-
Are you in a priority area for greatcrested newts in
Scotland?The map (bottom right) gives a broad indication of
thedistribution of great crested newts in Scotland. Thiscorresponds
closely to the priority area map for greatcrested newt habitat
management on the Rural Paymentsand Services website (to view this
map, enter 'greatcrested newt map' in the search box
athttps://www.ruralpayments.org).
Pond creation, restoration andmanagementThe creation of a
network of strategically-sited, well-designed ponds within farmland
is often hugely
beneficial for great crested newts (and otherwildlife). Many
farms have existing ponds
that have silted up or becomeovergrown. If these are restored,
they
will make a useful contribution tothe network. To secure
pointsunder the AECS for greatcrested newt habitatmanagement,
applicationsmust include PondCreation for Wildlife.
Terrestrialhabitatmanagement
In addition to suitableponds, great crested newts
need suitable habitat onland. It is important that
'wildlife corridors' are availableso that newts can move
between
different areas, there is enoughfood (insects and other small
animals)
and places to hide and hibernate. Theprovision of suitable
habitat need not have a
negative impact on farm productivity, as newts aregood at
surviving in marginal land which is often sub-optimal for
agriculture. Many farms already haveterrestrial features which are
useful to newts but couldbenefit from improved management.
The poster (on reverse) shows how farmland can bemanaged to
support great crested newts and the table onthe following page
lists the highest priority managementoptions for this species.
Support under the AECS isgeographically targeted. You can find out
whichmanagement options are available on your farm byentering your
Holding Code/s at:http://targeting.ruralpayments.org/.
Why do great crested newtsmatter?Britain supports
internationally important populations of thegreat crested newt.
Although it is a widespread species inEngland and in parts of
Wales, it has a more restricteddistribution in Scotland, where it
is predominantly found inthe Borders, Dumfries and Galloway,
throughout the CentralLowlands and in the Inverness area.
Over the last century it has undergone severe declines acrossits
range, primarily due to loss of habitat. Many populationsare
becoming isolated and are increasingly vulnerable toextinction.
The great crested newt is a European Protected Species, andis
highly protected under European and national legislation.It is
listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List, which means it isa
priority species for action by the Scottish Government.
Great crested newts on farmlandLowland agricultural land is the
key habitat for great crestednewts. Historically, farming has
favoured this species,particularly through the creation of
ponds.
Today, funding is available for farmers to manage their landto
enhance existing features and create new habitat for thebenefit of
wildlife, including rare species such as the greatcrested newt.
What do great crested newts need?Great crested newts require
aquatic and terrestrial habitats to enable them to breed, forage,
disperse and hibernate.
Great crested newts prefer ponds that:
• are open (not heavily shaded)• are close to other ponds• do
not support fish or ducks• contain clean water• contain abundant
aquatic vegetation
They also require suitable terrestrial habitat (within a
fewhundred metres), such as:
• rough grassland, including patches of tall herb and scrub•
hibernation and refuge sites e.g. logs, boulders, drystone
walls, native woodland and scrub• habitat corridors linking
breeding ponds and
terrestrial areas including hedgerows, scrub,overgrown field
margins and roughgrassland.
What do great crestednewts look like?Great crested newts are
thelargest of Scotland's three nativespecies. In comparison to
thesmooth newt and the palmatenewt, the great crested newtis
significantly larger, growingup to 17cm in length.
Great crested newts are darkbrown or black in colour with
adistinct ‘warty’ skin. Theunderside is bright orange withirregular
black blotches. In thespring, males develop animpressive jagged
crest along theirback and a white 'flash' along the tail.Females,
particularly in the breedingseason when they are swollen with eggs,
arebulky in appearance but lack the crest of themale. Great crested
newt larvae (see image in centreof calendar) have large, noticeable
gills. Unlike larvae of the other native newt species, the tail is
mottled with black spots.
