Journal articles: 'Heathlands'

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Adams, MA, J. Iser, AD Keleher, and DC Cheal. "Nitrogen and Phosphorus Availability and the Role of Fire in Heathlands at Wilsons Promontory." Australian Journal of Botany 42, no. 3 (1994): 269. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9940269.

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Analyses of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in heathland soils at Wilsons Promontory and on Snake Island show that the effects of fire, including repeated fires, are confined to the surface 2 cm. The uppermost soil in long-unburnt heathlands is rich in these elements and usually has a smaller C:N ratio compared with the soil below. Indices of N and P availability (C:N ratios, concentrations of potentially mineralisable N and extractable inorganic P, phosphatase activity) are similar to those in highly productive eucalypt forests-a finding in conflict with past assessments of nutrient availability in heathlands. Phosphatase activity and concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and potentially mineralisable N were less in soils from repeatedly burnt heathlands than in soils from long unburnt heathlands whereas there was a greater concentration of extractable inorganic P in soils from repeatedly burnt heathlands. The balance between nitrogen input and loss is dependent on fire frequency and present-day management of heathland (and other native plant communities with low nutrient capitals) should recognise that over- or under-use of fire will significantly alter soil nutrient pools and availability and that these changes may alter community species composition and productivity.

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Glemarec, Erwan, and Frédéric Bioret. "Assessment of the dynamic trajectories and maritime character of Armorican cliff-top coastal heathlands." Plant Sociology 60, no. 2 (November 10, 2023): 1–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/pls2023602/01.

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Atlantic coastal cliff heathlands are chamaephytic vegetation dominated by Ericaceae, most often associated to Fabaceae (Ulex) and integrated from a phytosociological point of view into alliance of Dactylido oceanicae-Ulicion maritimiGéhu 1975 (class of Calluno vulgaris-Ulicetea minoris Braun-Blanq. & Tüxen ex Klika & Hadač 1944). This alliance gathers coastal heathlands under marine influences whose physiognomy is marked by prostrate or halo-anemomorphic chamaephytes. All Atlantic heathlands are included into habitats of European community interest which justify the designation of Natura 2000 sites. Within these protected areas, heathland conservation or restoration management issues raise the question of the choice of nature and frequency of management methods. For that, it seems important to understand the dynamics of cliff-top coastal heathlands. Stable heathlands, considered as permanent vegetation of primary character, can be managed without any intervention, while heathlands characterized by a progressive dynamic may be subject to interventionist management. The aim of this work is to present the main determinant abiotic and biotic factors driving the cliff-top coastal heathlands. Human uses may influence the composition and structure of these vegetation. This approach helps to assess the primary or secondary character of cliff-top coastal heathlands vegetation, their stability or dynamic. This article clarifies the notions of primitive, primary and secondary coastal heathlands. It proposes criteria to differentiate stable heathlands and unstable heathlands which are characterized by a progressive dynamic towards coastal scrublands or forest: abiotic conditions, floristic combination, physiognomy. The synphytosociological methodology is useful for establishing the typology of the series, permaseries and minoriseries, in which the different types of cliff-top coastal heathlands are included.

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McFarland, DC. "Fire and the Vegetation Composition and Structure of Sub-Tropical Heathlands in Southeastern Queensland." Australian Journal of Botany 36, no. 5 (1988): 533. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9880533.

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Six heathland sites were studied in Cooloola National Park, south-eastern Queensland. Vegetation composition (species present and numbers) and structure (plant density, cover, height and vertical foliage density) were examined at each site with respect to time since last fire (0.5-10.5 years) and the two recognised microhabitat types (dry and wet). No significant change in species numbers or composition was detected in sites more than 1 year after fire, although the changing physical status (density and cover) of some plants could give the impression of species being 'lost' or 'gained' over time. On the basis of the structural attributes of the heathlands, and the maintenance of several obligate seed regenerator species, a minimum fire-free interval of 8 or 10 years is suggested for subtropical heathlands. Results from this study are compared with data collected from other Australian heathlands. In composition and structure, the temporal responses to fire in the Cooloola heathlands are similar to those in southern heathlands, albeit occurring at a possibly faster rate.

