Editing Askham Bog (section)

===Habitat conservation===
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust was originally established to conserve Askham Bog.<ref name = "Oxford"/> The first management plan was designed to maintain habitat diversity throughout the bog. To achieve this, the National Conservation Corps was enlisted to create more open water by digging ponds and blocking dykes, along with scrub clearance in the damp cotton-grass areas. In 1998, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust received a substantial [[Heritage Lottery Fund]] for restoration of many of its nature reserves. A large portion of this funding was used to manage Askham Bog and maintain suitable water conditions for the wildlife.<ref name = "Oxford"/>

Most of the species-rich fen areas are grazed by [[Exmoor ponies]] to encourage early successional plant species such as [[marsh orchid]] and [[Cirsium dissectum|meadow thistle]], and to suppress vigorous grasses, reed and saplings.<ref name = "ywtgrazing">{{cite web |url=http://www.ywt.org.uk/news/2012/02/27/hls-funds-grazing-management-improvement-askham-bog |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419183703/http://www.ywt.org.uk/news/2012/02/27/hls-funds-grazing-management-improvement-askham-bog |archivedate=19 April 2018 |accessdate=15 April 2018 |url-status=dead |title=HLS funds grazing management improvement at Askham Bog |date=27 February 2012}}</ref> This is considered a more effective management tool than cutting, though some meadows on the site are still cut for hay..<ref name="ywtreserves"/>