Slender St John's -wort Hypericum pulchrum SCO 8470
Heathland is defined as being above the limit of enclosed agricultural land and below the montane zone at around 600m, it is widespread across the Scottish hills. Heath is a typical habitat of the cooler oceanic areas, heathlands are found throughout Europe, but the habitat is only extensive around the western oceanic fringes of Europe. The rich purple and pink of a late summer heath is an iconic sight of a Scottish hillside. The heathland is a characteristic component of the Scottish landscape although it is only maintained through human intervention. The heath is much more than just heather - there are a variety of species which are heath specialists including hen harrier and are a rare habitat on a global scale. They are found in cooler climates where the soils are poor in nutrients and where there is sufficient moisture to support the heathland species The UK supports 20% of lowland heath in Europe. Scotland has approximately 20% of that figure, covering of the area of Scotland. Clearly, it is now a scarce resource. Lowland heath is now a threatened habitat as it has come under pressure from the demand for land for agriculture, forestry and development. Areas of heath that do remain at are risk from inappropriate management, either through poor grazing practice or unsuitable burning regimes. There are over 5,000 invertebrate species in the UK that can be found living on heathland. The areas of heath may naturally return to woodland, but as woodland is more common than heath, it is important to conserve what little remains. Important species including Juniper and Skylark can be found on lowland heath.
Size: 4050px × 6038px
Location: Low Moorland, Strathspey, Inverness-shire. Highland Region. Scotland. UK.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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