The methodology of ERS
is designed to create custom restoration techniques and strategies for specific sites and situations, to customer requirements. A selection of our previous work is highlighted in the CASE STUDIES pages. Discover the wide range of ecological restoration undertaken by ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION SOLUTIONS
RESTORATION - INNOVATION - EXPERTISE - EXPERIENCE
Our aim is to provide high quality practical solutions to ecological restoration, conservation and green infrastructure issues utilising a range of survey, monitoring, experimental methods and implementation.RESTORATION SOLUTIONS
Each episode of ecological restoration has it’s own unique characteristics. We create custom restoration methods and stratagies for specific sites and objectives. These are based on fundamental ecological science.
ecological restoration solutions (UK)
The ecological capability
of ERS is provided by a
team of associates with a
long and proven record
obtained through our
work with a wide range
of government funded
bodies, industries, local
authorities and research
institutes.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT
Ecological restoration of specific habitats including upland and lowland heath, mire, woodland
(trees and ground flora) hedgerows, acid/neutral/calcareous grasslands and reed bed.
Habitat creation and ecological restoration for mitigation at specific development sites including;
1.
New roads, pipelines and other linear features.
2.
Post-industrial derelict and underused land (brownfield) for soft-end uses such as
woodland.
3.
Post-industrial waste sites including quarry sites, colliery waste, mixed
industrial wastes, closed landfill sites and closed ordnance sites.
4.
Active quarry and landfill sites, housing development with mitigation agreements.
5.
Inner City and urban/peri urban sites.
6.
Creation of riparian vegetation, river margins and ponds.
Creating restoration specifications, method statements and project protocols; liaison with engineering
design teams and contractors, site supervision of contractors (ecological clerk of works).
Translocation of specific vegetation communities (e.g. heathland, grassland and mire)
when no other mitigation solution is possible.
Design and implementation of monitoring procedures for flora and fauna, analysis and assessment of
ecosystem recovery and application of statistical analysis of field data.
Performing glasshouse tests to estimate buried viable seed populations (seed banks) prior to
translocation or use of native topsoil or to assess recovery potential.
Performing preliminary field trials to test restoration options before large scale implementation, from
small plot experiments (e.g. 2.0m x 2.0m) to large scale implementation covering areas such as 0.25 ha
to 1.0 ha or greater.
Identification of unwanted invasive non-native aquatic and terrestrial species and design of management
programmes to contain and ultimately eradicate pernicious species such as Crassula helmsii (Australian
Swamp Stonecrop), Lemna minuta (Least Duckweed), Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating Pennywort),
Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed)
and Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant Hogweed).
Symposium: Restoration for people and places
Dr Philip Putwain delivered a lecture as one element of the Symposium with the title ‘How do we achieve
sustainable ecological restoration’
Presentation: Ecological restoration and habitat creation
Dr Philip Putwain gave a presentation concerning translocation of ancient woodland soils during construction
of the second runway of Manchester Airport undertaken in 1997.
