The potential for lowland heath regeneration following plantation removal

Abstract

Historical records show that large areas of lowland heath have been planted with coniferous woodland. Such sites will increasingly be targeted for heathland restoration in order to achieve the objectives set by current conservation policy. Therefore information on management to achieve effective restoration is a priority for research. In this study we examined the size, composition and distribution of the seed bank beneath conifer plantations of different ages at two important heathland sites in Britain. Changes in the physical and chemical properties of heathland soil under the plantations were also described. There were significant, exponential declines in the mean density of viable heather seeds with plantation age at both sites. However, relatively large seed banks survived for 40 years and under some circumstances for more than 70 years, suggesting that restoration on first rotation sites is unlikely to be seed limited. There were small, but significant differences in the soil nutrient status under the plantations compared to the adjacent heaths. It was concluded that the main constraint on heathland regeneration is likely to be the burial of the seed bank by a thick layer of conifer leaf litter. The mechanical removal of this layer has been shown to be practically feasible.