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McFarland, DC. "Flower and Seed Phenology of Some Plants in the Subtropical Heathlands of Cooloola National-Park, Queensland, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 38, no. 5 (1990): 501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt9900501.

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The timing and intensity of flowering and seeding of most subtropical heathland plants were examined in five sites that had been unburnt for different lengths of time. For the heathlands in general, most flowering occurs in spring. For those species examined, seed intensity is also greatest in spring. The numbers of species flowering and seeding, and the intensity of these activities, increase to a peak between 4 and 8 years after a fire. There appears to be a decline in reproductive effort in heathlands unburnt for more than 10 years but the data are limited. The percentage of the total heathland flowering and seeding intensity in the dry microhabitat peaks between late autumn and spring. In the wet microhabitat the percentage is greatest between summer and mid autumn. Flower and subsequent seed intensity varies within and between heathland microhabitats on both within-year (seasonal) and between-year (years since last fire) time scales.

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Carbyn, S., P. M. Catling, S. P. Vander Kloet, and S. Basquill. "An Analysis of the Vascular Flora of Annapolis Heathlands, Nova Scotia." Canadian Field-Naturalist 120, no. 3 (July 1, 2006): 351. http://dx.doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v120i3.328.

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A description and analysis of the vascular plant composition of heathlands in the Annapolis valley were undertaken to provide a basis for biodiversity preservation within a system of protected sites. Species presence and abundance were recorded at 23 remnant sites identified using topographic maps, air photos, and Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources records. A total of 126 species was recorded, of which 94 were native and 31 introduced. The Annapolis heathland remnants are strongly dominated by Corema conradii with Comptonia peregrina, Vaccinium angustifolium and Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum. A number of species, including Solidago bicolor, Carex tonsa var. rugosperma, Dichanthelium depauperatum, Lechea intermedia, Melampyrum lineare, and Rubus hispidus, were characteristic of heathland remnants, although they usually contributed little to the total cover. The most frequent alien species were Hieracium pilosella and Festuca filiformis, but Pinus sylvestris, present at 7 of 18 sites, appeared to have the greatest impact in displacing native species. Species listed as at risk and sensitive in Nova Scotia, including Helianthemun canadense, Hudsonia ericoides and Viola sagittata var. ovata, occur in open disturbed sand in the Corema heathlands. Distinctive patterns of variation occur in several species and variation in crop relatives is noted with particular reference to the genera Rubus (blackberries), Amelanchier (Juneberries, Saskatoon) and Vaccinium (Blueberries). The available evidence suggests that the heathlands and sandy barrens in the Annapolis valley differ from those further west in Canada and from anthropogenic and coastal heathlands of Nova Scotia in their species composition including particularly the presence of Corema conradii, Hudsonia ericoides and Amelanchier lucida. The need to protect representative examples is supported.

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Pearl, Hilary, Tim Ryan, Marion Howard, Yoko Shimizu, and Alison Shapcott. "DNA Barcoding to Enhance Conservation of Sunshine Coast Heathlands." Diversity 14, no. 6 (May 29, 2022): 436. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d14060436.

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Conservation priorities and decisions can be informed by understanding diversity patterns and the evolutionary history of ecosystems, and phylogenetic metrics can contribute to this. This project used a range of diversity metrics in concert to examine diversity patterns in the Sunshine Coast heathlands, an ecosystem under intense pressure. The species richness and composition of 80 heathland sites over nine regional ecosystems of heathland on the Sunshine Coast were enhanced with phylogenetic metrics, determined by barcoding 366 heath species of the region. The resulting data were added to an existing phylogeny of regional rainforest species. The diversity metrics for sites and regional ecosystems were compared using univariate and multivariate statistics. The phylogeny from this study, and the low phylogenetic diversity of the heathlands, is consistent with the theory that heath species evolved on the fringes on a wider Australian rainforest flora. Distinctive heathland communities were highlighted, and the existence of geographically scattered, but compositionally similar, phylogenetically even sites points to a possible “refugial environment”, characterised by moisture and instability. This suggests contrasting conservation implications: the protection of distinctive communities but also the management of the dynamic processes in other wet and alluvial “refugial environments”. The potential for more focused conservation priorities is enhanced.

