Moorland

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Moorland (disambiguation).
Extensive moorland in the Desert of Wales

Moorland or moor is a type of

lowland zones which are more likely to be the result of human activity.[1]
Moorland habitats mostly occur in
climatic change
.

Heather moorland

Calluna vulgaris

sphagnum moss merging into bog-land.[1]

There is uncertainty about how many moors were created by human activity.

pollen analysis shows that some moorland, such as in the islands and extreme north of Scotland, are clearly natural, never having had trees,[2] whereas much of the Pennine moorland area was forested in Mesolithic times.[3] How much the deforestation was caused by climatic changes and how much by human activity is uncertain.[1]

Ecology

Kilimanjaro

A variety of distinct

Exmoor Pony, a rare horse breed which has adapted to the harsh conditions in England's Exmoor
.

In Europe, the associated

common viper is frequent, though in other regions moorlands are commonly home to dozens of reptile species. Amphibians such as frogs are well represented in moorlands. When moorland is overgrazed, woody vegetation is often lost, being replaced by coarse, unpalatable grasses and bracken
, with a greatly reduced fauna.

Some hill

Lonk, thrive on the austere conditions of heather moors.[4]

Management

Burning of moorland has been practised for a number of reasons, for example, when grazing is insufficient to control growth. This is recorded in Britain in the fourteenth century.[5] Uncontrolled burning frequently caused (and causes) problems and was forbidden by statute in 1609.[citation needed] With the rise of sheep and grouse management 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 alternative bracken and rough grass growth, which ultimately produces poorer grazing.[6] As a result, burning is now a controversial practice; Rackham calls it "second-best land management".[1]

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 a wildfire burning 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 for passerine abundance, 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.[7]

Moorland in literature

Dartmoor in winter covered in snow. Several tors top the sparsely vegetated hills.

The development of a sensitivity to nature and one's physical surroundings grew with the rise of interest in

Mr Rochester
.

Warriors
series, one of the four Clans, WindClan, lives in the moorland alone.

Michael Jecks, author of Knights Templar Mysteries, sets his books in and around Dartmoor, England. Paul Kingsnorth’s Beast is 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

Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands

Ethiopia

Kenya

Rwanda

  • Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands

Sudan

  • East African montane moorlands
  • Ethiopian montane moorlands

Tanzania

  • East African montane moorlands
  • Kilimanjaro
  • Mount Meru

Uganda

  • East African montane moorlands

Europe

Austria

Belgium

France

Germany

The Netherlands

Great Britain

Great Britain is home to an estimated 10–15% of the world's moors.[9] Notable areas of upland moorland in Britain include the Lake District, the Pennines (including the Dark Peak and Forest of Bowland), Mid Wales, the Southern Uplands of Scotland, the Scottish Highlands, and a few pockets in the West Country.

Oswaldtwistle Moor, part of the West Pennine Moors, in Lancashire, UK

Spain

Moorlands are called páramos in Spanish. They are particularly common in

Northern Spain and the Meseta Central
.

North America

US

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

South America

Argentina and Chile

Colombia

Colombia is one of only three countries in the world to be home to páramo (tropical moorland) and more than 60% of the paramo regions are found on its soil.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84212-440-6.[page needed
    ]
  2. JSTOR 2259217
    .
  3. JSTOR 2259117
    .
  4. ^ Camilla Bonn (1998). 'That Jack Cunningham wants half of us out of farming', in Country Life, 15 January 1998, pp. 28–35.
  5. ^ McDermot, Edward T. (1973) [1911]. The History of the Forest of Exmoor. David and Charles.
  6. ISBN 978-1-5041-2639-7
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/ibi.12488
    .
  8. ^ Norton Anthology of English Literature; Romantic Literature.
  9. BBC Nature. BBC. October 2014. Archived from the original
    on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2015. 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.
  10. ^ 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.
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