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Lowland Heathland

Habitat Description

Lowland heath occurs below 300m altitude on nutrient poor, free draining acid soils where rainfall is below average. Vegetation is characterised by heather, dwarf gorses and cross-leaved heath, and often occurs in a mosaic with acid grassland, wet bogs and scrub. In Northamptonshire it includes the following NVC communities:

H1 Calluna vulgaris - Festuca ovina (heather sheep's fescue) heath.

NVC community H1 is currently found only at Harlestone Firs/Darlaston Firs. There may be limited opportunities for some lowland heathland creation alongside acid grassland sites in the Daventry area but suitable soils in Northamptonshire are extremely limited in extent. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) occurs on Church Brampton golf course (part LWS), Charwelton disused railway (LWS), Borough Hill Field (LWS/Country Park), Coleready Plantation (LWS), Bedford Purlieus (SSSI), Lings (NNR).

In order to be sustainable heathland patches need to be at least 30 ha. This should be the ultimate target for the only remaining area of heathland in Northamptonshire at Harlestone Firs.

Current UK Status and Trends

In England only one sixth of the heathland present in 1800 now remains. The UK has some 58,000 ha of lowland heathland of which 55% is found in England.

Estimated Current Northants Resource

3 ha at Harlestone Firs, and small patches of heather at approximately 6 other locations.

Progress Towards BAP Targets 2002-2007

Maintenance of Harlestone Firs Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

Lead Partner

The Wildlife Trust

Main Issues and Threats

• 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 developments such as housing and road constructions.
• Disturbance and predation on ground nesting birds, reptiles and other fauna from human activity and cats and dogs.
• Over-frequent burning by arsonists.

General Strategy

• Remnant heathland in Northamptonshire is limited to the Harlestone/Dallington Heaths, NW of Northampton. Some areas of heathland have not been planted over on the Northamptonshire County Golf Course, and patches of heathland survive among the conifer plantation of Harlestone Firs, both on the rides and emerging after blocks have been clear-felled. The strategy is to extend and link these remnant patches of habitat.
• Promote heathland formation adjacent to small patches of heather on Local Wildlife Sites and Nature Reserves.

 Associated National Priority Species

• European nightjar
• Heath rustic (moth)
• Neglected rustic (moth)
• Pale eggar (moth)
• Small heath (butterfly)

Specific Management Required for Associated Species

Targets

Actions