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McFarland, DC. "The Biology of the Ground Parrot, Pezoporus wallicus, in Queensland. III. Distribution and Abundance." Wildlife Research 18, no. 2 (1991): 199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910199.

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Ground parrots in Queensland were found in closed graminoid-heathlands and sedgelands between Maryborough and Coolum on the mainland, and along the west coast of Fraser I. Parrot distribution, when compared to historical data, shows a decline which is a result of habitat destruction or degradation in the northern and southern limits of the species range. The current population is estimated at 2900 birds, with the majority in the heathlands of Cooloola National Park, Wide Bay Military Reserve and the State Forest and the Great Sandy National Park on Fraser I. Ground parrot density varied between sites because of the interactive effects of vegetation type, heathland area, time since and frequency of fire, microhabitat diversity and proximity to recolonisers. Within sites, parrot numbers changed in the long term with time since fire (influence of temporal changes in vegetation structure and seed availability) peaking at 5-8 years after burning, and in the short term with the seasonal effects of dispersal and breeding. Although predators were present their impact on the main populations was considered minimal. All of these factors are, to some extent, influenced by human activities, e.g. clearing and burning of heathlands.

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Ascoli, Davide, Rachele Beghin, Riccardo Ceccato, Alessandra Gorlier, Giampiero Lombardi, Michele Lonati, Raffaella Marzano, Giovanni Bovio, and Andrea Cavallero. "Developing an Adaptive Management approach to prescribed burning: a long-term heathland conservation experiment in north-west Italy." International Journal of Wildland Fire 18, no. 6 (2009): 727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wf07114.

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Calluna vulgaris-dominated heathlands are globally important habitats and extremely scarce outside of north-west Europe. Rotational fire, grazing and cutting by local farmers were dominant features of past heathland management throughout Europe but have been abandoned, altering the historical fire regime and habitat structure. We briefly review research on Calluna heathland conservation management and provide the background and methodology for a long-term research project that will be used to define prescribed fire regimes in combination with grazing and cutting, for management of Calluna heathlands in north-west Italy. We outline the ecological and research issues that drive the fire experiment, making explicit the experimental design and the hypotheses that will be tested. We demonstrate how Adaptive Management can be used to inform decisions about the nature of fire prescriptions where little formal knowledge exists. Experimental plots ranging from 600 to 2500 m2 are treated according to one of eight alternative treatments (various combinations of fire, grazing and cutting), each replicated four times. To date, all treatments have been applied for 4 years, from 2005 to 2008, and a continuation is planned. Detailed measurement of fire characteristics is made to help interpret ecological responses at a microplot scale. The results of the experiment will be fed back into the experimental design and used to inform heathland management practice in north-west Italy.

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Celaya, Rafael, Luis M. M. Ferreira, José M. Lorenzo, Noemí Echegaray, Santiago Crecente, Emma Serrano, and Juan Busqué. "Livestock Management for the Delivery of Ecosystem Services in Fire-Prone Shrublands of Atlantic Iberia." Sustainability 14, no. 5 (February 26, 2022): 2775. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14052775.

