| Upland Heathland - SW |
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| Dartmoor |
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{image} SW
Resource Breakdown:2
1Action for biodiversity 2SW Biodiversity Audit (1996) |
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Definition1 Definition: Open, infertile ground (usually above 250-300m) with a
vegetation dominated by heather Calluna vulgaris, western gorse
Ulex gallii and whortleberry Vacciniium myrtillus.
Current Extent1 The three upland areas combined total some 20,000 ha of upland heathland. This represents a very small amount (c1%) of the UK total (c3,700,000 ha). Dartmoor holds the largest area of this resource in the region. Most of this heathland is managed for sheep or cattle and is maintained by grazing and/or rotational burning.Examples of important sites in the South West1
Habitat Loss1 There has been a considerable decline in the quantity of upland heathland in the South West during the present century. On Exmoor, approximately 4,856 ha of moorland were lost in the period 1947-1976, representing a total loss of 20% of the moorland area. Of this figure, 3,845 ha were commercially 'improved' by ploughing and fertilising, with the remaining 1,011 ha being lost to commercial forestry (note that these figures include lowland and coastal heaths which are outside the remit of the current plan). In addition, considerable degradation of the remaining upland heath has resulted from the frequent and uncontrolled burning of heather moorland, this being a continuing problem on Exmoor. More locally, degradation has been caused by overgrazing and poaching, particularly where winter feeding of cattle has occurred. Conversely, losses have also resulted from under-management, resulting in the replacement of heath with bracken, scrub and woodlandOn Dartmoor, the primary cause of habitat loss has been the ecological overgrazing of upland heath, resulting in its replacement with grass moorland, though here too insensitive burning practice may have contributed to the decline. It is estimated that such unsympathetic management has resulted in the loss of heathland from 31% of Dartmoor's upland commons this century. Furthermore, on roughly half of the remaining upland heaths, suppression and loss of heather is still thought to be occurring due to high levels of grazing On Bodmin Moor, although loss of upland heath has not been documented, agricultural improvement, forestry and excessive grazing pressure are all implicated in what has almost certainly been a massive decline. Only very small areas of upland heath now remain on Bodmin Moor. ' Associated Species1 Birds
Invertebrates
Plants
Current
factors affecting the habitat in the SW
UK biodiversity objectives and proposed targets UK Upland Heathland Habitat Statement Conservation Direction: Maintain and restore upland dwarf-shrub heaths as part of upland mosaics and transitions of natural and semi-natural habitats appropriate to soils and climate. South-west biodiversity objectives and proposed targets OBJECTIVE 1 OBJECTIVE 2 Restore areas of moorland in which upland heath / blanket bog
area still present in suppressed condition. Achieve unsuppressed growth
of upland heath/blanket bog on 7,000 ha. OBJECTIVE 3 OBJECTIVE 4 Maintain and enhance populations of key species of conservation
concern OBJECTIVE 5 Dartmoor and Exmoor ESAs The majority of the South West upland heath lies within SSSIs and much of the moorland is a proposed or candidate SAC. Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks and the National Trust own substantial
areas of upland heath with management for conservation purposes being
one of the primary objectives. Some large private owners of upland heath, such as the Duchy of Cornwall,
and Badgworthy Land Company, are sympathetic to nature conservation
issues as is the Ministry of Defence. MAFF enforcement of the environmental conditions attached to HLCA and suckler cow premium subsidies has been reduced the damage caused by winter feeding of cattle on some upland areas. Policy and legislation
Ensure compliance with environmental conditions attached to livestock
subsidies (ongoing) Contribute to review of land management schemes (ongoing)
Establish Bodmin Moor as an ESA (by 1999) (likely to depend on
outcome of Bodmin Moor Bill) Management
Ensure all high quality upland heath/blanket bog is subject
to favorable management (ongoing) Prepare audit of high quality upland heath acid grassland with restoration potential, areas for restoration of upland heath and degraded/high quality blanket bog (by 1998) LEAD: NPAs, LAs, EN PARTNERS: MAFF
LEAD: ENP, NT Restore c5,000 ha of sub-optimal vegetation on Dartmoor to unsuppressed
upland heath/blanket bog (by 2005) Restore 1,500 ha of sub-optimal vegetation on Bodmin Moor to unsuppressed
upland heath (by 2005) Restore c500 ha of sub-optimal vegetation on Exmoor to unsuppressed
upland heath and control where appropriate (by 2010) Eradicate rhododendron (by 2000) Evaluate impact of bracken on upland heath and control where appropriate
(by 2010) Advisory Produce site management advice
for owners/managers of large areas of upland heath/blanket bog (ongoing) Promote understanding of the need for controlled grazing and burning (ongoing) LEAD: NFU, CLA Research and monitoring
Establish monitoring system to measure effectiveness of management in achieving biodiversity objectives (by 2010) LEAD: MAFF, NPAs Initiate research into effects of atmospheric pollution on upland ecology (by 2000) LEAD: EN, EA PARTNERS: RIs, DoE Education and
awareness raising
Produce information/occasional materials on upland heathland/blanket
bog and their management (by 2000 ) Produce information/occasional materials on upland heathland/blanket
bog and their management
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