There's a field beside us that has been left untouched for must be 25 years now. I think it was in an agri environment scheme but after the scheme finished was just left. I walk past it every now and then and wonder if its main benefit is for nature, how good a job is it doing? Would it benefit from some management? Hypothetically if you had the opportunity what would you do with it?
Some pics below.
Its a brown earth soil. Not heavy and free draining. Similar to the two cropping fields we have nearby. Lovely structure and texture and as you'd expect no compaction. But kind of lifeless. No worms.
This is the predominant cover.
Quite a bit of plantain.
Some big areas of redshank and scattering of ragwort.
A bit of gorse.
Some willow.
Vetch.
Brambles and nettles.