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In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, characterized by its humid climate, large rural areas are being abandoned, mostly in less-favoured areas covered by heathlands, which present a low nutritive quality for livestock production. The high combustibility of these shrublands is driving a high wildfire incidence with negative environmental and economic effects. In this review, some aspects on wildfire occurrence and the potential of grazing livestock to reduce woody phytomass and fire risk in heathland-dominated areas whilst maintaining quality production and preserving biodiversity are summarized. Heathlands may be partially improved—converted to grassland—to better meet animals’ nutritional requirements while acting as ‘natural’ firebreaks. The specific grazing behaviour offers the opportunity to combine different domestic herbivores (mixed grazing) to achieve sustainable systems utilizing heterogeneous resources. Cattle, sheep, goats, and horses may have a role in the provision of different ecosystem services such as food production and biodiversity conservation. Genotype x environment interactions shape the ability of animals to cope with poor vegetation conditions, with smaller species and breeds performing better than larger animals. Goats and horses are indicated to arrest woody encroachment. Sustainable grazing systems are affordable in heathland–grassland mosaics by selecting appropriate livestock species and breeds for quality production, thus favouring rural economies and lowering fire risk.

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Alday, Josu G., Leonor Calvo, José Luis Fernández Rodríguez, and Luz Valbuena. "The Soil Seed Bank Role in Mountainous Heathland Ecosystems after Fire and Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilization." Forests 14, no. 2 (January 25, 2023): 226. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f14020226.

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Calluna vulgaris-dominated heathlands are a priority habitat type in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (92/43/ECC, habitat code 4060). In the Iberian Peninsula, the landscape of the Cantabrian Mountain range has great heterogeneity due to human management during the last 10,000 years. Another factor that can affect these communities is the increase in human-induced atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. During the last century, there has been a dramatic increase in N deposition rates. For all these reasons, it is important to know the regeneration dynamics of the heathlands in the context of the disturbances that these communities currently face (i.e., N deposition, fire, and decrease in sheep grazing) in the Cantabrian Mountain range. In this study, we characterized the plant species composition and soil seed bank after prescribed burning in three heathlands on their southern distribution limit in Spain, to gain insights into regenerative capacity and conservation of these communities. The results obtained suggest that the post-burn soil seed bank could restore Calluna-dominated vegetation in these habitats, indicating that the restoration potential from the soil seed bank after wildfires of these habitats is high. Our results also suggest that, in the short term after burning, the main characteristic species such as Calluna and Erica are recovered, which is fundamental to maintain the heathland community structure.

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Martin, Tara G., and Carla P. Catterall. "Do fragmented coastal heathlands have habitat value to birds in eastern Australia?" Wildlife Research 28, no. 1 (2001): 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99096.

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This study investigated the effects of habitat clearance and fragmentation on birds of coastal heathlands in subtropical eastern Australia. Abundance and species composition were compared among two types of cleared habitat (residential suburbs and sugar cane cropland) and four sizes of heathland remnant (1–2 ha, 5–10 ha, 20–50 ha and >500 ha) in summer and winter. Cleared land contained a distinctly different bird species assemblage from heathland remnants. Residential sites contained a distinct suite of species consistent with that described for ‘open/developed land’ habitat elsewhere in the region. In contrast, cane cropland supported very few species. Heathland remnants >500 ha contained high densities of ‘natural-vegetation-dependent’ species, whereas species of open/developed land were absent. Remnants of 1–2 ha had lowered densities of many natural-vegetation-dependent species, and a relatively high abundance of open/developed land species. Some of the avifaunal differences in the >500-ha remnants and 5–50-ha range are probably due to confounding of remnant size with habitat, resulting from selective clearing of the landscape. Most of the heathland birds were intolerant of the matrix habitat (residential and cane cropland), but tolerant of decreased remnant area, down to a threshold of about 5 ha. However, the distinctive floristic associations of heathland vegetation are dependent on an environmental regime (low nutrient, low pH, fire, in some cases inundation) that is unlikely to persist in remnants tens of hectares in size, and longer-term declines in heathland birds, are predicted.

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Fox, B. J. "Small mammal communities in Australian temperate heathlands and forests." Australian Mammalogy 8, no. 3 (July 1, 1985): 153–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am85015.