Why choose the Agri-EnvironmentClimate Scheme (AECS)?The
Agri-Environment Climate Scheme is part of the ScotlandRural
Development Programme (SRDP). This scheme offersfinancial support
to land managers in Scotland who areregistered with Rural Payments
and Services. One of theaims of the AECS is to protect and enhance
Scotland’snatural heritage, including rare wildlife. The great
crestednewt has been selected under the AECS as a
VulnerablePriority Species (VPS). AECS applications designed to
benefitgreat crested newts will gain points and be
consideredfavourably, if the land is within a priority area for
this speciesand relevant management options are selected.
HIBERNATION
YO
UN
G N
EW
TS E
MER
GIN
G M
ATING AND EGG LAYING
LARV
AE IN
PO
ND
MIG
RA
TION
DECEMBER JANUARY FEBR
UA
RY M
AR
CH
APRIL MAY JUNE
J
ULY
AUG
US
T
SE
PTE
MB
ER
OCT
OBER
NOVEMB
ER
WINTER SPRING
S
UM
MER
AUT
UMN
Scotland Rural Development Programme
A guide to Agri-EnvironmentClimate Scheme (AECS) optionsfor
great crested newts
Use this leaflet to select options to benefit the great crested
newt in Scotland
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
Great crested new
t larva photo © John B
aker.
© P
hyl King (H
AR
T)©
Phyl K
ing (HA
RT)
Great crested newt — adult male
Great crested newt — adult female
Distribution of great crested newtsthroughout Scotland
© T
ony
Seym
our
(TFE
)
This leaflet was written by Pete Minting, ScottishProject
Officer (Amphibian and ReptileConservation), Dorothy Driver, Great
Crested NewtConservation Officer (Amphibian and
ReptileConservation) and Tony Seymour (The FarmEnvironment).
Produced with financial supportfrom Scottish Natural Heritage.
Photographs by James Grundy, Phyl King, Tony Seymour and John
Baker.
Design and artwork by The Design Unit.
Poster illustration by Tim Bernhard.
©Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 2016.
655A Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth,Dorset BH1
4APTelephone: 01202 3912319 www.arc-trust.org
Registered as a charity in Scotland No: SCO44097 andCharitable
Company Limited by Guarantee No: 6932972
Printed on Cocoon Silk 100. A 100% recycled and silk-coated
paper, Cocoon Silk 100 is made from 100%FSC® Recycled pulp and
post-consumer waste paper.This reduces waste sent to landfill,
greenhouse gasemissions, as well as the amount of water and
energyconsumed. It also negates the need for wood as a
rawmaterial.
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
Post 1970 great crestednewt record
To start an AECS application online, register at:
https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics
Management optionsand capital items
Arable options
Arable options
Arable options
Grassland options
Wetland and bog options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Capital items
* Several other options and capital items may be beneficial to
great crestednewt if included as part of an application designed to
achieve suitableconditions for this species (but will not
automatically secure points). For moreinformation about how AECS
options can be used to develop a network ofponds and suitable
habitat, see poster on reverse.
“We understand the nature of your business”
Additional informationFor information on how to identify
amphibians, including great crested newts,
seehttp://www.arc-trust.org/amphibians.html . For more habitat
management advice, see Baker etal (2011), for great crested newt
ecology, see Jehle et al (2011) and for more detail aboutgreat
crested newt distribution in Scotland, see Wilkinson et al
(2014).
If you would like assistance with completing your AECS
application, we recommend contactingthe Scottish Association of
Independent Farm Conservation Advisers (SAIFCA)
via:www.saifca.org.uk
ReferencesBaker J, Beebee TJC, Buckley J, Gent T and Orchard D
(2011) Amphibian HabitatManagement Handbook. Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation, Bournemouth. ISBN:9780956671714. Free electronic copy
available
at:www.arc-trust.org/pdf/amphibian-habitat-management-handbook-full.pdf
Jehle R, Thiesmeier B and Foster J (2011) The crested newt: a
dwindling pond-dweller.Laurenti: Bielefeld.
Wilkinson JW, Arnell A, Driver D and Driver B (2014) Elaborating
the Distribution of the greatcrested newt in Scotland (2010-2011).
Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.793. Available at;
http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2177
The same pond after two years
Newly created pond
To view the complete list of available options and capital
items, see:
https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/
To secure scoring points for benefiting great crestednewt as a
Vulnerable Protected Species, yourapplication must include Pond
Creation for Wildlife andat least one of the other management
options* below:
Beetlebanks
Grass Strips in Arable Fields
Water Margins in Arable Fields
Water Margins in Grassland Fields
Wetland Management
Management or Restoration of Existing Hedgerows
Creation of Hedgerows
Habitat Mosaic Management
Pond Creation for Wildlife
-
Are you in a priority area for greatcrested newts in
Scotland?The map (bottom right) gives a broad indication of
thedistribution of great crested newts in Scotland. Thiscorresponds
closely to the priority area map for greatcrested newt habitat
management on the Rural Paymentsand Services website (to view this
map, enter 'greatcrested newt map' in the search box
athttps://www.ruralpayments.org).
Pond creation, restoration andmanagementThe creation of a
network of strategically-sited, well-designed ponds within farmland
is often hugely
beneficial for great crested newts (and otherwildlife). Many
farms have existing ponds
that have silted up or becomeovergrown. If these are restored,
they
will make a useful contribution tothe network. To secure
pointsunder the AECS for greatcrested newt habitatmanagement,
applicationsmust include PondCreation for Wildlife.
Terrestrialhabitatmanagement
In addition to suitableponds, great crested newts
need suitable habitat onland. It is important that
'wildlife corridors' are availableso that newts can move
between
different areas, there is enoughfood (insects and other small
animals)
and places to hide and hibernate. Theprovision of suitable
habitat need not have a
negative impact on farm productivity, as newts aregood at
surviving in marginal land which is often sub-optimal for
agriculture. Many farms already haveterrestrial features which are
useful to newts but couldbenefit from improved management.
The poster (on reverse) shows how farmland can bemanaged to
support great crested newts and the table onthe following page
lists the highest priority managementoptions for this species.
Support under the AECS isgeographically targeted. You can find out
whichmanagement options are available on your farm byentering your
Holding Code/s at:http://targeting.ruralpayments.org/.
Why do great crested newtsmatter?Britain supports
internationally important populations of thegreat crested newt.
Although it is a widespread species inEngland and in parts of
Wales, it has a more restricteddistribution in Scotland, where it
is predominantly found inthe Borders, Dumfries and Galloway,
throughout the CentralLowlands and in the Inverness area.
Over the last century it has undergone severe declines acrossits
range, primarily due to loss of habitat. Many populationsare
becoming isolated and are increasingly vulnerable toextinction.
The great crested newt is a European Protected Species, andis
highly protected under European and national legislation.It is
listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List, which means it isa
priority species for action by the Scottish Government.
Great crested newts on farmlandLowland agricultural land is the
key habitat for great crestednewts. Historically, farming has
favoured this species,particularly through the creation of
ponds.
Today, funding is available for farmers to manage their landto
enhance existing features and create new habitat for thebenefit of
wildlife, including rare species such as the greatcrested newt.
What do great crested newts need?Great crested newts require
aquatic and terrestrial habitats to enable them to breed, forage,
disperse and hibernate.
Great crested newts prefer ponds that:
• are open (not heavily shaded)• are close to other ponds• do
not support fish or ducks• contain clean water• contain abundant
aquatic vegetation
They also require suitable terrestrial habitat (within a
fewhundred metres), such as:
• rough grassland, including patches of tall herb and scrub•
hibernation and refuge sites e.g. logs, boulders, drystone
walls, native woodland and scrub• habitat corridors linking
breeding ponds and
terrestrial areas including hedgerows, scrub,overgrown field
margins and roughgrassland.
What do great crestednewts look like?Great crested newts are
thelargest of Scotland's three nativespecies. In comparison to
thesmooth newt and the palmatenewt, the great crested newtis
significantly larger, growingup to 17cm in length.
Great crested newts are darkbrown or black in colour with
adistinct ‘warty’ skin. Theunderside is bright orange withirregular
black blotches. In thespring, males develop animpressive jagged
crest along theirback and a white 'flash' along the tail.Females,
particularly in the breedingseason when they are swollen with eggs,
arebulky in appearance but lack the crest of themale. Great crested
newt larvae (see image in centreof calendar) have large, noticeable
gills. Unlike larvae of the other native newt species, the tail is
mottled with black spots.
