Heather Moorland - Case Study Flashcards
What is the definition of an “arresting factor”?
Human interference with natural vegetation
E.g. Deforestation, afforestation, ploughing
Name some of the ways in which vegetation can be interfered with by humans so cannot reach its climatic climax
Deforestation, afforestation, ploughing, clearing by burning, animals grazing and trampling
What is the definition of plagioclimax
Climatic vegetation created though human interference
Where are heather moorlands found
North Yorkshire Moors (plagioclimax)
3 thousand years ago the North Yorkshire Moorland had reached its climatic climax of deciduous woodland how was this changed by human interference
Farming which led to soil deterioration
What was the ground exposed to after the nutrient cycle was broken by farming
Heavy rainfall and soil erosion which leached the nutrients from the land
What is podzol?
Infertile acidic soil with ash like subsurface layers
From which the minerals of the soil have been leached
The podzol of the land led to headier plants rooting in the less fertile soil, give examples of there plants
Grass, bracken and heather
All of which create mixed moorland vegetation
Heather is a evergreen forge plant which is a major food source for which two animals
Sheep and red grouse (a profitable shooting bird)
What are the stages of the natural growth cycle of heather
Pioneer phase, building phase, mature phase, degenerate phase
Which phase do controlled burners which to keep the heather in
Building phase
How often do they burn off the heather
10-15 years in a rotation of one hectare
Definition of climatic climax
A community of plants and animals which, though the process of ecological succession, develop an area of vegetation which has reached a steady state
