Editing Redgrave and Lopham Fens (section)

===Grazing===
[[File:wild Konik ponies.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Koniks grazing wet grassland at the fen.]]

The site uses sheep, cattle and ponies as part of its management strategy. This has visibly benefited the fen structure and means only the larger saw sedge beds are now on a manual cutting rotation. The use of grazing has led to the emergence of a greater mosaic of vegetation and habitat types within the fen and has inhibited the expansion of scrub.
<ref name=SWT11>{{cite web|url=http://www.suffolkwildlife.co.uk/nr/rlf/fenmgt/grazing.htm |title=Grazing the fen |publisher=[[Suffolk Wildlife Trust]] |access-date=6 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131215713/http://suffolkwildlife.co.uk/nr/rlf/fenmgt/grazing.htm |archive-date=31 January 2009}}</ref>
[[Hebridean sheep]] owned by the trust and beef cattle from local farms graze on the dryer areas of scrub, heath and fen margins and help prevent the expansion of scrub. In 1995 the reserve introduced a herd of Polish [[Konik]] ponies to graze the wetter areas of the fen. They were chosen over native breeds for their hardiness and ability to graze in very wet conditions.<ref name=SWT12>{{cite web|url=http://www.suffolkwildlife.co.uk/nr/rlf/fenmgt/tarpan.htm |title=The wild ponies of Redgrave and Lopham Fen |publisher=[[Suffolk Wildlife Trust]] |access-date=6 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512200719/http://www.suffolkwildlife.co.uk/nr/rlf/fenmgt/tarpan.htm |archive-date=12 May 2008 }}</ref> The success of the Konik ponies has led to their use for grazing in other nature reserves in the UK and on [[the Broads]]. The cattle and Konik are usually kept on the fen between April and December which avoids the wettest and most barren months of the year.<ref name=SWT11/>