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Temperate heathlands and forests in Australia are largely restricted to the eastern, southern and south-western coastal margins. Although a small macropodid may be included in some forests the small-mammal assemblages are commonly species from only two metatherian families, bandicoots and dasyurids, and one eutherian family, murid rodents. These native rodents divide into 'old endemics' (Pseudomys, Mastacomys and Melomys) and 'new endemics' (Rattus). Introduced species fill the niches of absent natives rather than 'new' niches, implying few unused resources in these communities. The basic community has one species of Rattus, one dasyurid and one bandicoot and usually one 'old endemic'; additional species from each group are added when greater resources are available. Abundance is low overall, and may reflect reduced productivity; species richness and diversity are usually greater in heathland, but densities are greater in forests and may result from the lower nutrient levels in heathlands. There is a negative correlation between species diversity and latitude, although species diversity depends more on local variables such as habitat diversity. Tasmania has a less diverse fauna, but this may be an island effect as the abundance is generally increased.

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Scholten, Anneloek, and Sophie van Os. "‘Gij moet de heidegrond ontginnen’." De Moderne Tijd 5, no. 3/4 (December 1, 2021): 251–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.5117/dmt2021.3/4.002.scho.

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Abstract ‘You Must Cultivate the Heathland’. The Society of Benevolence and the cultivation of soil in the nineteenth-century press. In the nineteenth century, debates surrounding the cultivation of Dutch soil and processes of civilisation were inextricably linked. This article examines the discourse surrounding cultivation of heathlands in newspaper reports about the Society of Benevolence in the 1820s and 1840s. It considers the way the cultivation of heathland in Drenthe is framed as a civilizing force and reflects on the tensions between nation and region in reporting on this issue, as local economic and cultural interests conflicted with nationalist visions of progress and the interests of urban investors. Comparing Dutch and British reports on the Society, the article also forms a starting point for a transnational perspective on this topic.

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Etherington, J. R., and S. L. Jury. "Heathers and Heathlands." Journal of Ecology 78, no. 3 (September 1990): 850. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2260905.

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GIMINGHAM, C. H. "Heather and heathlands." Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 101, no. 3 (November 1989): 263–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1989.tb00160.x.

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Log, Torgrim, and Anna Marie Gjedrem. "A Fire Revealing Coastal Norway’s Wildland–Urban Interface Challenges and Possible Low-Cost Sustainable Solutions." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 5 (March 4, 2022): 3038. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053038.

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The Calluna vulgaris L. that dominated coastal heathlands of Western Europe were for millennia managed by regular burning cycles for improved grazing. Most places in Norway this practice has, however, been neglected over the last 5–7 decades, resulting in accumulation of above ground biomass including degenerated Calluna and successional fire-prone species, e.g., native juniper (Juniperus communis) and exotic blacklisted Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Today, in dry periods, the heathland represents a fire threat to the increasing number of homes in the wildland–urban interface (WUI), as exemplified by the June 2021 Sotra Island WUI fire. The fire burned 700 ha of encroached heathlands, destroyed three buildings, and threatened settlements. In the present study, the Sotra fire was investigated to understand the fire development and analyse possible risk reducing measures. Photographic material obtained during the fire, weather conditions prior to and during the fire, involved fire fuel, fire spread mechanisms, firefighting response, and possible consequences under slightly changed circumstances were analysed. Compared to previous fires in coastal Norway, the Sotra fire represents a step change in fire development including, e.g., pyrocumulus-like clouds, fire whirls, and fire spread 270 m across a fjord. Preventive measures based on the local context are analysed, including engaging voluntary communities to remove fire-prone fuel, e.g., juniper and Sitka, to create defensible space. Moreover, strategic fire breaks in the terrain, e.g., well-managed heathland strengthening existing fuel breaks, e.g., lakes, cultivated fields, naked rock, and roads, are recommended. Mechanical cutting is suggested as a short-term measure while fenceless grazing may represent a long-term solution to prevent regrowth. During a period of record high energy prices, this may provide free of charge firewood and make way for future local food production, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while reducing the fire risk.

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JURY, S. L. "Preface: Heathers and heathlands." Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 101, no. 3 (November 1989): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1989.tb00159.x.

