Environmental monitoring results: Holme humidity

In our last post we showed the temperature variation at Holme Moss and how this changes monthly and across the seasons. Another variable that our volunteers measure on site is the relative humidity (level of moisture in the air). The following graphs show how this varies monthly, yearly, and seasonally.

Special thanks to Andy Burn for producing these graphs.

Environmental monitoring results: Holme temperature

As the temperature starts to drop outside this week, let's have a look at the temperature results from Holme Moss. This environmental monitoring site is situated at about 540m above sea level.

Thanks again to Andy Burn for producing these graphs which show the monthly and seasonal average (mean) air temperatures collected over the last three years by our volunteers.

Environmental monitoring results: Edale rainfall

In our last post we showed the water table data and how this changes by month and season. One big factor contributing to these changes is of course rainfall. Here we have the monthly and seasonal rainfall averages for the last 4 years.

With the rainy season just around the corner, will we be in for another wet winter? Or will it be one of the drier ones? Our volunteers will be out this week starting the annual dipwell campaign, adding to our dataset so we can follow trends across time.

Big thanks again to volunteer Andy Burn for producing these graphs.

Environmental monitoring results: Edale water table

In our last post we showed the monthly and seasonal average (mean) air temperatures collected by Community Science volunteers from our Edale environmental monitoring site, which is situated at about 605m above sea level on Kinder Scout.

Another variable which volunteers monitor at the same site is the water table depth - i.e. how far beneath the peat surface water sits. Thanks again to Andy Burn for producing these graphs which summarise water table depth figures for 2016 and 2017 by month and by season:

Environmental monitoring results: Edale temperature

Over the next few weeks, we'll post a series of blogs showing some of the results for our Community Science monitoring sites in graphical format.

We'll start with here temperature information collected from our Edale site on Kinder Scout  - which shows monthly as well a seasonal averages across the years of monitoring so far.

Huge thanks to volunteer Andy Burn for producing these graphs:

 

 

On the twelth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

...12 plovers flapping,

 

The golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) is a wading bird, slightly smaller than a lapwing, which in the summer breeds in the uplands of northern Britain. Moors for the Future Partnership's work to re-vegetate and re-wet the blanket bogs of the South Pennines should have a beneficial impact on this bird, and other waders such as dunlin. Bird surveys at RSPB's Dove Stone estate on the western side of the Peak District have shown that breeding pairs of golden plover present on the site have almost doubled from 59 in 2004 to 110 in 2017, as a result of blanket bog conservation work.

 

11 bags for brashing,

 

 

10 geese migrating,

 

 

9 plants a-pluggin',

 

 

8 Sphagna growing,

 

 

7 sites now set up,

 

 

 

6 leaves a-prickling,

 

 

5 red deer!

 

 

4 hare prints,

 

 

3 lizards,

 

 

 

2 mating toads,

 

and a bilberry bumblebee!

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

...11 bags for brashing,

 

One of the first stages in the bare peat re-vegetation process carried out by Moors for the Future Partnership, is to spread chopped heather - known as 'brash' - on to the peat surface. After being flown to site by helicopter in one tonne bags (such as those pictured), the brash is spread by hand to form a lattice over the surface. The contents of each bag should cover about 50 square metres when spread. The brash forms a barrier to reduce erosion from weather, and also contains the seeds of heather and any other plants present when it was cut, plus moss fragments and spores. The brash layer is crucial in stabilising the peat surface. Without it, seeds would be washed away before they had chance to germinate.

 10 geese migrating,

 

 

9 plants a-pluggin',

 

 

8 Sphagna growing,

 

 

7 sites now set up,

 

 

 

6 leaves a-prickling,

 

 

5 red deer!

 

 

4 hare prints,

 

 

3 lizards,

 

 

 

2 mating toads,

 

and a bilberry bumblebee!

 

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

...10 geese migrating,

 

These geese were spotted this autumn migrating over Big Moor on the eastern edge of the Peak District. Pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) migrate to the UK each winter from locations such as Greenland and Iceland. They produce a characteristic high pitched honking, and often travel in large V-shaped 'skeins'.

 

9 plants a-pluggin',

 

 

8 Sphagna growing,

 

 

7 sites now set up,

 

 

 

6 leaves a-prickling,

 

 

5 red deer!

 

 

4 hare prints,

 

 

3 lizards,

 

 

 

2 mating toads,

 

and a bilberry bumblebee!