A brief summary follows; Woodland translocation: Manchester Airport Runway 2
The translocation of species assemblages is a last resort when a change of land use results in the loss of valuable ecological communities. This may occur when a major construction project is undertaken such as building a new high speed rail line, or at Manchester Airport, the construction of a new runway. In this case the loss of ancient woodland with high conservation value was inevitable. The aim of the translocation was ‘to establish semi-natural vegetation communities which in some way resemble the semi-natural original, although not necessarily to re-create their full diversity’. It is intended that the translocated community will eventually resemble the pre-translocated state as closely as possible. Powerpoint presentation can be viewed as a pdf An ecologically led restoration of the former Cronton Colliery, Knowsley, Merseyside, UK The former Cronton Colliery site is located in the borough of Knowsley, Merseyside. Deep coal mining ceased in the early 1980’s and the site remained derelict until 1997 when the first stage of restoration on the site (substantial woodland planting) was undertaken by University of Liverpool (Dr Phil Putwain) in collaboration with Balfour Beatty plc. This involved amendment of acid (pH 3.3 – 3.5) colliery spoil with paper crumb (500t/ha) and sewage sludge (100t/ha) followed by woodland planting on part of the site. The site was acquired by the Land trust (originally the Land Restoration Trust) who intended to restore the remaining unvegetated areas. The WRAP Trailblazer programme funded a trial (commenced in May 2007) which utilised BSI PAS 100 green compost that was rotavated into certain areas (at a very low application rate –circa 100 tonnes per hectare) or spread as a surface mulch (20mm depth) in other areas. ERC was commissioned by WRAP to undertake botanical monitoring and a survey of soil chemistry in autumn 2010, after four growing seasons. Dr Phil Putwain in collaboration with David Evans (the Land Trust) presented results obtained in the period 2007 – 2008 at a British Land Reclamation Society International Conference held at the University of Glamorgan, September 2010.Society for Ecological
Restoration
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE,
MANCHESTER
November 2013
Cronton Colliery,
Knowsley,
Merseyside, UK
September 2010
Lees Lane Ponds
Restoration
December 2017
The Friends of Lees Lane Ponds, Wirral
Dr Phil Putwain is an active member (treasurer) of The Friends of Lees Lane Ponds. He is developing a
management plan for the site that includes open water, fringe aquatic vegetation, woodland, scrub,
willow coppice, grassland, hedges and a recently planted orchard. ERS associate Frances Lee designed
several interpretive posters that are displayed at the site.
The Friends are a green community group that look after the Ponds area (old marl pits) in Little Neston,
Wirral, for the enjoyment of all. They are a group of volunteers who are conserving and enhancing the
environment around Lees Lane Ponds and improving the link to the Wirral Way for the enjoyment of
local residents, walkers, horse riders and cyclists. The group shares knowledge about the ecology of
the ponds and surrounding habitats with schools and the local community through visits and events
throughout the year and has also created a community orchard. The land is owned by Cheshire West
and Chester Council and local Councillors and Rangers provide support and general site maintenance.
If you live in Neston and read this page please do join the Friends of Lees Lane Ponds.
The Case Studies shown here are a selection of the wide range of ecological projects undertaken by ERS
Utilising Composted
Greenwaste to
Create Healthy Soils
on Reclaimed
Brownfield Land
Restoration of
Heathland on
China Clay Waste
safeguarding the silver-
studded blue butterfly.
creation of new lowland
heath habitat at Prees Heath
Common, North-Shropshire
Ness Botanic Gardens
Wildlife Conservation
Zone
White Moss
regeneration of
degraded peat land
Restoration of ancient
woodland following
construction of
second runway at
Manchester Airport
Restoration and Biodiversity
enhancement of
Warrington’s New Cut Canal
Restoration of
Grassland on
Salisbury Plain
Ness Botanic Gardens
Meadow
Frances Lee – Associate Consultant
Frances Lee operates ‘Rarehare Designs’, an art and design
business that provides creative art work and designs for the
production of posters, leaflets, booklets and interpretative
signage. These are produced mainly for educational purposes
for use by community groups and the general public. Frances
has been recently involved in production of Interpretation
material for Ness Botanic Gardens and the Friends of Lees
Lane Ponds and website development for ERS.
Visit : rareharedesign.xara.hosting/
For more information about services offered by Rarehare
Design.
Ecological Restoration Solutions
Dr. P. Putwain, Principal Ecologist
Phil Putwain is a terrestrial plant ecologist with a special interest in the restoration and management of
semi-natural vegetation communities on damaged substrates, mineral wastes and derelict and brownfield
land. His approach to habitat creation and the repair of damaged and disturbed ecosystems is based on more
than 30 years research and the application of this to large scale ecological restoration in a wide range of
sites and situations some of which are illustrated in CASE STUDIES on this web site.
Lindsey A Roberts – Project Scientist- Part-Time
Lindsey is a Biology graduate (BSc. Hons.) from Durham
University. She has wide ecological interests which she
applies to a range of ongoing projects. Lindsey’s main
roles include field survey and monitoring of
experimental trials, data processing and graphics, plus
background research for individual projects.
