COMMON DORMOUSE

(MUSCARDINUS AVELLANARIUS)

ACTION PLAN

Compiled by The Wildlife Trust

Lead Agencies Public Sector Forestry Commission

Voluntary Sector The Dormouse Group

1 INTRODUCTION

The Common Dormouse is essentially a species found in southern England that is on the edge of its range in Northamptonshire. It is often found in woodlands which have been coppiced in the past, and is threatened by the decline in coppice management and the fragmentation of woodlands.

2 CURRENT STATUS

2.1 International / National Status

· Dormice are absent from the north of England, except for small populations in Cumbria and Northumberland, and although Dormice are still widespread in southern counties, they are sporadically distributed. Population densities everywhere are less than 10 adults per hectare, even in good habitats.

· The Common Dormouse is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

2.2 Local Status

They have been found in approximately 17 woods in Northamptonshire. The majority of sites are found in the old Rockingham Forest area in the north east of the county, but there is a small population in the south of the county near Silverstone.

3 CURRENT FACTORS CAUSING LOSS OR DECLINE

· Fragmentation of woodland and hedgerow habitat.

· Change in the management regime of woodlands. In particular the decline of coppiced woods with Hazel (Corylus avellana) present.

4 CURRENT ACTION

· Dormice were re-discovered in 1986 in Northamptonshire. Since then effort has gone into monitoring Dormice, which culminated in the formation of a Dormouse Group in 1993.

· 1500 Dormouse boxes have been erected in a number of woods throughout Northants in areas where they are present, and those where there is potential to house a population. These boxes are monitored annually as part of the national scheme from April to October.

NOTE. The County Dormouse Group currently does not favour the re-introduction of Dormice to Northamptonshire woodlands and would prefer to encourage re-colonisation through appropriate habitat management and restoration.

5. COMMON DORMOUSE OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS

	Objective	Action	Lead Agency	Partners	TargetS
5.1	Policy and Legislation
	Objective One: Ensure the protection of the species under the instrumentation of the Countryside and Wildlife Act 1981	Implement the Countryside and Wildlife Act 1981	English Nature		Throughout Action Plan Period
	Objective Two: Ensure that BAP species are given an appropriate level of protection in local plans	Include species protection policies in local plans and/or supplementary guidance	Local Authorities		By 2003
	Objective Three: Ensure that the habitats occupied by Dormouse are given an appropriate level of protection in local plans	Designate all Dormouse sites as County Wildlife Sites (CWS)	Local Authorities	Wildlife Trust	By 2003
5.2	Site Safeguard and Management
	Objective Four: Ensure that the management of all known Dormouse sites is beneficial to Dormouse conservation	Maintain or re-establishing an appropriate management regime at all known sites.	Wildlife Trust	Owners and managers of all Dormouse sites	By 2005
5.3	Species Management and Protection
	Objective Five: Sustain current populations and encourage natural colonisation of new sites	Establish and maintain monitoring schemes in all woodlands known to have Dormouse colonies	Dormouse Group	Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, other woodland owners	By 2004 and maintain Throughout Action Plan Period
		Establish and maintain monitoring schemes at potential Dormouse sites	Dormouse Group	Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, other woodland owners	By 2005
		Relocate boxes where predation is regularly encountered over a two-year period	Dormouse Group	Forestry Commission, Wildlife Trust	As required Throughout Action Plan Period
		Identify strategic hedgerow corridors to encourage the spread of the Dormouse population	Wildlife Trust	Dormouse Group	By 2005
		Encourage farmers and landowners to manage and gap-up identified hedgerow corridors	Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group	Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Local Authorities, Dormouse Group	2010
5.4	Advisory
	Objective Six: Provide training and advice for woodland managers, advisors and volunteers	Develop a strategy for advising landowners, managers and advisors. This should also include impact awareness of habitat management	Wildlife Trust	Dormouse Group, Woodland Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, Forestry Commission, Local Authorities	By 2001
		Continue to develop local Dormouse groups and volunteer training	Wildlife Trust	Dormouse Group	Throughout Action Plan Period
		Research and disseminate best practice on habitat management and its effect on Dormouse populations	Wildlife Trust	Forestry Commission	Throughout Action Plan Period
5.5	Future Monitoring and Research
	Objective Seven: Determine the status and requirements of Dormice in Northamptonshire	Identify key woodlands containing Dormice	Dormouse Group	Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, Wildlife Trust	By 2002
		Establish baseline information on the size of Dormouse populations at known sites	Dormouse Group		By 2003
		Survey suitable woodland areas in the county for the presence Dormice using nut hunts and Dormice boxes	Dormouse Group	Wildlife Trust, Forestry Commission	First phase to be completed by 2005
		Investigate the use of conifers and hedgerows by Dormice populations by undertaking nut hunts in areas adjacent to known sites	Dormouse Group		By 2005
	Objective Eight: Monitor Dormice in key sites to assess the success of the Dormouse Action Plan	Monitor known sites with permanent boxes.	Dormouse Group	Forestry Commission, Wildlife Trust	Annually Throughout Action Plan Period
		Continue to send information gathered to national monitoring scheme.	Wildlife Trust	Dormouse Group Forestry Commission	Annually Throughout Action Plan Period
5.6	Communications and Publicity
	Objective Nine: Raise the profile of the Dormouse throughout Northamptonshire	Use of the Dormouse as a “Flagship” to indicate a healthy woodland environment	Wildlife Trust	All BAP Partners	Throughout Action Plan Period
5.7	Review
	Objective Ten: Review the plan to assess progress and, where necessary, update and amend		Dormouse Group	BAP Partners	2005
	Objective Eleven: Publicise the progress made in delivering this Action Plan in a BAP Annual Report			BAP Partners	Annually

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