The ecological changes of Breckland grass heaths and the consequences of management.
Abstract
Breckland grass heaths surveyed in 1981 were resurveyed (9 only) in 1989. Rabbit-grazed sites supported lichens, cushion-forming mosses, winter annuals and had higher percentage of bare ground compared with sheep-grazed and ungrazed sites which had higher percentage of competitive grasses and hemicryptophyte herbs. Sites which had been rotovated had shorter grass, higher abundance of lichens and annual plants, less OM greater rabbit activity than control plots. It was concluded that encouraging rabbits and disturbing the soil were essential in maintaining ephemeral-rich and lichen-rich grasses of these heaths.