A swathe of heather paints the landscape purple. Solitary bees are busy making burrows in the sandy soil. Dartford Warblers are flitting between clumps of heather. At dusk, a special visitor will come to life – the Nightjar – its churring call filling the warm summer air. In case you hadn’t guessed it yet, we’re talking about a special habitat - lowland heathland. Heath Week (24-30 July) is the perfect opportunity to wax lyrical about this precious habitat and the wildlife that calls it home. Nigel Symes, Chair of the RSPB’s Lowland Heathland Nature Recovery Group, takes us on a journey into this wonderful world.
My links with lowland heathland begin in the early 1980s when I undertook a student placement at Frensham Country Park, Surrey. Having known nothing of heathland habitats, eight months later I emerged from the placement hooked on heathland, the wildlife it supports and with a good understanding of the pressures that this unique and much-loved habitat faces.
As my career developed, so did my involvement with heathland conservation. I spent over 10 years working on the RSPB’s Dorset Heathland Project, starting as a chainsaw operator and ending up as Project Manager. The project, made up of a number of partner organisations, sought to increase the area of good heathland habitat by 10% over a 10-year period and we duly met and exceeded that target – restoring over 1,000 ha of lowland heathland.
Today, I Chair the RSPB’s Lowland Heathland Nature Recovery Group – a group of experts from across the Society who oversee our work on heathland habitats. We track the progress of work to help key heathland species, as well as identifying, understanding and addressing the threats that heathland habitats face.
Dartford Warblers are a familiar heathland species – here perched in Gorse. © Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com).
What is lowland heathland? Lowland heathlands are unique to western and north-western Europe - stretching from Portugal in the south to Sweden in the north. In the UK, they are typically found in the lowlands of southern and central England. They are found on very nutrient-poor, acidic soils and characterised by low-growing shrubs such as heathers and Gorse.
Lowland heathland is characterised by low-growing shrubs, such as Ling Heather pictured here. © Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com).
If you watched BBC Springwatch earlier this year then you’ll have witnessed the beauty of the heathland around RSPB Arne in Dorset and become familiar with some of the species that call heathland their home. Heathlands support many rare and unique species – from invertebrates such as the Field Cricket to reptiles such as Sand Lizards and birds like the Nightjar (discover more about this extraordinary bird and listen to its unusual churring call on our Nightjar page), Dartford Warbler and Woodlark.
Several reptile species call lowland heathland home, including Sand Lizards. © Luke Phillips (rspb-images.com).
A landscape filled with history Lowland heathland habitats have been shaped by, and have a longstanding connection with, people. Our ancestors used every bit of the heath – they grazed livestock, used Gorse wood for firing bread ovens, harvested Bracken for potash, heather for use as a building material, and turves for fuel where firewood was in short supply. Removing vegetation from the heathlands ensured that nutrient levels remained low and prevented open heathland from developing into scrub and then woodland. It’s no wonder that heathlands have also played an important role in our culture – just a few examples include heathland featuring heavily in the works of Thomas Hardy, Gustav Holst’s ‘Egdon Heath’ composition and John Constable’s depictions of Hampstead Heath.
Today many heathlands are within touching distance of large towns and cities, making lowland heathlands a wild escape for many. One of the things I find so wonderful about heathland is the opportunity it provides for people to engage with nature close to home.
Many threats to a unique habitatDespite their importance for nature and people, lowland heathland habitats and species are threatened by a variety of issues, including:
- Fire – fire poses a real risk to heathland particularly during the summer months when the vegetation is already dry and the fire can burn down into the soil, killing roots and seeds, and their impacts are likely to worsen as the climate heats up. Whether arson or started accidentally, fires have devastating impacts on these sensitive sites as they can quickly get out of hand. Everyone can help to prevent fires starting by not using BBQs on heathland sites, not dropping cigarette butts or glass, and reporting any sign of fire immediately to the Fire and Rescue Service. The Thames Basin Heaths Partnership provides more information on the issue of wildfires.
