Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
THE FUTURE
Recent research has shown that acid rain is still affecting large parts of the British landscape and in other
parts of Wales lakes and streams are still comparatively species-poor. Aquatic insects, such as dragonfly
and damselfly larvae, and the fish and birds that feed on them, are particularly affected. Despite signific-
ant improvements in the east of Britain, including an 80 per cent reduction in acid rain from land-based
sources, in the west there has been no change because of the influence of marine shipping. Clouds of sul-
phurandnitrogendioxidegeneratedbyshipssailingacrossthenorthAtlanticaredriftingoverGowerand
falling as acid rain. Unless international action is taken there will be a steady rise in marine pollution and
it is predicted that by the end of this decade shipping will account for 45 per cent of acid rain in Europe.
The effects of this acidification have not been noticeable in the peninsula to date, but the outlook seems
less assured.
Many wetland habitats are essentially ephemeral features, natural succession converting them rapidly
to dry land if they are not managed. In itself natural succession should not be of concern, particularly if
new freshwater habitats were being created, but they are not. The maintenance and enhancement of the
freshwaterhabitats,fromthesmallestephemeralpooltothelargestmarsh,mustthereforebegivenahigh-
er priority. If, for example, the conservation interest of Oxwich Marsh is to be maintained more work is
needed on reprofiling ditches, scraping away accumulated peat and building more sophisticated bunds.
Unfortunately this work is likely to be extremely expensive, and in addition work on National Nature
Reserves is now focused, after meeting the basic commitments, on maintaining those features that are
important on a European scale as part of Special Areas of Conservation. The freshwater marsh does not
fall into this category and there are therefore no resources for this essential work. At the time of writing
there is the possibility of external funding and it is to be hoped that this is secured. While the marsh and
its management has changed over the centuries, and although it is clearly for the most part an artificial
feature,nowthatweknowsomuchabouttherichnessofitswildlifeitwouldbeanincalculableloss,both
to Gower and to the wider environment, if it was allowed to disappear.
