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Heathland
Lowland heathland is a special and threatened habitat in England.
The surroundings of acid rock quarries and of sand extraction
sites can provide the nutrient poor and acidic soils needed
by heathers and other ericacious plants of heathland. These
plants are slow growing and have low demands for nutrients
and cannot compete with more vigorous plants that will occupy
nutrient rich soils. A natural heathland will have a variety
of slopes and aspects and features including pools and seasonal
water-logging which are attractive to dragonflies. A good
proportion of bare sandy ground which, warming quickly in
the sun, will ensure support for a wide range of invertebrates
including spiders, beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies.
A heathland established over shales.
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Spreading
litter and brash, containing viable seeds, collected from existing
heathland sites is the most reliable, economic and least destructive
method of restoring or creating heathland sites. This will
only work if the soils are acidic and very nutrient poor.
Northern Eggar, a day flying moth of heathlands.
Establishing heathland by spreading heather. |