Why choose the Agri-EnvironmentClimate Scheme (AECS)?The
Agri-Environment Climate Scheme is part of the ScotlandRural
Development Programme (SRDP). This scheme offersfinancial support
to land managers in Scotland who areregistered with Rural Payments
and Services. One of theaims of the AECS is to protect and enhance
Scotland’snatural heritage, including rare wildlife. The great
crestednewt has been selected under the AECS as a
VulnerablePriority Species (VPS). AECS applications designed to
benefitgreat crested newts will gain points and be
consideredfavourably, if the land is within a priority area for
this speciesand relevant management options are selected.
HIBERNATION
YO
UN
G N
EW
TS E
MER
GIN
G M
ATING AND EGG LAYING
LARV
AE IN
PO
ND
MIG
RA
TION
DECEMBER JANUARY FEBR
UA
RY M
AR
CH
APRIL MAY JUNE
J
ULY
AUG
US
T
SE
PTE
MB
ER
OCT
OBER
NOVEMB
ER
WINTER SPRING
S
UM
MER
AUT
UMN
Scotland Rural Development Programme
A guide to Agri-EnvironmentClimate Scheme (AECS) optionsfor
great crested newts
Use this leaflet to select options to benefit the great crested
newt in Scotland
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
Great crested new
t larva photo © John B
aker.
© P
hyl King (H
AR
T)©
Phyl K
ing (HA
RT)
Great crested newt — adult male
Great crested newt — adult female
Distribution of great crested newtsthroughout Scotland
© T
ony
Seym
our
(TFE
)
This leaflet was written by Pete Minting, ScottishProject
Officer (Amphibian and ReptileConservation), Dorothy Driver, Great
Crested NewtConservation Officer (Amphibian and
ReptileConservation) and Tony Seymour (The FarmEnvironment).
Produced with financial supportfrom Scottish Natural Heritage.
Photographs by James Grundy, Phyl King, Tony Seymour and John
Baker.
Design and artwork by The Design Unit.
Poster illustration by Tim Bernhard.
©Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 2016.
655A Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth,Dorset BH1
4APTelephone: 01202 3912319 www.arc-trust.org
Registered as a charity in Scotland No: SCO44097 andCharitable
Company Limited by Guarantee No: 6932972
Printed on Cocoon Silk 100. A 100% recycled and silk-coated
paper, Cocoon Silk 100 is made from 100%FSC® Recycled pulp and
post-consumer waste paper.This reduces waste sent to landfill,
greenhouse gasemissions, as well as the amount of water and
energyconsumed. It also negates the need for wood as a
rawmaterial.
© J
ames
Gru
ndy
Post 1970 great crestednewt record
To start an AECS application online, register at:
https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics
Management optionsand capital items
Arable options
Arable options
Arable options
Grassland options
Wetland and bog options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Farmland habitat andfeature options
Capital items
* Several other options and capital items may be beneficial to
great crestednewt if included as part of an application designed to
achieve suitableconditions for this species (but will not
automatically secure points). For moreinformation about how AECS
options can be used to develop a network ofponds and suitable
habitat, see poster on reverse.
“We understand the nature of your business”
Additional informationFor information on how to identify
amphibians, including great crested newts,
seehttp://www.arc-trust.org/amphibians.html . For more habitat
management advice, see Baker etal (2011), for great crested newt
ecology, see Jehle et al (2011) and for more detail aboutgreat
crested newt distribution in Scotland, see Wilkinson et al
(2014).
If you would like assistance with completing your AECS
application, we recommend contactingthe Scottish Association of
Independent Farm Conservation Advisers (SAIFCA)
via:www.saifca.org.uk
ReferencesBaker J, Beebee TJC, Buckley J, Gent T and Orchard D
(2011) Amphibian HabitatManagement Handbook. Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation, Bournemouth. ISBN:9780956671714. Free electronic copy
available
at:www.arc-trust.org/pdf/amphibian-habitat-management-handbook-full.pdf
Jehle R, Thiesmeier B and Foster J (2011) The crested newt: a
dwindling pond-dweller.Laurenti: Bielefeld.
