Abstract
Conservation practice in the United Kingdom (UK) uplands has been strongly influenced by policy responses to the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992). The UK was the first nation to produce a national Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2007a, b; UKBAP, 2008); policy is now enshrined in Habitat Action Plans (65 HAPs), Species Action Plans (1149 SAPs) and Local Biodiversity Action Plans (innumerable LBAPs), plus European designations of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
Highlights
Enshrined in Habitat Action Plans (65 diminishing habitats, restoring habitats to HAPs), Species Action Plans (1149 SAPs) satisfactory condition and expanding the Moorland and bog restoration and Local Biodiversity Action Plans (in- habitat cover where feasible (Jones et al, For some upland areas, it could be arnumerable LBAPs), plus European desig- 2003)
Seldom is account taken of the millennial-scale development of upland ecosystems, shown by studies of long-term ecology, which can be conducted on peat beneath moorland and bog vegetation (Chambers and Charman, 2004)
Tallis (1998) calculated that in the British Isles only 18% of heather moorland remained in natural or near-natural condition
Summary
Conservation agencies have targets for degraded moorland habitats, with restoration envisaged to heather moorland or conceivably to Sphagnum-dominated bog. Overwhelming dominance of Molinia (variously attributed to overgrazing, lack of heather moorland management or uncontrolled burning) remained elusive until the initiation of paleoecological studies on a regional scale. The data indicate multiple causes: not grazing pressure alone, but rather a change in the dominant grazer from cattle to sheep, nor burning alone, as Molinia has spread into areas without evidence of an increase in fire intensity or frequency (Fig. 2A; Chambers et al, 1999, 2007a, b). It has been hypothesized that nitrogen deposition post-Industrial Revolution provided Molinia with a competitive advantage in a pastoral regime of unprecedentedly high stocking density of sheep (Chambers et al, 2007b). Plant macrofossil data show that, before high density stocking of sheep, Molinia was only a minor component of the regional flora (Chambers et al, 2007a)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
