Lowland Heathland (Uk Bap Priority Habitat)
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LOWLAND HEATHLAND (UK BAP PRIORITY HABITAT) Summary Lowland heathland in Scotland consists of outliers, within enclosed land, of communities that are normally found in the unenclosed uplands. The component species include ling Calluna vulgaris, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, bell heather Erica cinerea, cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix and western gorse Ulex gallii. The soils are podsolised mineral soils, free-draining gravels or shallow peat and the surrounding vegetation is generally poor-quality pasture, forestry plantations or former industrial sites such as disused mines and quarries. This priority type is uncommon in Scotland, with small stands in areas such as the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, and the north-eastern lowlands. Lowland heathlands are not outstanding habitats for rare plants, though they are islands of natural vegetation and species diversity within more intensively managed landscapes, and they are important for birds such as stonechat Saxicola torquata and whinchat Saxicola rubetra, for invertebrates and for lizards. The best form of management for Lowland heathland is light grazing. What is it? Lowland Heathland is a habitat of open, unwooded ground, although there are scattered trees in some examples. In the drier types of this habitat the vegetation is made up of dwarf shrubs growing either in pure stands or, more commonly, in mixtures. Ling is near-dominant in the Calluna-Deschampsia heath H9; it grows with Erica cinerea in the Calluna-Erica heath H10 and with Vaccinium myrtillus in the Calluna-Vaccinium heath H12. The dark brown- green colour of the vegetation is transformed into spreads of rich purple and magenta when the heathers flower in late summer. The Calluna-Ulex gallii heath H8 is rare in Scotland. Amongst the shrubs is a scattering of species such as tufted hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa, sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina, green-ribbed sedge Carex binervis, tormentil Potentilla erecta and heath bedstraw Galium saxatile. The underlayer of bryophytes includes mosses such as Hypnum jutlandicum. Lowland heathland is generally less species-rich than the upland counterparts and the more cold-tolerant upland plants do not occur in it. The Trichophorum-Erica wet heath M15 and Erica-Sphagnum wet heath M16 consist of drab-coloured mixtures of Calluna, Erica tetralix, deergrass Scirpus cespitosus and purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea, growing on peat less than 50 cm deep. Other lowland heath communities (NVC H1-H6, inland examples of H11, OV34) found in the lowlands of England and Wales associated with a fairly dry and mild climate are not found in Scotland. How do I recognise it? Differentiation from other Priority Types Lowland heathland in Scotland mainly occurs as examples of more widespread heathland communities are situated within the enclosed agricultural lowlands. Definition in relation to other habitat classifications Classification Habitat types belonging to this UK BAP priority habitat H8 (H8abce sub-communities in enclosed agricultural lowlands), H9-10 (in enclosed agricultural lowlands), H12 (in enclosed agricultural lowlands), H21 (in enclosed agricultural lowlands) and NVC M15-16 (in enclosed agricultural lowlands, not on peat >50 cm deep). (All of the above NVC communities are included in the Scottish Biodiversity List.) D1-3, D5-6 (all examples in enclosed agricultural lowland Phase 1 situations) UK BAP broad All examples of this priority habitat in Scotland belong to the habitat broad habitat - Dwarf shrub heath In Scotland, and also in Wales, this priority habitat type is largely defined by situation because all of the component NVC types here also occur in upland areas. Definition in relation to legislative classifications Classification Habitat types belonging to this UK BAP priority habitat Habitats Directive H4010 and H4030 (all examples in enclosed agricultural Annex I lowland situations). SNH SSSI habitat Lowland dry heath, Lowland wet heath (all examples of both) features Where is it? Lowland heathland is a habitat of acid, podsolised mineral soils and leached brown earths, commonly on the site of former woodland (lowland dry heaths) or of humic soils or peat less than 50cm deep (lowland wet heaths). They occur as distinctive patches of heathy, near- natural vegetation within the lowlands, often in those parts of the country where the climate is wet by lowland standards. Lowland heaths are often set in a matrix of rough grazing, poor-quality, rush pasture, former industrial workings such as mines and quarries and small conifer