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ABriefHistoryandManagementofHeathland

AsummaryofapresentationbyMarkWebster21/9/15

SummarisedbyKeithRedheadwithreferencetoTheHistoryoftheCountrysidebyOliverRackham

HeathisatermwhichhasnotchangedinmeaningsinceAngloSaxontimes.Itmeanscertainundershrubplants,heathersandgorse.Heathlanditappearswasactuallycreatedbycivilization.SmallclearingsmadebyMesolithicmanlastedlongenoughforheathtodevelop.HeathswereformedonamuchlargerscalebyNeolithicsettlementsespeciallyduringtheBronzeAge.ThisisevidencedbythepresenceofBronzeAgeBarrowsonHeaths.Howeverheathlandneedstobemanagedorifneglectedwillreturntowoodland.Heathlandsbegan3,500yearsagoinareasofpoorsoilsandarerarerthanrainforest.IntheUKwehaveonly16%oftheareaofHeathlandremainingcomparedtothe1800’s.Heathlandsareimportantecologicallybecausetheycontaindifferenthabitatsandthereforeunusualanddistinctiveflora.Theyareimportantarcheologicallybecauseofearthworks,barrowsandditches.

Heathlandischaracterizedbynutrientpoorsoilwherefewspeciesoffloracansurvive.Heathlandissimilartomoor,bothofwhicharedominatedbyheathers.Moorlandhoweverisnotsounstable.

MoororUplandHeathischaracterizedbyuplandareas,highrainfallandpeatysoil.

Heathlandischaracterizedbylowrainfallandsandysoil.

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LowlandHeathland

Lowlandheathlandisabroadtermthatreferstoamosaicofwet,dampanddryhabitats,characterisedbyattractivelyfloweringdwarfshrubssuchasheathers(ling,bellandcross-leavedheaths)andgorses(common,westernordwarf).Theseplantsarepermanentlylowgrowingandcannotgrowintotrees.Theyalsohaveashortlifespanofabout30yearsandcannotsurviveundermuchshade.Theyaregenerallyfoundonpoor,acidicsoils,inrelativelywetareaswithamildtemperatureandbelowabout300metresaltitude.Theysupportmanyrareplantsandanimals,suchasthemarshgentian,southerndamselfly,nightjarandsandlizard,whichoftenliveonlyintheseareas.

Heathlandhascharacteristicsoiltypeorpodzol(aRussianterm).Typicallyitisanacidsoil.HeathlandplantsespeciallyLing(Callunavulgaris)alterthesoiltype.Percolatingrainwaterdissolvestheorganicacidsoutoftheleafmouldandleachesthehumusandironcompoundsoutofthetopsoilleavingitlightincolour.Thesubstancesbecomedepositedinthelowerstratawherethesoilparticlesbecomecementedtogetherinpans.

Thesoilconsistsofthefollowingstrata:(seediagrampage3)

• Organicdebris• (Peat)• Mineralsandysoilwhichisbleachedtoacharacteristicwhitishorpalegreycolour.• Humuspan–Hardblacklayer• IronPan–hardconcretelikelayerrustcoloured• Subsoil

Podzolsarecharacteristicofheathsandlesspeatymoorsandwillpersistformillenniaevenifthevegetationchanges.

Heathers

Consistof3maintypes:

• Ling(aNorsename)(Callunavulgaris),

• CrossleavedHeath(Ericatetralix)(seebelow)

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• BellHeather(Ericacinerea)Seeright

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Gorse(alsoknownasfurze)

2/3speciesofGorseinNorfolk.Theyare:CommonorEuropeanGorse(Ulexeuropa),WesternGorse(Ulexgallii)andDwarfGorse(Ulexminor).HeathlandscontainfaunasuchasRabbits,BirdssuchastheDartfordWarbler,NightjarandStoneCurlewandReptilessuchasAdder,CommonLizard,SmoothSnakeandSlowworm.

InvertebratesofHeathlandinclude:

• SilverStuddedBlue• GreenHairstreakButterfly• BlackandRedSandwasps• GreenTigerBeetle• LadybirdSpider• Beewolf

ThreatstoHeathland

• Development• ConiferPlanting• ChangeinagriculturalPractice• NeglectandLackofManagement

SolutionstoMaintainingheath

Grazing:Theuseoftherightanimalsandattherighttimeoftheyearisbelievedtobeinmostcasesthebestpossiblemanagementtomaintaintheopennessanddiversityofthehabitat.

Controlofinvasivespecies:someheathlandspecies,suchasbracken,gorseandscrub,werecutasfodderforthefarmanimals.Nowadaystheydonothaveanyeconomicvalueandtheyhaveincreasedinareabeyondadvisableconservationlimits.Exoticspecies,suchasrhododendronandgaultheriahaveescapedfromgardensandspreadaggressivelyonheathlands,shadingandexcludingthenativespecies.

Maintaininglownutrientlevels:theenrichmentofthesoils,throughlitteraccumulation,fertilisationoratmosphericdepositionofnutrientstiltstheecologicalbalancetowardslessspecialisedvegetationwhichcanout-competetheheathers.

Managementofrecreationalpressure:heathlandsandtheirwildlifearesusceptibletodamagebyexcessivetrampling,motorbikesandhorse-ridinginsensitiveareas,aswellasbyarsonfires.

References

The History of the Countryside Oliver Rackham Publisher Phoenix Giant, 1986

Lee Chadwick In Search of Heathland Pub London: D. Dobson, 1982.

Natural History of Britain and Ireland Heather Angel Published by Mermaid Books (1985)

Wild Flowers of Moors and Heaths Jarrold Publishing; 1st Edition (1 Jun. 1973) E.A. Ellis

Heathlands Chris Packham Collins Wild Habitats Published by Collins, UK (1989) Published by Collins, UK (1989)

Summary by Keith Redhead