Although I am cynical about HS2's so called 'rewilding', 3 million tonnes of raw chalk is a superb substrate for chalk grassland habitat creation for invertebrates and could potentially (if habitat creation is undertaken correctly) produce very substantial benefits for biodiversity and carbon sequestration/storage (in comparison with the agricultural fields that it would replace). The conservation charity Butterfly Conservation has created some top quality chalk grasslands in Hampshire on raw chalk. One significant problem for HS2 will be obtaining sufficient quantity of local origin seeds for such a large area of proposed restoration. To dismiss the opportunity for large scale ecological restoration as '3 million tonnes of tunnel waste with some seeds on it' is (James Wong) is ecologically and scientifically ignorant. Dr Phil Putwain.
Although I am cynical about HS2's so called 'rewilding', 3 million tonnes of raw chalk is a superb substrate for chalk grassland habitat creation for invertebrates and could potentially (if habitat creation is undertaken correctly) produce very substantial benefits for biodiversity and carbon sequestration/storage (in comparison with the agricultural fields that it would replace). The conservation charity Butterfly Conservation has created some top quality chalk grasslands in Hampshire on raw chalk. One significant problem for HS2 will be obtaining sufficient quantity of local origin seeds for such a large area of proposed restoration. To dismiss the opportunity for large scale ecological restoration as '3 million tonnes of tunnel waste with some seeds on it' is (James Wong) is ecologically and scientifically ignorant. Dr Phil Putwain.
Thanks for noting this, Phil! It's a good point.