Heathland clearance

On this morning's walk I was often reminded of the need for heathland management. Ashdown Forest has heathland habitat which is home to many important species but it was originally formed when Commoners grazed their animals and cut the trees for fuel.  Nowadays much of the heathland is at risk of being lost to birch scrub which very quickly becomes woodland. Sussex is a very wooded county but there is little heathland, so what we have is worth conserving.

I passed several places where young birch is invading the heather. The leaves will drop soon and will add nutrients to the soil, making it less favourable for heathland plants. But it wasn't all doom and gloom! We passed the ponies which graze the invasive birch seedlings and help to open up the vegetation for heathland specialist plants.

Further on, a large area of invaded heath had been cleared for timber.  People say that heather can regenerate after being under quite mature pine woods (their needles are more acidic and add fewer nutrients to the soil than birches.)  It will be exciting to see what grows here!