- Forestry – in the early to mid-20th century, many lowland heathlands were converted to commercial conifer plantations. How forestry is managed can make a big difference for biodiversity. Today, whilst some areas have been restored, many plantations continue to pose a threat to heathland species. Changes in forestry practices and planting new exotic non-native tree species, risk reducing the availability of habitats for heathland species, particularly Woodlarks and Nightjars, which have used the clearings created during forestry management. Heathland restoration projects and rotational forestry managed to provide open space for breeding have helped Woodlark and Nightjar populations recover from historic lows, but continued effort will be needed to ensure this continues and to help other heathland wildlife recover.
- Disturbance – lowland heathland habitats are often found in close proximity to urban areas, which means more people (and their pets) visit heathland sites. Some species such as Nightjar and Woodlark are particularly sensitive to disturbance and are less successful on more heavily visited sites. Careful planning of path networks and positive signage can help to reduce the impact.
Other threats to lowland heathland habitats include climate change, insufficient management and aerial deposition of nutrients – all of which have impacts on the structure and species composition of heathland habitats.
How are we helping heathland habitats?We have long recognised the importance of lowland heathland habitats and are working hard, alongside our partners, to protect and enhanced these special places.
On our nature reserves, we’re managing heathland habitats to ensure that they can support heathland wildlife, for instance at RSPB Budby South Forest, the largest area of heathland left in Sherwood Forest. We’ve restored special places – for instance at RSPB Farnham Heath in Surrey, we’ve transformed what was a dense conifer plantation back to lowland heathland.
In 2022, heathland bird species had a very good year on our reserves. Nightjars, Woodlarks and Dartford Warblers did well, thanks to positive management of RSPB nature reserves providing a suitable mix of heather-dominated areas, bare and disturbed ground and scattered trees and scrub. Overall, Dartford Warblers reached their highest ever numbers on RSPB reserves in 2022 with 258 pairs recorded – an incredible 39% increase in the number of pairs compared to 2021. However, it is still a concern that they have in several parts of their range not yet recovered or recolonised after harsh winters in the early 2010s impacted on them. Meanwhile, numbers of male Nightjars on reserves also reached record levels in 2022, with 198 churring males and Woodlark breeding numbers remain at historically high levels on reserves.
We’re also working at a wider scale, involving whole landscapes, to help lowland heathland habitats outside of our nature reserves. Working with partners in a number of areas including the Thames Basin, New Forest and Suffolk Coast we’re helping heathland species and habitats to recover. For instance, in the Thames Basin and Wealden Heaths landscape, we’re working on two large landscape-scale projects with partners to bring land managers together to help heathland habitats.
Lowland heathland is a key breeding habitat for Nightjar. Here pictured is an adult Nightjar and chick, perfectly camouflaged on the ground. © Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).
Getting involvedHeather blooms in July and August, so now is a great time to get out and appreciate the beauty of heathland habitats and connect with nature.
Lowland heathland habitats require careful management, for which volunteer support is vital. If you’re keen to do more, why not look out for a volunteering opportunity to help out on a heathland reserve?
You could also look out for events happening on lowland heathland sites near you, for example RSPB events, Thames Basin Heaths Partnership events or the Urban Heaths Partnership events.
If you do head out to a heathland, there are a couple of things to remember to keep our heathlands and their wildlife safe:- Pack a picnic (but not a BBQ!). The risk that fires pose to heathland habitats is high.- Watch your step. Heathland species, particularly birds and reptiles, are sensitive to disturbance so please stick to marked paths and only take dogs where permitted, and please keep them on a short lead during the nesting season.
Lowland heathland is a truly special habitat – let’s appreciate and strive to protect it.
Continue reading- Saving species and habitats in the UK and further afield in 2022- A view from the treetops- Looking to the skies – the UK’s importance on a bird superhighway
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