Heathlands

In Northern Ireland, heathland can be found from the highest mountain summits right down to the lowlands and coastal areas.
Heathland can be viewed as a very monotonous landscape, due to the lack of trees, but if you look beneath the familiar purple bloom of the dominant heather you will find it is home to a diverse range of insects and buzzes with life!
Heathlands are found on nutrient-poor, mineral soils and thin peat.

Types of heathland

Northern Ireland has a range of heathland types which have developed under our oceanic climate. These are lowland, upland and montane and can be wet or dry, depending on environmental conditions.

Heathland tends to be less rich in plant species than some other habitats due to the low nutrients in the underlying soil or peat.
It often occurs as part of an intricate mosaic consisting of acid grassland, fen and bog. This additional diversity increases its value for wildlife and biodiversity.
Bracken is also a familiar habitat often associated with the disturbed edges of heathland and acid grassland.

Management issues

Poor soils, upland locations and a harsh climate, usually mean that heathland is not a productive habitat and farming is generally not intensive.
Nevertheless, without some form of management, most heathland would develop into scrub and woodland.
It occupies areas which could potentially be wooded and they require grazing to maintain the treeless habitat.
A lot of heathland has been used for extensive grazing and occasional shooting, particularly for red grouse.
In more recent times, however, lowland heaths have declined as a result of agricultural reclamation, while in the uplands grazing, especially by sheep, has become more intensive. Excessive grazing, particularly in winter, has resulted in the replacement of heather by grasses. This process is worsened by frequent, uncontrolled burning. The loss of heather cover and the consequent expansion of grasses, is one of the most significant current issues in upland management.