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Muñoz-Barcia, C. V., L. Lagos, C. A. Blanco-Arias, R. Díaz-Varela, and J. Fagúndez. "Habitat quality assessment of Atlantic wet heathlands in Serra do Xistral, NW Spain." Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica 45, no. 2 (September 4, 2019): 533. http://dx.doi.org/10.18172/cig.3628.

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The assessment of habitat quality, especially in semi-natural managed systems, provides a powerful tool for monitoring short and long-term conservation actions. The Erica mackayana Atlantic wet heathlands of the Serra do Xistral protected area in Galicia, NW Spain, represent a dynamic system with high conservation value associated to traditional management through grazing of free-ranging cattle and wild ponies. Here, we aimed to develop a spatially-explicit, quantitative method for Habitat Quality Assessment, defining an optimum state and the alternative states that may arise from habitat degradation. Vegetation structure, grass-shrub cover ratio, gorse cover, presence of bracken, exotic species such as pine trees and saplings, erosive events and altered hydrological dynamics were identified as the main indicators of habitat degradation. A heterogeneous vegetation structure with a dominant shrub cover of c.0.5 m height and constant gaps among shrubs, with a limited cover of gorse and absence of pine trees, bramble and bracken, and absence of erosive events was recognized as the optimum state. We applied the Habitat Quality Assessment (HQA) method to a pilot area within the Xistral protected site. Wet heathland was the dominant habitat, covering 37.1% of the area. 7.0% of the assessed heathlands were recognized as in the optimum state for habitat quality. Recommendations are made for habitat management to revert low scores, mainly by the adjustment of livestock numbers and the removal of exotic pine trees.

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Laidlaw, W. Scott, and Barbara A. Wilson. "Floristic and structural characteristics of a coastal heathland exhibiting symptoms of Phytophthora cinnamomi infestation in the eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria." Australian Journal of Botany 51, no. 3 (2003): 283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt02100.

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The floristics and structure of heathland vegetation exhibiting symptoms of Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands infestation was assessed at two sites in heathlands at Anglesea, Victoria. There were significant effects in both floristics and structure. Thirteen heathland species were significantly less abundant in diseased areas and 23 species were more abundant. Diseased (infested) vegetation, when compared with non-diseased areas, had less cover of Xanthorrhoea australis and shrub species and a greater cover of sedges, grasses and open ground. Structural differences were observed between heights 0 and 0.6 m, with a decline in cover recorded in diseased vegetation. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination of the floristic data showed a clear separation of diseased and non-diseased vegetation and that changes in floristic composition post-infestation were similar at both sites. Although there was some evidence of regeneration of X. australis, the recovery capacity of other susceptible species at Anglesea is unknown. The long-term consequences of loss of species and structure in the eastern Otways mean that the vegetation is unlikely to return to former status, especially if the pathogen continues to reinfect.

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Power, S. A., C. G. Barker, E. A. Allchin, M. R. Ashmore, and J. N. B. Bell. "Habitat Management: A Tool to Modify Ecosystem Impacts of Nitrogen Deposition?" Scientific World JOURNAL 1 (2001): 714–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2001.379.

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Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has been shown to affect both the structure and the function of heathland ecosystems. Heathlands are semi-natural habitats and, as such, undergo regular management by mowing or burning. Different forms of management remove more or less nutrients from the system, so habitat management has the potential to mitigate some of the effects of atmospheric deposition. Data from a dynamic vegetation model and two field experiments are presented. The first involves nitrogen addition following different forms of habitat management. The second tests the use of habitat management to promote heathland recovery after a reduction in nitrogen deposition. Both modelling and experimental approaches suggest that plant and microbial response to nitrogen is affected by management. Shoot growth and rates of decomposition were lowest in plots managed using more intensive techniques, including mowing with litter removal and a high temperature burn. Field data also indicate that ecosystem recovery from prolonged elevated inputs of nitrogen may take many years, or even decades, even after the removal of plant and litter nitrogen stores which accompanies the more intensive forms of habitat management.

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Hoek, Niels. "The Habitats Directive and Heath: The Strain of Climate Change and N Deposition." European Energy and Environmental Law Review 31, Issue 1 (February 1, 2022): 41–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/eelr2022003.

