Biodiversity Action Plan
Heather Moorland
Heather
moorland is one of the most distinctive landscapes of the Peak District, with its swathes of vibrant
purple in the late summer. This is an internationally important resource, providing good habitat for birds such as short-eared
owl, golden plover, merlin and curlew.
Moorland is not simply heather, it is a complex mosaic of inter-linked habitats and vegetation types supporting a variety of flora and fauna. Within the moorland are areas of heather moor, dwarf shrubs, wet heath, bracken, scrub, and gritstone edges and boulders creating striking landscapes.
The
mountain hare is indigenous to Britain, but mainly restricted to the upland heathlands of Scotland;
populations have been reintroduced to the Peak District.
Investment in grouse moor management has been a significant factor in preserving the heather moorland of the Peak District, but it is important to strike a balance between the different recreational, agricultural and wildlife values of the moors.
Heather Moorland action plan (300KB)
Revised BAP Targets
- Maintain the current extent (around 19290 ha) of heather moorland by 2010
- Achieve favourable (or recovering) condition on 15954 ha (95%) of heather moorland within SSSIs by 2010
- Achieve favourable (or recovering) condition on 1250 ha (50%) of heather moorland outside SSSIs by 2010
- Initiate restoration of degraded upland heath to increase dwarf shrubs to at least 25% cover on 2000 ha of bracken, and non-heather dominated moor by 2010
- Initiate the expansion of 500 ha of upland heathland, maximising opportunities to reduce fragmentation of existing heathland areas, by 2010