Mrs Gill Haynes - Technical Support
Gill Haynes is a director of ERC Limited providing
secretarial, administrative, website and I.T. support to
Ecological Restoration Solutions Limited. She has many
years experience in a University environment of
providing high quality presentation of information,
graphics and images in reports for high-profile clients
and in published scientific literature.
Dr. Helen Rawlinson
Principal consultant at MINT GREEN ENVIRONMENT
specialising in environmental project development and
management. She has extensive experience in land restoration
to public open space, green infrastruture and health benefits
of green space.
resources
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
JOURNAL PAPERS Pywell, R.F., Putwain, P.D., & Webb, N,R. (1996). Harvested heather shoots as a resource for heathland restoration. Biological Conservation, 75, 247-254. Pywell, R.F., Putwain, P.D. & Webb, N.R. (1997). The decline of heathland seed populations following the conversion to agriculture. Journal of Applied Ecology, 34, 354-366. Hirst, R.A., Pywell, R.F., & Putwain, P.D. (2003) Assessing habitat disturbance using an historical perspective: the case of Salisbury Plain Training Area. Journal of Environmental Management, 60, 181-193. Hirst, R.A., Pywell, R.F.Marrs, R.H, & Putwain, P.D. (2003). The resistance of chalk grassland to disturbance. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 368-379. Milligan, A.L., Putwain, P.D. & Marrs, R.H. (2003). A field assessment of the role of selective herbicides in the restoration of British moorland dominated by Molinia. Biological Conservation, 109, 369-379. Rawlinson,H., Dickinson,N.,Nolan.P.,& Putwain,P.D. (2004) Woodland establishment on closed old-style landfill sites in N W England. Forest Ecology and Management,. 202,265-280. Milligan, A.L., Putwain, P.D., Cox, E.S., Ghorbani, J., Le Duc, M.G. & Marrs, R.H. (2004). Developing an integrated land management strategy for the restoration of moorland vegetation on Molinia caerulea-dominated vegetation for conservation purposes in upland Britain. Biological Conservation, 119, 371-387. Manning,P., Putwain,P.D. & Webb,N.R. (2004) Identifying and modelling the determinants of woody plant invasion of lowland heath. Journal of Ecology. 92, 868-881 Hirst,R.A., Pywell,R.F., Marrs,R.H & Putwain,P.D. (2005) The resilience of calcareous and mesotrophic grasslands following disturbance. Journal of Applied Ecology (accepted for publication). Eaton,J.W. (1999) Water-resource allocation for recreation, leisure and amenity. Journal of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, 13, 235-240 Hatcher,D.,Eaton,J., Gibson,M. & Leah,R. (1999) Methodologies for surveying plant communities in artificial channels. Hydrobiologia 415, 87-91 BOOK CHAPTERS AND BOOKS Putwain, P.D. and Rae, P.A.S. (1988). Heathland Restoration: A Review of Techniques. British Gas plc, (Southern) Southampton. 160pp. Putwain, P.D. & Gillham, D.A. (1994). Experimental creation and restoration of heathland vegetation. In: Heathland Habitat Creation, Eds., A. Free & M.T.Kitson, Nuclear Electric & Suffolk Wildlife Trust. 66-78. Pywell, R.F & Putwain, P.D. (1996). Restoration and conservation gain. In: Conservation Biology (Ed. I.F. Spellerberg). Longman, 201- 221. Skeffington, R.A., Wilson, E.J., Maltby, E.A., Immirzi, P & Putwain, P. D. (1997) Acid deposition and blanket mire degradation and restoration. In; Blanket Mire Degradation: Causes, Consequenses and Challenges (eds. J H Tallis, R Meade and P D Hulme). Macauley Institute, pp 29-37.KEY CONFERENCE PAPERS
