting biodiversity loss, It is the objective of embodiments of the present invention to address these problems.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a view across an embodiment of the present invendon, Figure 2 shows a more detailed cross-section through one embodiment with microhabitats incorporated.

Figure 3 shows a view across an embodiment of the present invention in another version of the present invention.

These figures are intended to make clear the structure of the present invention but is not to scale and does not show the precise geometry of embodiments (which in any case vary).

Essential features of the present invention The present invention will be described by reference to the drawings and as by the daims which follow. It consists of a structure andlor feature for a species rich wildlife community by incorporating wide variability in physical and chemical conditions. The structure and/or feature itself requires no maintenance, it can be built over any area of land, and is scalable. It has a much greater surface area than the existing surface area if the site where built. It can also be adapted to aquatic or marine environments. The present invention is particularly applicable to locations where existing technologies cannot effectively protect a large number of species simultaneously.

A particulnr advantage of the present invention is that only a small land area is required relative to the land area required by existing technologies protecting the same number of species. This reduces land take while significantly contributing to halting biodiversity loss. The present invention can secondarily provide an educational resource and/or a display of natural beauty and/or a source of biological resources (eg. seeds, organic material) and/or biochemical resources (eg. oxygen), therefore boosting natural capital.

The present invention consists of rocks that are arranged into a substantially complex physical structure (Figure 1). The rocks used are preferably different shapes and sizes 1.1 to maximise variation in physical conditions. The rocks are also of different rock types (eg. Sandstone 1.2.

limestone, 1.3 mudstone 1.4 etc.) to maxirnise variation in chemica' conditions in that different minerals are released and made available to plants and other soil biota from the different rock types upon weathering. The rocks are positioned so to create numerous rnicrohabitats or homes for organisms including shelters 1.5, cracks 2.1, crevices 2.2, and holes 2.3 (Figure 2), The microhabitats or homes are preferably different sizes and shapes. In the present invention the rocks are configured to produce variation in slope angle 1.6. This causes variation in the gravitational forces exerted on overlying material and in particular will cause variability in the residence time of rainwater on top of the rock surfaces. Additionally, the rocks are configured to produce variation in aspect 1.6 in the rocks that s'ope. This causes variation in the amount of solar radiation received by some or all of the rock surfaces. The rocks are also configured to produce variation in altitude 1.7. This is necessary to achieve a large surface area but can also cause variability iii environmental factors such as windiness due to wind shear, and shade. Metal boils may be needed to secure rocks into place that are vulnerable to destabilisation.

On top of some or all of the rock surfaces is topsoil 2.4 which is preferably variable in depth from one rock suiface to another. This will cause variation in the soils water holding capacity and abundance of organic nutrients, as well as anchorage medium.

Preferably, mineral soil 2.5 is placed below the topsoil. This is preferably variable in physical and/or chemical condition from one rock surface to another, such that the combination of features such as pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, organic carbon, heavy metals, depth, texture, and stoniness are unique on different rock surfaces. For example, pH= 7.1, nitrogen (ammonium-N=l3pgIg soil, nitrate-N=7.3pg/g soil), calcium=2Omg/g soil, organic carbon=13%, heavy metals (copper=2, lpg/g soil. manganese=O.9pg/g soil, nickel=1.3pg/g soil), depth=O.Sm.

texture=loamy and stoniness=moderate at one location, and pH=4.5. nitrogen (ammonium-N=24.6ig/g soil. nitrate-N=15.3pglg soil), calcium=36rng/g soil, organic carbon=29%. heavy metals (copper=i.4ig/g soil. manganese=O.9jig/g soil, nickel=l,3jig/g soil), depth=l.2m, and stoniness=low texture=loamy sand at another location.

While the present invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognise that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting.

The present invention is an example of how to conserve a large number of species within a relatively small area, The same approach can be used to protect particular target species, such as those on the endangered species list by adapting the invention descr bed to meet the habitat requirements of those species.

Claims

Claims i. A structure and/or feature suitable for supporting a diverse and self-sustaining wildlife community, where; (1) the said structure and/or feature comprises rocks (2) the said rocks are assembled to produce a substantially complex physical environment with a relatively high surface area.4) soil is placed on top of some or all of the surfaces of the said rocks and consists of topsoil and mineral soil or topsoil only.
2. A structure and/or feature as in Claim 1 where some or all of the said rocks are variable in size, shape and rock type.
3. A structure and/or feature as in Claim 2 where at least ten rock sizes are incorporated.
4. A structure and/or feature as in Claim 2 where at least ten rock shapes are incorporated.
5. A structure and/or feature as in Claim 2 where at least three rock types are incorporated.
6. A structure and/or feature as in any previous claim where the said substantially complex physical environment comprises variation in slope angle, aspect, altitude, and such that microhabitats exist.
7. A structure and/or feature as in claim 6 where at least ten different slope angles are incorporated.
8. A structure and/or feature as in claim 6 where aspects North. East, South and West are incorporated.
9. A structure and/or feature as in claim 6 where at least ten different altitudes are incorporated.
10. A structure and/or feature as in claim 6 where the said microhabitats comprise shelters.cracks, crevices, and holes.
ii. A structure and/or feature as in claim 10 where some of the said shelters, cracks, crevices, and holes are variable in size and shape.
12. A structure and/or feature as in claim 11 where at least ten shelter, crack, crevice, and hole sizes are incorporated.
i3. A structure and/or feature as in claim Ii where at least ten shelter, crack, crevice, and hole shapes are incorporated.
i4. A structure and/or feature as in any previous claim where some of the said topsoil is variable in depth.
15. A structure and/or feature as in claim 14 where at least ten different topsoil depths are incorporated.
16. A structure and/or feature as in any previous claim where the said mineral soil is variable in physical and/or chemical condition.
17. A structure and/or feature as in claim 16 where the said physical condition comprises a combination of depth, texture, and stoniness.
18. A structure and/or feature as in claim 16 where the said chemical condition comprises a combination of pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, organic carbon, and heavy metals.
19. A structure and/or feature as in claims 16-18 where at least ten unique combinations of the said physical and/or chemical conditions are incorporated.