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The Habitats Directive is the cornerstone of EU nature conservation law charged with both the conservation and restoration of a wide degree of heathlands. However, heathlands in western-Europe are on a steady decline with grim prospects for the future, which can be contributed to the combined effect of nitrogen deposition and climate change. In turn, this article researches the capacity of the Habitats Directive to regulate aforementioned threats. It finds that the Directive is not sufficient with regard to the reintroduction of keystone species, connectivity restoration, climate change adaptation and/or mitigation measures – due to a lack of specific restoration norms. This article also assesses whether a Restoration Directive can serve as a supplementary means of achieving restoration in European heathlands. From an academic perspective, this article contributes to the debate on the functioning of the Habitats Directive and EU environmental law. From a societal perspective, there is a significant concern regarding excessive nitrogen deposition in combination with climate change in various EU countries. Whilst this problem should be studied from a multitude of disciplines, effective legal norms geared towards restoration play a distinctive role in solving this complex puzzle. Habitats Directive – Nitrogen Deposition – Climate Change – EU Nature conservation law – Restoration – Conservation – Heathlands – Restoration Directive – Biodiversity

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Damgaard, Christian. "Adaptive management plans rooted in quantitative ecological predictions of ecosystem processes: putting monitoring data to practical use." Environmental Conservation 49, no. 1 (November 22, 2021): 27–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892921000357.

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SummaryThe adoption of adaptive management plans has been advocated in order to ensure the most effective management of natural habitats. Here, it is demonstrated how a hierarchical structural equation model that is fitted to temporal ecological monitoring data from a number of sites may be used to generate quantitative local ecological predictions and how these predictions may form the basis of adaptive management plans. Local ecological predictions will be made for the cover of the dwarf shrub cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix) on Danish wet heathlands, which is an indicator of the conservation status of wet heathlands under different management scenarios. Based on a realistic example, the model predictions conclude that grazing by livestock on wet heathlands with a relatively low cover of cross-leaved heath cannot be recommended as the only management practice. Generally, ecological monitoring data may be used to generate quantitative and credible local adaptive management plans where uncertainty is taken into account.

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Lazenby, Billie T., Phil Bell, Michael M. Driessen, David Pemberton, and Christopher R. Dickman. "Evidence for a recent decline in the distribution and abundance of the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) in Tasmania, Australia." Australian Mammalogy 41, no. 2 (2019): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am18003.

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The New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) was recognised to be at threat of extinction at an International, National, and Tasmanian State level in 2008, 2010, and 1995, respectively. The species inhabits the floristically diverse dry heathlands and associated vegetation communities that typically arise from mosaic burns. In this regard the New Holland mouse could be considered a flagship species for healthy heathlands. We present 18 years of search and capture records collected since 1998 from Tasmania to show that there has been a contraction over the last nine years from 16 to 2 in the number of sites from which the species has been detected, and more than a 99% reduction in capture-per-unit-effort. These results raise concern as to the viability of the species in Tasmania. Strength of inference regarding the magnitude and causes of decline in distribution and abundance would be improved by regular and systematic monitoring. The considerable overlap between the potential causes of the New Holland mouse’s decline in Tasmania and regional declines in mammal assemblages nationally, suggest that recovery efforts for the New Holland mouse could have positive outcomes for all species inhabiting lowland dry heathlands in Australia.

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Williams, Richard J., Carl-Henrik Wahren, James M. Shannon, Warwick A. Papst, Dean A. Heinze, and James S. Camac. "Fire regimes and biodiversity in Victoria’s alpine ecosystems." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 124, no. 1 (2012): 101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs12101.

