Lowland heathland

Lowland heath is the area of heathland below 300m. Heathers, dwarf shrubs and gorse make up the main vegetation. Occasional scattered trees can also be part of the heath. Lowland heath can be split into wet and dry heath. These were once common habitats across the UK.

Lowland heathland exists due to past human interventions. Traditional activities such as grazing kept the woodland regeneration under control as grazing animals nibbled the seedlings. Any trees that did become established were collected for firewood. This had the result in creating an more open habitat than it would otherwise have been.

Heathland in decline

Heathlands are a rare habitat on a global scale. They are found in cooler climates where the soils are poor in nutrients and where there is sufficient moisture to support the heathland species

The UK supports 20% of lowland heath in Europe. Scotland has approximately 20% of that figure, covering 0.2% of the area of Scotland. Clearly, it is now a scarce resource.

Lowland heath is now a threatened habitat as it has come under pressure from the demand for land for agriculture, forestry and development. Areas of heath that do remain at are risk from inappropriate management, either through poor grazing practice or unsuitable burning regimes.

Why heathland is important

There are over 5,000 invertebrate species in the UK that can be found living on heathland. The areas of heath may naturally return to woodland, but as woodland is more common than heath, it is important to conserve what little remains. Important species including Juniper and Skylark can be found on lowland heath.