South East England Biodiversity Forum

Lowland heathland

What is it?

HeathlandLowland heathland is a characteristically open landscape, dominated by low-growing, acid-tolerant vegetation such as heather, gorses and grasses, and is generally found below 300 metres in altitude.

Heathland vegetation generally occurs on mineral soils and thin peats (<0.5m deep). Areas of good quality heathland should consist of an ericaceous layer of varying heights and structures, some areas of scattered trees and scrub, areas of bare ground, gorse, wet heaths, bogs and open water.

Lowland heathland is a priority habitat for nature conservation because it is a rare and threatened habitat across its European range - in England, 80% has been lost since 1800. The habitat supports a number of characteristic birds, reptiles, invertebrates and plants that are dependent upon it for their survival.

Please see the UK BAP website or the regional BAP habitat definition or the national BAP habitat definition for more information.

The situation in the South East

There are 58,000 ha of Lowland Heathland in England and the South East has 23,200 ha, which represents 40% of the UK total resource and about 20% of the global resource.

A high proportion of the region’s heathland, or land that is suitable for the restoration or re-creation of heathland, is in the ownership of large public bodies, notably the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Defence, and to a lesser extent local authorities. Smaller, but significant areas, are owned or managed by conservation bodies, notably Natural England, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB

 

Extent in England  58,000
Extent in the SE region  23,200
Percentage UK resource in the SE   40%
Extent covered by SSSI designation  app. 75 - 80%

 

  Rate of change

 County 1998 extent (ha)  2008 extent (ha) 
 Berkshire  310  442
 Buckinghamshire  100  20
 Hampshire  16,600  app. 16,000
 Isle of Wight  50  70
 Kent  90 413
 Oxfordshire  25  3
 Surrey  3,060  3,700
 Sussex  2,680 3,161
 Total  22,915 23,200

1998 data taken from 'The Biodiversity of South East England - An Audit and Assessment' published by the Wildlife Trusts of South East England and the RSPB, South East and Central Regions  

2008 data taken from regional or national BAP habitat inventory.

Please note that some of the changes listed here are due to improvements in mapping and habitat definition. 

 

Current threats

In the past heathland was lost primarily to agriculture, forestry, mineral extraction and development. Uncontrolled burning has also been a particular threat to bryophyte and lichen-rich heathland. The main factors affecting the habitat at present are:

  • Encroachment of trees and scrub and the simplification of vegetation structure due to a lack of conservation management such as light grazing, controlled burning and cutting.
  • Nutrient enrichment, particularly deposition of nitrogen compounds emitted from intensive livestock farming, or from other sources.
  • Fragmentation and disturbance from developments such as housing and road constructions.
  • Agricultural improvement including reclamation and overgrazing.

Vision for lowland heathland

The South East Biodiversity Forum’s vision for this habitat is that there should be:

  • No further loss of existing habitat
  • Good management, including where appropriate scrub control, light grazing and visitor management, on all extant sites
  • No damage to site integrity from activities arising outside the sites, eg. inadequately managed public access • Re-creation of lowland heathland on appropriate sites to restore some past losses, including the linking up of fragmented sites
  • Greater public appreciation of heathlands and their specialist wildlife, including greater awareness of the impacts of human pressures, such as dog-walking, mountain-biking, dumping of waste
  • Creation of alternative green space around important heathland areas under pressure for increasing new housing, such as the Thames Basin Heaths

How we can deliver this vision