Fee, D.J., Putwain, P.D. & Walmsley, T.J. (1996). The establishment of naturalistic woodland plant communities on colliery spoil. Proceedings of AAB/BES/ICF Conference, Aspects of Applied Biology, 44, 351-356. Neve, P., Putwain, P.D., Mortimer, A.M., & Woodcock, G.L. (1998) Nature conservation, set-aside and arable farming: current constraints and future prospects In:ROOTS 98, Proceedings of the 1998 Rural Practice Research Conference, 185-202 Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, April 1998, 176-188. Hirst,R.A., Pywell,R.F., Putwain,P.D., & Gerard,F.F., (1998). Landscape change resulting from military training: a historical approach. In: Key concepts in Landscape Ecology, Proceedings of the 1998 European Congress of the IALE, Eds. J.W.Dover & R.G.Bunce, 173-178. Hirst,R.A., Pywell,R.F., Putwain,P.D., & Marrs,R.H., (2000). Ecological impacts of military vehicles on chalk grassland. Aspects of Applied Biology 58: Vegetation Management in Changing Landscapes 293-298. Murphy,K.J., Willby,N.J. & Eaton,J.W. (1995) Ecological impacts and management of boat traffic on navigable inland waterways. In: Ecological Basis for River Management, eds. D.M.Harper and A.J.D.Ferguson. Wiley, Chichester. Pp.427-442 Eaton,J.W. (1996) Canal ecology and its management. Proceedings of the World Canals Conference, Birmingham 1996. British Waterways, London. Pp. 1-6 LAND RESTORATION, BROWNFIELD AND CONTAMINATED SITES JOURNAL PAPERS French, C.J., Dickinson, N.M. and Putwain, P.D. (2006). Woody biomass phytoremediation of contaminated brownfield land. Environmental Pollution 141, 387-395. Ma, Y., Dickinson, N.M. and Wong, M.H. (2003). Interactions between earthworms, trees, soil nutrition and metal mobility in amended Pb/Zn mine tailings from Guandong, China. Soil Biol. Biochem., 35, 1369-1379. Wisniewski L. and Dickinson, N.M. (2003). Toxicity of copper to Quercus robur (Engish Oak) seedlings from a copper-rich soil. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 50, 99-107. Ma, Y., Dickinson, N.M. and Wong, M.H. (2002). ‘Toxicity of Pb/Zn mine tailings to the earthworm Pheretima and the effects of burrowing on metal availability’ Biol. Fert. Soil, 36, 72-78. Dickinson, N.M. (2000). Strategies for sustainable woodlands on contaminated soils. Chemosphere, 41, 259-263. Dickinson, N.M., MacKay, J.M. , Goodman A and Putwain, P. (2000) ‘Planting Trees on Contaminated Soils: Issues and Guidelines’ Land Contamination and Reclamation, 8, 87-101. Dickinson, N.M. (2000) ‘Trees as environmental sentinels’ Biologist, 47. Punshon, T. and Dickinson, N.M. (1999). Metal accumulation and phytoremediation potential of willows. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 1, 361-385. Dickinson,N.M., MacKay,J.M., Goodman,A. & Putwain,P.D. (2000). Planting trees on contaminated soils: Issues and Guidelines. Land Contamination and Reclamation, 8, 87-101. BOOK CHAPTERS Dickinson,N.M King,R., Royle,A., Pulford,I.D., Hartley,W., Jones,J., & Gray-Jones,E. and Putwain,P.D. (2004). Modelling Contamination in an Urban Canal Sediment: Some Preliminary Results from a Phytoremediation Project. Developments in Ecosystems, vol 1. Royle, A., Dickinson, N.M , Putwain, P.D. King, R. Gray-Jones, E. (2003). Phytoremediation of a contaminated dredged canal sediment. In: Land Reclamation: Extending the Boundaries (Eds. Moore, H.M., Fox, H.R. and Elliott, S.), A.A. Balkema Publishers, pp. 281-284. Putwain, P.D., Rawlinson, H.A., Dickinson, N.M., French, C.J. and Nolan, P. (2003). The Mersey Forest Brownfield Research Project. In: Land Reclamation: Extending the Boundaries (Eds. Moore, H.M., Fox, H.R. and Elliott, S.), A.A. Balkema Publishers, pp. 165-172. Dickinson, N.M. (2002). Soil Degradation and Nutrients. In: The Restoration and Management of Derelict Land: Modern Approaches (Eds. M.H. Wong and A.D. Bradshaw), World Scientific Publishing, New Jersey, pp.50-65.
