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Moorland

For other uses, seeMoorland (disambiguation).

Moorlandormooris a type ofhabitatfound inuplandareas intemperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsandmontane grasslands and shrublandsbiomes,characterised by low-growing vegetation onacidicsoils. Moorland, nowadays, generally means uncultivatedhillland (such asDartmoorinSouth West England), but also includes low-lyingwetlands(such asSedgemoor,also South West England). It is closely related toheath,although experts disagree on what precisely distinguishes these types of vegetation. Generally, moor refers tohighlandand high rainfall zones, whereas heath refers tolowlandzones which are more likely to be the result of human activity.[1]

Extensive moorland in theDesert of Wales

Moorland habitats mostly occur intropicalAfrica,northernandwestern Europe,andSouth America.Most of the world's moorlands are diverseecosystems.In the extensive moorlands of the tropics,biodiversitycan be extremely high. Moorland also bears a relationship totundra(where thesubsoilispermafrostor permanently frozen soil),[2][dubious–discuss]appearing as the tundra and the naturaltreezone. The boundary between tundra and moorland constantly shifts withclimatic change.

Heather moorland

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Heather moorland on theNorth York Moorsmainly consisting ofCalluna vulgaris

Heathlandand moorland are the most extensive areas of semi-natural vegetation in theBritish Isles.The eastern British moorlands are similar to heaths but are differentiated by having a covering ofpeat.On western moors, the peat layer may be several metres thick. Scottish "muirs" are generally heather moors, but also have extensive covering ofgrass,cotton-grass,mosses,brackenand under-shrubs such ascrowberry,with the wetter moorland havingsphagnum mossmerging intobog-land.[1]

There is uncertainty about how many moors were created by human activity.Oliver Rackhamwrites thatpollen analysisshows that some moorland, such as in the islands and extreme north of Scotland, are clearly natural, never having had trees,[3]whereas much of thePenninemoorland area was forested inMesolithictimes.[4]How much the deforestation was caused by climatic changes and how much by human activity is uncertain.[5]

Ecology

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Moorland ofKilimanjaro

A variety of distincthabitattypes are found in different world regions of moorland. The wildlife and vegetation forms often lead to highendemismbecause of the severe soil andmicroclimatecharacteristics. An example of this is theExmoor Pony,a rarehorse breedwhich has adapted to the harsh conditions in England'sExmoor.

In Europe, the associatedfaunaconsists of bird species such asred grouse,hen harrier,merlin,golden plover,curlew,skylark,meadow pipit,whinchat,ring ouzel,andtwite.Other species dominate in moorlands elsewhere. Reptiles are few due to the cooler conditions. In Europe, only thecommon viperis frequent, though in other regions moorlands are commonly home to dozens ofreptilespecies.Amphibianssuch asfrogsare well represented in moorlands. When moorland isovergrazed,woody vegetation is often lost, being replaced by coarse, unpalatablegrassesandbracken,with a greatly reduced fauna.

Some hillsheepbreeds, such asScottish Blackfaceand theLonk,thrive on the austere conditions ofheathermoors.[6]

Management

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Burning of moorland has been practised for a number of reasons, for example, whengrazingis insufficient to control growth. This is recorded in Britain in the fourteenth century.[7]Uncontrolled burning frequently caused (and causes) problems and was forbidden bystatutein 1609.[citation needed]With the rise ofsheepandgrousemanagement in the nineteenth century, it again became common practice. Heather is burnt at about 10 or 12 years old when it will regenerate easily. Left longer, the woodier stems will burn more aggressively and will hinder regrowth. Burning of moorland vegetation needs to be very carefully controlled, as the peat itself can catch fire, and this can be difficult if not impossible to extinguish. In addition, uncontrolled burning of heather can promote alternativebrackenand rough grass growth, which ultimately produces poorer grazing.[8]As a result, burning is now a controversial practice; Rackham calls it "second-best land management".[9]

Mechanical cutting of the heather has been used in Europe, but it is important for the material to be removed to avoid smothering regrowth. If heather and other vegetation are left for too long, a large volume of dry and combustible material builds up. This may result in awildfireburning out a large area, although it has been found that heather seeds germinate better if subject to the brief heat of controlled burning.[citation needed]

In terms of managing moorlands for wildlife, in the UK, vegetation characteristics are important forpasserineabundance, whilst predator control benefits red grouse, golden plover, and curlew abundances. To benefit multiple species, many management options are required. However, management needs to be carried out in locations that are also suitable for species in terms of physical characteristics such as topography, climate and soil.[10]

In literature

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Dartmoor in winter covered in snow. Severaltorstop the sparsely vegetated hills.

