The Moorland Association (MA) members are passionate in their care for 860,000 acres of heather moorland in England and Wales for wild red grouse, spending £52. 5 million a year on these iconic, fragile landscapes.
Rarer than rainforest, the UK has 75 per cent of what is left of the globally recognised expanses of heather moorland, treasured by millions of walkers and wildlife enthusiasts.
More than 60 per cent of England’s upland Sites of Special Scientific Interest are moors managed for grouse shooting. Over forty per cent are also designated under European habitats and bird directives for their rare and remarkable vegetation and ground-nesting bird populations.
The purple cloaked treasures are at the heart of our most precious landscapes in the country’s prized National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
There are many ways to store carbon in the uplands and to maximise soil water capacity to prevent flooding. Some are more or less compatible with the heather-dominated moors which the MA has shown provide refuges for some of our rarest breeding birds such as curlew. Recent research shows that heather cover on peat soils is more favourable for carbon storage than grass cover. Other carbon stores in the uplands, such as planting trees, are obviously less compatible with open heather moors.
The rewetting of moorland (blocking up ditches and drains) is a proactive measure to stimulate more Sphagnum species growth and subsequently to increase the amount of carbon stored in deep peat soils. The MA recognises the potential value of rewetting areas of deep peat (>50cm) and restoring degraded bog habitat in storing carbon and biodiversity terms. We note, however, that evidence for the net benefits of this, balanced against the full rotation time for, cost and scale, are somewhat unproven. The continued saturation of the soils however is not the ideal conditions for heather and other species such as reads and course grass take advantage of the wetter areas and populate it. Consequently when you see a well-drained section of moorland you might see full cover of heather where when you see pockets of less well drained land you will find spikes of grass and even pools of water.
Heathland and moorland are the most extensive areas of semi-natural vegetation in the British Isles. Much of the Pennine moorland area was forested in Mesolithic times. How much the destruction of this forest was caused by climatic changes and how much by human activity is uncertain
Burning of moorland has been practiced for a number of reasons, for example when grazing is insufficient to control growth. This is recorded in Britain in the fourteenth century. Uncontrolled burning frequently caused (and causes) problems, and was forbidden by statute in 1607. With the rise of sheep and grouse management in the nineteenth century it again became common practice. Heather is burnt at about 10 or 12 years old when it will regenerate easily. Left longer, the woodier stems will burn more aggressively and will hinder regrowth. Burning of moorland vegetation needs to be very carefully controlled as the peat itself can catch fire, and this can be difficult if not impossible to extinguish. In addition, uncontrolled burning of heather can promote alternative bracken and rough grass growth which ultimately produces poorer grazing. As a result, burning is now a controversial practice.
Mechanical cutting of the heather has been used in Europe, but it is important for the material to be removed to avoid smothering regrowth. If heather and other vegetation is left for too long, a large volume of dry and combustible material builds up. This may result in a wildfire burning out a large area, although it has been found that heather seeds germinate better if subject to the brief heat of controlled burning.
Questions
- Please describe the moorland around you. You don’t need to look more than 100m in each direction to do this.
- Why is heather prevalent at this location do you think, what evidence of management can you see?
- Why do you think ALL the ground is not covered in heather?
- Please tell me how many lakes you can see from the cache location?
If you feel willing and able please include a photo in your log.
Thanks for visiting the location; I hope you thought it was worth while