Lowland Heath is officially defined as a collection of plant communities, predominantly consisting of ericaceous dwarf shrubs, growing on acidic and infertile (oligotrophic) soils, below 300m. The most highly characteristic species are the heathers, Calluna vulgaris (Common ling) and Erica cinerea (Bell Heather) which are adapted for growth in low-nutrient environments, enabling successful competition with aggressive grasses and associated community dominance.
The community structure established by this nutrient limitation supports a range of invertebrates and bird and reptile predators, while the physical layout of the baseline heather provides an optimal habitat for many plants, bryophytes and lichens. Other defining species are Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken), Ulex spp. (Gorse) and grasses such as Agrostis setacea and Molinia caerulea, whilst Sylvia undata (Dartford Warbler) and Lacerta agilis (Sand Lizard) are prime examples of vertebrates which are almost exlusively found on heathlands of southern Britain. This highlights the importance of the heathland habitat as an environment on which a diverse range of organisms are dependant.
What is Lowland Heathland?
Why are conservation schemes required?
Importantly Lowland Heaths are not natural landscapes; their creation occured by anthropogenic means during the Bronze age. Natural woodland and forest was extesively felled to provide suitable land for livestock grazing and for gathering of fuel. The open habitat that resulted saw low nutrient cycling and a reduction in soil fertility; an ideal environment for the now heathland species.
While these forest clearing practices were continued, later by industrial activity such as mining (in the case of Waldridge Fell) the lowland heath was maintained. However, recent changes in land use have meant abandonment of many heaths which are left unmanaged. This, in combination with reduced grazing, allows invasion of non-heath species which have the potential to alter the nutirent balance of soils and enrich heathlands with nitrogen and phosphorus etc. Establishment of aggresive grasses which can out-compete heathland species for resources often follows, accompanied by a slow SUCCESSION back to woodland.
Very few large areas of lowland heath exist in Britain today and as such, the total land cover is heavily fragmented, limiting movements of organisms between patches and imposing restrictions on reproduction. In order to conserve a viable habitat for heathland-dependant species therefore, implimentation of continuous management is vital, using a range of strategies such as burning and Bracken control methods and via introduction of grazing animals.
At Waldridge, human actitvities are also under observation; the fell is popular with walkers and bikers who can inflict damage on the fragile Calluna, while dog fouling has been noted as a possible contributing factor to soil enrichment.