The development of a sensitivity to nature and one's physical surroundings grew with the rise of interest inlandscape painting,and particularly the works of artists that favoured wide and deep prospects, and rugged scenery.[11]To the EnglishRomanticimagination, moorlands fitted this image perfectly, enhancing the emotional impact of the story by placing it within a heightened and evocative landscape. Moorland forms the setting of various works of late Romantic English literature, ranging from theYorkshiremoorland inEmily Brontë'sWuthering HeightsandThe Secret GardenbyFrances Hodgson BurnetttoDartmoorinArthur Conan Doyle'sHolmesianmysteryThe Hound of the Baskervilles.They are also featured inCharlotte Bronte'sJane Eyrerepresenting the heroine's desolation and loneliness after leavingMr Rochester.

Enid Blyton'sFamous Five seriesfeatured the young protagonists adventuring across various moorlands where they confronted criminals or other individuals of interest. Such a setting enhanced the plot as the drama unfolded away from the functioning world where the children could solve their own problems and face greater danger. Moorland in theForest of BowlandinLancashireis the setting for Walter Bennett'sThe Pendle Witches,the true story of some of England's most infamous witch trials. InErin Hunter'sWarriorsseries, one of the four Clans, WindClan, lives in the moorland alone.

Michael Jecks,author of Knights Templar Mysteries, sets his books in and aroundDartmoor,England.Paul Kingsnorth’sBeastis also set on a western English moor, using the barren landscape and fields of heather to communicate themes of timelessness and distance from civilization.

Notable moorlands

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Africa

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Ethiopia

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Kenya

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Rwanda

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Sudan

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  • East African montane moorlands
  • Ethiopian montane moorlands

Tanzania

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Uganda

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  • East African montane moorlands

Europe

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Austria

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Belgium

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France

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Germany

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The Netherlands

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Great Britain

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See also:Category:Moorlands of the United Kingdom

Great Britain is home to an estimated 10–15% of the world's moors.[12]Notable areas of upland moorland in Britain include theLake District,thePennines(including theDark PeakandForest of Bowland),Mid Wales,theSouthern Uplandsof Scotland, theScottish Highlands,and a few pockets in theWest Country.

Oswaldtwistle Moor,part of theWest Pennine Moors,inLancashire,UK

Spain

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Moorlands are calledpáramosin Spanish. They are particularly common inNorthern Spainand theMeseta Central.

North America

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United States

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Two similar habitats, although more arid, found in western North America:

South America

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Argentina and Chile

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Colombia

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Colombia is one of only three countries in the world to be home topáramo(tropical moorland) and more than 60% of the paramo regions are found on its soil.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abRackham 1986,p. 305.
  2. ^Rackham 1986.
  3. ^Birks, H.J.B.; Madsen, Barbara J. (1979). "Flandrian Vegetational History of Little Loch Roag, Isle of Lewis, Scotland".Journal of Ecology.67(3): 825–842.Bibcode:1979JEcol..67..825B.doi:10.2307/2259217.JSTOR2259217.
  4. ^Turner, Judith; Hodgson, Joyce (1979). "Studies in the Vegetational History of the Northern Pennines: I. Variations in the Composition of the Early Flandrian Forests".Journal of Ecology.67(2): 629–646.Bibcode:1979JEcol..67..629T.doi:10.2307/2259117.JSTOR2259117.
  5. ^Rackham 1986,pp. 306–307.
  6. ^Camilla Bonn (1998). 'That Jack Cunningham wants half of us out of farming', inCountry Life,15 January 1998, pp. 28–35.
  7. ^McDermot, Edward T. (1973) [1911].The History of the Forest of Exmoor.David and Charles.
  8. ^Gimingham, C. H. (1972).Ecology of heathlands.London: Chapman & Hall.ISBN978-1-5041-2639-7.
  9. ^Rackham 1986,pp. 320–321.
  10. ^Buchanan, G. M.; Pearce-Higgins, J. W.; Douglas, D. J.T.; Grant, M. C. (2017). "Quantifying the importance of multi-scale management and environmental variables on moorland bird abundance".Ibis.159(4): 744–756.doi:10.1111/ibi.12488.
  11. ^Norton Anthology of English Literature; Romantic Literature.
  12. ^"Moorland".BBC Nature.BBC.October 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2014.Retrieved3 April2015.Moorlands are upland areas with acidic, low-nutrient and often water-logged soils. In their cold, windy and wet conditions colourful heather plants dominate, growing on the deep peaty layers. These seas of pinks and purples are a haven for many small mammals and insects, but fewer reptiles than on lowland heaths. British moorland may look like wilderness, but it is actually a man-made and highly managed landscape, with regular burning to allow new heather growth. Some 10–15% of the world's moorland is found in the UK, mainly in the north and west of the country.
  13. ^Luteyn, James L. (1999)."Páramo Ecosystem".Páramos: A Checklist of Plant Diversity, Geographical Distribution, and Botanical Literature.Missouri Botanical Garden.(The Páramo Ecosystem) It is concentrated in the northwest corner of South America, mostly in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Sources

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