Lecture 4 - Heathlands and Moors

Question 1

heathlands are dominated by .. .. ..
especially .. ..
but may also include .. .. and .. ..

Answer 1

ericoid dwarf shrubs
calluna vulgaris

erica cinerea, erica tetralix
-heather species

Question 2

heathlands have .. floristic diversity due to their .. nutrients and .. soil

heathlands has a .. conservation status and contains species such as .. and ..

Answer 2

poor
low, acidic
high
dartford warbler (sylvia undata), smooth snake (coronella austriaca)

Question 3

Upland Heaths are known as .. and are ..-..m above sea level

they cover ..-..million hectares in the UK (..% world total)

Answer 3

moors
300-400
2-3 million
75

Question 4

The montane zone is the .. ..

Answer 4

tree line

-mountainous regions

Question 5

lowland heaths cover ..ha in the UK (..% world) at altitudes below ..m

Answer 5

58,000, 20

300

Question 6

… soils are typical of boreal forests and heathlands

their surface undergoes intense … and they have a distinct lack of .. and .. to mix soil horizons

Answer 6

podzol
eluviation/leaching
decomposition, invertebrates

-transport of soil material from upper layers to lower

Question 7

Podzol soils typically are … as a consequence of high ..

This leads to .. formation as the soil is under low .. conditions

this .. layer holds … and .. while the iron pan layer prevents ..

Answer 7

waterlogged, rainfall
peat, oxygen
peat, water, nutrients, drainage

• the peat layer is the O1 layer while the surface ‘litter layer is O2

Question 8

Peatlands store .. billion tonnes of C

Answer 8

3

• More C in UK peat than forests of Britain/France combine
• Degradation of peat is huge climate risk

Question 9

Heathland orignated during and after the .. age

Answer 9

bronze

Question 10

in the moors west of sheffield heather has dominated since ..AD

most moors dominance post … ,though

Answer 10

400AD
1800
-Typically dominance occurs as land stopped being used for grazing

Question 11

Grouse shooting worth £..million per year, they eat .. shoots of heather

Answer 11

100, young

Question 12

Rotational burning is used on an 8-15 year cycle, to maximise … biomass and provide patches of … heather for nesting

Answer 12

edible

nesting

Question 13

prescribed burning aims to remove the .. layer of heather and is done in ..
they aim to avoid burning of the .. underneath

Answer 13

top, winter

peat

Question 14

management of moorlands prevent ..
.. provides nutrients to the soil and nutrients also return via …

this can lead to increased .. and .. diversity
burning also increases soil temperature for .. years

Answer 14

succession, ash, precipitation
plant, insect
7

• however careful burning can still lead to peat loss, reduce water, plant health
• initial insect populations also reduced

Question 15

nutrients from heathland burning maybe lost via … (..) and ..

Answer 15

ash, leaching, smoke

-N especially lost in heathlands

Question 16

… may be considered as a .. .. technique

typically they use .. but this reduces ../. species

Answer 16

reforestation
peat conservation
conifers, diversity, distinctive

-also reduces visual appeal

Question 17

Successfu planting birch has led to soil changes such as increased .. numbers

reversing .. to .. forest soil

increasing .., exchangable .. and total ..

Answer 17

earthworm
podzol, brown
pH, Ca, P

-Tulchan, Perthshire both successful sites

Question 18

In the Broxa site restablishment of Birch has taken place.

But soil pH has never exceeded .. likely due to low .. reserves, .. bedrock and .. .. leaching bases.

Answer 18

4.1
calcium
unreactive
acid rain

-Reforestation not always possible