Page 71 - BBC Wildlife - August 2017 UK

AGENDA ANALYSIS

Vs Heather, or ling as it is also

called, naturally occurs
mixed with numerous other
flora such as bell heather,
bilberry and birch saplings.

THIS WOULD ALL HAVE GONE.”

Moorland owners and gamekeepers have would grow long and scraggy, increasing that – but not just because of the flora: legal
done this, Thompson says, by burning the the opportunity for wild fires, and a glorious control of crows andstoats isanotherreason
vegetation, in places damaging peat-forming Britishhabitat would eventually be lost. ground-nestingbirds dosowell.
blanket bogs, to encourage the heather growth, Showing me around the estate, Paul Wilby “Peregrine falcons give us a bit of stick on
increasing the use of the medicated grit that explains how burning encourages the fresh theside,” admits Wilby, whenIaskhim about
treats grouse for parasites and killing more heather growth on which adult grouse feed. the impact of raptors on the grouse. Red kites
predators, including – illegally – birds of prey. “Burning is like mowing a lawn to invigorate can be a problem, while hen harriers – the
dead anddying heather anddoes not damage bird most commonly linked to predation of
BURNING DEBATE the peat surface,” he says. “You also have to do red grouse – don’t nest on the estate. “They
The Moorland Association,however, which it or starmosses andsoft rushes take over.” will hunt over this way,” Wilby says. “We
represents England’s grouse-moor owners, Well-managed heather moorland is certainly see them here.”
argues that without grouse-shooting, the fantastic for breeding waders such as golden Despite this, Wilby has very clear guidance
moors’ vegetation would change. Heather plovers andlapwings – even the RSPB accepts on how to manage birds of prey. Don’t. “The

1,072 15,000

60% The number of jobs The total area of Great Britain,

estimated to be sustained
2
he number
by grouse shooting in f pairs of in km , classified as heather
moorland, roughly seven per
The percentage of lapwing pairs Scotland (by a report in en harriers cent of our total land area and
that fledge a chick on moorland 2010). Grouse shooting hat nested representing an estimated 75 per
where predator control is carried out contributed £23.3m to the in England cent of all the world’s heather
– compared to 20% in areas with none. Scottish economy, it said. in 2016. moorland habitat.