plantations, but can also be found in patches of land difficult to cultivate within tracts of richer arable land pasture. Scottish heaths classified as Lowland are uncommon and occur in small, fragmented stands. They belong mainly to NVC types H9, H10, H12, H21, M15 and M16. Some occur toward the upland fringes where they might be regarded as outliers of the once more extensive upland heath. What is special about it? Species of special conservation status recorded in this priority habitat in the UK and also recorded in Scotland are listed below. Because of the scarcity of this priority habitat in Scotland it is uncertain whether or not Scottish records of each of these species include occurrences in this priority habitat. EC Scottish Wildlife & UK BAP Habitats Bio- Red Country- Common priority Directive diversity Data side Act Group name Latin name list Annex II List List (1981) natterjack y y y y amphibians toad Epidalea calamita bees, y y wasps & tormentil ants mining bee Andrena tarsata Alauda arvensis y y subsp. birds skylark arvensis/scotica European Caprimulgus y y y birds nightjar europaeus Carduelis cannabina y y subsp. common autochthona/cannabin birds linnet a birds tree pipit Anthus trivialis y y y common y y y birds cuckoo Cuculus canorus northern y y y butterflies brown argus Aricia artaxerxes marsh y y y y butterflies fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Coenonympha y y butterflies small heath pamphilus flowering Euphrasia y y y plants an eyebright campbelliae flowering pyramidal y y y plants bugle Ajuga pyramidalis flowering Gentianella y y y plants field gentian campestris lesser y y y flowering butterfly- plants orchid Platanthera bifolia flowering small-white y y y plants orchid Pseudorchis albida flowering annual y y y plants knawel Scleranthus annuus bird's-eye y y primrose fungi smut Urocystis primulicola EC Scottish Wildlife & UK BAP Habitats Bio- Red Country- Common priority Directive diversity Data side Act Group name Latin name list Annex II List List (1981) dark-purple Geoglossum y y fungi earthtongue atropurpureum matt felt y y y lichens lichen Peltigera malacea lichens a lichen Cladonia peziziformis y y y mammals brown hare Lepus europaeus y y rusty fork- y y y mosses moss Dicranum spurium narrow- y y bordered bee hawk- moths moth Hemaris tityus argent and y y moths sable Rheumaptera hastata netted y y mountain moths moth Macaria carbonaria reptiles slow-worm Anguis fragilis y y y common y y y reptiles lizard Zootoca vivipara reptiles adder Vipera berus y y y a money- y y spiders spider Saaristoa firma Scottish examples of Lowland heathland are generally less notable for their botanical interest than their more extensive upland counterparts. However, they are important as examples of semi-natural vegetation within more managed landscapes, and also as feeding grounds for invertebrates and habitats for common lizard Zootoca vivipara, slow-worm Anguis fragilis, adder Vipera berus and birds such as whinchat and stonechat. How do we manage it? Heaths in the lowlands will almost certainly revert to scrub and then woodland if not grazed, and indeed light grazing is beneficial to maintain a diverse structure of the shrub canopy. Burning may be appropriate in some circumstances but is likely to be difficult, for example where the stands are surrounded by agricultural land. References, links and further reading Ellis, N.E. and Munro, K. 2004. A preliminary review of the distribution and extent of BAP priority habitats across Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.044 (ROAME No. F00NA02). https://www.nature.scot/information-library-data-and-research/information-library Rodwell, J.S. ed. 1991(b). British Plant Communities. Volume 2 - Mires and Heaths. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Rodwell, J.S., Dring, J.C., Averis, A.B.G., Proctor, M.C.F., Malloch, A.J.C., Schaminee, J.H.J. & Dargie, T.C.D. 1998. Review of coverage of the National Vegetation Classification. Joint Nature Conservation Committee contract report F76-01-170. Coordinated by the Unit of Vegetation Science, Lancaster University. UK BAP 2008. http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/UKBAP_BAPHabitats-28-LowlandHeathland.pdf Usher, M.B., Bain, C. and Kerr, A. eds. 2000. Action for Scotland's Biodiversity. Scottish Biodiversity Group. Edinburgh, The Scottish Executive and The Stationery Office. Common Standards Monitoring guidance http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2199 Countryside Survey: http://www.countrysidesurvey.org.uk National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway https://data.nbn.org.uk/ Scottish Natural Heritage website: http://www.nature.scot UK BAP information on JNCC website: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=5155 .