Consideraciones finales

(From RDS Moorland Line Representations 2004, Ecological guidance for site assessments)

2. Site assessment

2.1 Introduction

The first part of this section covers the criteria on which land should be assessed (2.2 to 2.5). The second part deals with arranging site visits, preparation and completing the assessment form (2.6 to 2.7).

The minimum mapping unit for the Moorland Line is 5 ha. Areas of less than 5 ha can be mapped or re-designated, provided that they form part of a polygon either of moorland or non-moorland which is a minimum of 5 ha. Natural rock outcrops are a feature of many upland areas, and they can count towards the area considered to be upland semi-natural vegetation.

2.2 How is moorland within the Moorland Line defined?

• The Moorland Line is mapped (primarily from air photo interpretation) to features which are clearly defined by a 1:25,000 map of the area, such as walls, roads, or watercourses. These features do not necessarily define a parcel boundary.

• More than half of the land within the Moorland Line will comprise semi-natural habitats, or a mix of semi-natural habitats and rock.

• Any visible (but not necessarily stock-proof) enclosures inside the Moorland Line (e.g. allotments, intake), should have more than a 50% cover of semi-natural upland habitats to be classified as moorland. Natural rock outcrops can count towards the cover of semi natural upland habitats.

• The definition of moorland, as used in the original Moorland Line consultation is: • "Land with predominantly semi-natural upland vegetation, or comprised

predominantly of rock outcrops and semi-natural upland vegetation, used primarily for rough grazing; including enclosed land such as allotments, ffridd or reverted in- bye.

If more than 50% of the land under consideration contains one or more of the semi-natural upland vegetation types listed below, it should be classified as moorland.

Semi-natural upland vegetation consists mainly of species characteristic of grassy and shrubby upland heaths and moors, along with enclosed lands that have had little or no agricultural inputs or cultivations in recent times.

28 Examples of species indicative of semi-natural vegetation

Grasses

Bents (Agrostis canina, capillaris, curtisii, stolonifera.) Fescues (Festuca ovina, rubra.)

Wavy hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa) Blue moor grass (Sesleria albicans) Purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) Mat grass (Nardus stricta) Ferns

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) Shrubs or heath

Heather (Calluna vulgaris; Erica spp) Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

Cowberry (Vaccinium vitiis-idaea) Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Gorse (Ulex spp.)

Rushes, sedges, bog mosses

Cotton grass (Eriophorum spp.)

Deer-grass (Trichophorum cespitosum) Heath rush (Juncus squarrosus) Bog mosses (Sphagnum spp)

High altitude sites may also contain montane species, for example: Stiff sedge (Carex bigelowii)

Woolly hair moss (Racomitrium lanuginosum) Cladonia lichens

2.3 Recognising semi-natural upland habitats in the field

Examples of semi-natural upland habitat types

The species listed in section 2.2 will variously be components in semi-natural upland habitat types that are easily recognisable in the field, which would be classified as moorland. Examples of semi-natural upland habitat types to be classified as moorland:

1. Unimproved acid grassland (e.g. dominated by mat grass and/or heath rush, or wavy hair grass, sometimes with non-dominant bent and fescue).

2. Dwarf shrub heaths (dominated by Calluna vulgaris and / or Erica spp. and Vaccinium spp. and including wet heaths).

3. Heath containing or dominated by western gorse (Ulex gallii) is included as dwarf shrub heath. Western gorse is smaller than common gorse (Ulex europaeus), and comes into flower between July and September (common gorse is March to June). Fields that are predominantly improved or semi-improved with a few patches of western gorse should not be classified as moorland.

29 5. Blanket bog (including blanket bog dominated by cotton grass or purple moor grass, with

very few of no dwarf shrubs, or bogmosses).

6. Bracken stands (but not bracken stands that have developed on agriculturally improved land).

7. Calcareous grassland dominated by blue moor grass in limestone areas. Calcareous grassland dominated by bent and fescue can be classified as moorland if it occurs on unenclosed land.

8. Mosaics of the above vegetation types can contribute towards the total area of semi- natural upland vegetation on the site in question.

9. Valley mire and flush. Both habitats have a directional flow of water through them and usually occur along natural drainage lines. Rush dominated valley mire and flush should not be confused with rush pastures, where rushes have colonised fields that have undergone a degree of agricultural improvement.

10. Small areas of woodland and scrub - see section 2.3.2 Woodland and scrub

Broadleaved and mixed woodland of 5ha and over is to be mapped as a separate category (i.e. not moorland). In the original Moorland Line mapping, only 433ha of such land was identified in England.

Scattered trees and scrub (and occasionally areas of closed canopy woodland) may form part of the semi-natural vegetation around the fringes of upland areas, and also in valleys in unenclosed land. Though these areas may be the remnants of once more extensive areas of woodland that developed naturally in the uplands, they should be regarded as upland semi- natural vegetation. Areas of broadleaved and mixed woodland under 5ha should not be mapped differently from the surrounding vegetation.

Tree and scrub species found in and around upland areas include sessile oak (Quercus petraea), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), mountain ash or rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), birch (Betula spp.), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), sloe (Prunus spinosa), juniper (Juniperus communis) and common gorse (Ulex europaeus). Alder (Alnus glutinosa) and willow (Salix spp.) may be present in wet areas.

30 Classifying woodland areas as moorland or non - moorland:

1. Areas of closed canopy woodland of 5ha or more situated on open fell land should not be classified as moorland.

2. Scattered trees and scrub situated in allotments/intakes/newtakes should not affect the determination of moorland classification; refer to whatever the dominant vegetation types are (e.g. dwarf shrub heath etc.).

3. All planted woodland (including conifer plantations) and scrub cannot be regarded as upland semi-natural vegetation, even if it is surrounded by open fell.

4. Scrub and woodland that has developed on land that has previously been improved or semi-improved cannot be regarded as upland semi-natural vegetation. It is usually dominated by common gorse (Ulex europaeus), but hawthorn, sloe and other shrubs may be present. The surrounding habitat (usually semi-improved grassland) will still contain species indicative of agricultural improvement (see section 2.4).

2.4 Land that should not be classified as moorland

1. Land that contains 50% or more improved or semi-improved grassland, or where cultivation, liming or fertilizing has had a significant effect on the vegetation, should not be classified as moorland. The grassland on such sites will usually have a much greener and more even appearance than unimproved grassland, and will contain species indicative of agricultural improvement (see below).

2. Enclaves of enclosed improved or semi-improved grassland surrounded by open fell are not classified as moorland unless they are less than 5 ha.

3. Improved or semi-improved grasslands that have over the years been invaded by either rushes (e.g. Juncus effusus, Juncus acutiflorus, Juncus articulatus), gorse (Ulex spp.) or bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) should not be included as moorland.

4. Marsh or marshy grassland, occurring on more or less level low lying ground and commonly having high proportions of purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) or rush (Juncus spp.) are not moorland areas. For the same reason specific lowland areas found in Devon and North East Cornwall which are generally known as the ‘Culm grasslands’ are also excluded. Lowland raised bogs are also not classified as moorland areas.

Example of species indicative of agricultural improvement