Natural England Joint Publication JP020 The New Forest heathland lichen survey 2011 to 2015 First published 12 October 2016 First published 13 April 2017 www.gov.uk/natural-england This report was funded by Natural England, Forestry Commission England and the National Trust Natural England commission a range of reports from external contractors to provide evidence and advice to assist us in delivering our duties. The views in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Natural England, Forest Commission England or the National Trust. This report is published by Natural England under the Open Government Licence - OGLv3.0 for public sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject to certain conditions. For details of the licence visit Copyright. Natural England photographs are only available for non-commercial purposes. If any other information such as maps or data cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the report. ISBN 978-1-78354-416-5 © Natural England and other parties 2017 THE NEW FOREST HEATHLAND LICHEN SURVEY 2011 – 15 N A Sanderson BSc MSc For Natural England, Forest Enterprise & The National Trust --------------------------- NEIL SANDERSON --------------------------- 3 GREEN CLOSE WOODLANDS HAMPSHIRE SO4O 7HU 023 8029 3671 Email: [email protected] The New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey 2011 – 15 Botanical Survey & Assessment THE NEW FOREST HEATHLAND LICHEN SURVEY 2011 – 15 Index Acknowledgements: .......................................................................................................................... iii KEY POINTS & COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT ................................................................... iv SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. vi-xiv 1.0 INTRODUCTION TO MAIN REPORT ............................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Brief ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 Requirement .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.2 Outputs ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 The New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey 2011 – 2015 ................................................ 2 2.0 METHODS ............................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Review of Existing Data..................................................................................................... 4 2.2 New Forest Quantitative Inventory ................................................................................. 5 2.2.1 The Quantitative Inventory .......................................................................................... 5 2.2.2 New Forest Quantitative Inventory Plots Surveyed for Heathland Lichens ......... 5 2.2.3 Recorded New Forest Quantitative Inventory Plots ................................................. 6 2.2.4 Analysing the New Forest Quantitative Inventory Plots ......................................... 9 2.3 New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey ............................................................................ 9 2.3.1 The Survey ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.2 Ecological Scope ........................................................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Areas Covered .............................................................................................................. 12 2.3.4 Meta-sites ....................................................................................................................... 13 2.3.5 Progress .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.3.6 The CCP Index .............................................................................................................. 13 2.3.7 Nomenclature and Taxonomy .................................................................................... 14 2.3.8 Assessing the Conservation Status of Lichens ......................................................... 14 2.3.9 Data Handling .............................................................................................................. 16 2.3.10 Maps of Survey ............................................................................................................. 17 3.0 SURVEY RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 18 3.1 New Forest Quantitative Inventory ............................................................................... 18 3.1.1 Lichen Assemblages and Habitat Diversity ............................................................. 18 3.1.2 Lichen Diversity and Environmental Variables ....................................................... 25 3.2 New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey .......................................................................... 35 3.2.1 Total Assemblage 2011 – 2015 .................................................................................... 35 3.3 Species Accounts............................................................................................................... 48 3.4 Description of Heathland Meta-sites ............................................................................. 48 3.4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 48 3.4.2 Northern Commons ..................................................................................................... 48 3.4.3 Eastern Heaths .............................................................................................................. 52 3.4.4 Beaulieu Heath West .................................................................................................... 56 3.4.5 South Western Heaths ................................................................................................. 59 3.4.6 Central Heaths .............................................................................................................. 63 3.4.7 North Western Heaths ................................................................................................. 67 4.0 DISCUSSION ......................................................................................................................... 71 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 71 4.2 The New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey .................................................................. 71 4.2.1 Comparison with Old Records ................................................................................... 71 i The New Forest Heathland Lichen Survey 2011 – 15 Botanical Survey & Assessment 4.2.2 Habitat Assemblages – Dry Heaths within the Burning Rotation ........................ 72 4.2.3 Habitat Assemblages – Wet Heath Transition and Mires ...................................... 83 4.2.4 Habitat Assemblages – Short Grazed Dry Heaths ................................................... 89 4.2.5 Habitat Assemblages – Banks, Pits and Hollow Ways ........................................... 98 4.2.6 Habitat Assemblages – Acid Grasslands ................................................................ 111 4.2.7 Habitat Assemblages – Road Verges and Airfields ............................................... 113 4.2.8 Habitat Assemblages – Lichen Sand Grassland & Heath ..................................... 118 4.2.9 Habitat Assemblages – Flints .................................................................................... 121 4.2.10 Habitat Assemblages – Epiphytes on Heathers ..................................................... 121 4.2.11 Habitat Assemblages – Ungrazed Heath ................................................................ 121 4.2.12 Air Pollution ................................................................................................................ 125 4.2.13 Comparison with Other Heathlands ....................................................................... 130 4.3 Conservation Interest ..................................................................................................... 133 4.3.1 Value of the New Forest Heathland Lichen Assemblage ..................................... 133 4.3.2 Shifting Baselines and Conservation Management ............................................... 137 4.4 New Forest Heathland Management and Lichen Diversity ..................................... 138 4.4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 138 4.4.2 General Principles of New Forest Heathland Management & Lichens .............. 138 4.4.3 Specific Issues – Short Grazed Heaths ..................................................................... 139 4.4.3 Specific Issues – Burning Rotation and Heather Mowing ...................................