Wilkinson JW, Arnell A, Driver D and Driver B (2014) Elaborating
the Distribution of the greatcrested newt in Scotland (2010-2011).
Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.793. Available at;
http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2177
The same pond after two years
Newly created pond
To view the complete list of available options and capital
items, see:
https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/
To secure scoring points for benefiting great crestednewt as a
Vulnerable Protected Species, yourapplication must include Pond
Creation for Wildlife andat least one of the other management
options* below:
Beetlebanks
Grass Strips in Arable Fields
Water Margins in Arable Fields
Water Margins in Grassland Fields
Wetland Management
Management or Restoration of Existing Hedgerows
Creation of Hedgerows
Habitat Mosaic Management
Pond Creation for Wildlife
-
= Primary options which score AECS points for great crested
newts
= secondary, non-scoring options which arealso beneficial.
Species-rich GrasslandNewts use areas of roughgrassland for
foraging, dispersaland hibernation. Increasingfloral diversity will
help toenhance populations ofinvertebrate prey.
A tussocky sward, favoured byboth newts and insects, can
becreated through extensive cattlegrazing. Reductions in
fertiliserapplication can help to protectwatercourses and
ponds.
Under Grassland options, selectSpecies-rich GrasslandManagement
and under Capitalitems, select Species-richGrassland Restoration
orSpecies-rich GrasslandManagement.
Water Margins in Arable orGrassland fieldsWater margins in
fields provide usefulhabitat and make it easier for newtsto
disperse and colonise new areas,especially if a strip of rough
grasslandis retained alongside the water. Watermargin options are
listed under Arableoptions and Grassland options.
HedgerowsHedgerows can also provide very useful corridorsfor
newts moving between There are two relevantoptions under Farmland
habitat and featureoptions, namely Management or Restoration
ofHedgerows and Creation of Hedgerows. Coppicingof Hedges and
Laying of Hedges (listed underCapital items) can also be included,
if combinedwith Management or Restoration of Hedgerows.
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)© Tony Seym
our (TFE)
© Tony Seym
our (TFE)
Ancient Wood PastureNewts will use wooded areaswhen foraging,
hiding frompredators and hibernating.Deadwood is valuable
habitatfor populations of invertebrateprey. Ancient Wood Pasture
isincluded in Farmland habitatand feature options.
Farmland ponds linked by the use ofappropriate AECS options
BeetlebanksThese provide corridors fornewt movement, foraging
andcan act as hibernation sites.Available under Arable options.
© Tony Seym
our (TFE)
Scrub and invasive plantsScrub is useful as a habitat
forforaging newts, so it shouldnot be automatically
removed.However, the removal of scruband other vegetation
isnecessary if it is overshadingponds, which need sunlight forgreat
crested newts to breed inthem. There are options forcontrolling
invasive plants(Japanese knotweed,Himalayan balsam, gianthogweed
and rhododendron)under the Capital items andthe Farmland habitats
andfeatures options (but note thatthe area available
forrhododendron control does notcorrespond closely with
greatcrested newt distribution).
Pond Creation for WildlifeNewts breed in ponds during the
spring. Theexistence of a cluster of ponds will help tostrengthen
the population. It is essential to provideareas of foraging habitat
nearby, such as scrub,rough grassland, hedgerows or woodland.
PondCreation for Wildlife (under Capital items) isessential in
order to secure points for benefitinggreat crested newts as part of
an AECS application.
© Phyl K
ing (HART)
Unharvested ConservationHeadlandsUnharvested
ConservationHeadlands for Wildlife (underArable options) can help
to boostinvertebrate numbers. Greatcrested newts eat a wide range
ofinvertebrates.
© Ton
y Se
ymou
r (TFE
)
Wetland ManagementGreat crested newts usereedbeds, marshes and
otherwetland habitat. Severalcapital items can be used tocreate
more wetland and helpgreat crested newts, including:Ditch blocking
– Plastic PilingDams, Moving or RealigningDitches and Wetland
Creation– Field Drain Breaking. Peaty,acidic habitat is not ideal
forgreat crested newts, so DitchBlocking – Peat Dams is
notrecommended.