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Landscape-scale fires occur in Australian alpine ecosystems once or twice per century, primarily when ignition, regional drought and severe fire weather coincide. When alpine vegetation does burn, there is considerable variation in landscape flammability and fire severity. Regeneration following extensive fires of 2003 and 2006-07 across the Bogong High Plains is occurring in all plant communities (heathlands, grasslands, herbfields and wetlands). In heathland and grassland, vegetation composition has converged towards the long-unburnt state (> 50 years) eight years post fire. There was little effect of variation in fire severity on patterns of regeneration in heathland. In burnt wetlands, Sphagnum cristatum and other dominant species are regenerating; the cover of obligate seeding ericaceous shrubs two years post-fire was positively related to the cover of Sphagnum. The endangered mammal Burramys parvus is also capable of persisting in the alpine landscape after individual large, landscape fires. We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that these fires necessarily had ‘disastrous’ biodiversity consequences. After extensive landscape fires, the primary management objective should be to allow burnt alpine ecosystems to regenerate with minimal subsequent disturbance. Monitoring ecological change in the coming century will be essential for effective management of both fire and biodiversity in alpine ecosystems in Victoria and elsewhere in Australia.

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Kaae, Mathias Emil, Fenjuan Hu, Jesper Leth Bak, Morten Tune Strandberg, and Christian Frølund Damgaard. "How Do Nitrogen Deposition, Mowing, and Deer Grazing Drive Vegetation Changes on Dune Heaths?" Ecologies 5, no. 1 (February 27, 2024): 116–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5010008.

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Heathland vegetation has undergone significant changes in the past century, e.g., due to airborne pollutants and a lack of proper management. Understanding the interactions between these factors in combination is pivotal for heathland conservation. Here, we studied the vegetation changes at a dune heath in a four-year manipulation experiment analysing the combined effects of nitrogen deposition, mowing, and deer grazing. Our results showed no significant effect of nitrogen deposition and deer grazing on plant growth and cover of dwarf shrubs within the experimental plots. However, high loads of nitrogen decreased bryophyte cover and increased the growth and cover of sand sedge Carex arenaria L. Mowing adversely affected the dwarf shrub community, e.g., the dwarf shrub species crowberry Empetrum nigrum L., and facilitated increased cover and plant growth of graminoids. Plant growth and the cover of C. arenaria increased in plots without deer grazing, whereas bryophyte cover decreased significantly without grazing. We do not recommend intensive mowing of vegetation as a conservation method for dune heaths because it promotes graminoids. From a conservation aspect, it is essential to consider the effect of deer on heathlands because they both impede some species and benefit others and mitigate the adverse effects of nitrogen deposition on dune heaths.

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Wooller, R. D., and S. J. Wooller. "The role of non-flying animals in the pollination of Banksia nutans." Australian Journal of Botany 51, no. 5 (2003): 503. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt02063.

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Banksia nutans is a common, 1 m high, bushy shrub that flowers over summer in the sandplain heathlands on the southern coast of Western Australia. It appears to be principally pollinated by the honey possum, Tarsipes rostratus. This tiny (7–10 g) marsupial is the most abundant and widespread mammal in one large heathland where 97% of honey possums trapped near B. nutans were found to carry its pollen. An experiment was conducted that regulated access to flowers by different groups of pollinators. Exclosures around bushes removed access to flowers by flying animals, but still allowed honey possums to visit the flowers. This treatment resulted in fruit set that was not significantly different from bushes to which all animals had access. Exclusion of animal visitors resulted in significantly lower (albeit substantial) fruit set. This indicates a capacity for self-pollination that may offset the apparent reliance of Banksia nutans on honey possums for pollination.

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Gloaguen, J. C. "Post-burn succession on Brittany heathlands." Journal of Vegetation Science 1, no. 2 (April 1990): 147–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3235653.

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Brears, Peter. "Brooms and Hurdles from the Heathlands." Folk Life 42, no. 1 (January 2003): 123–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/flk.2003.42.1.123.

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WEBB, N. R. "The traditional management of European heathlands." Journal of Applied Ecology 35, no. 6 (June 28, 2008): 987–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.1998.tb00020.x.

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Brears, Peter. "Brooms and Hurdles from the Heathlands." Folk Life - Journal of Ethnological Studies 42, no. 1 (January 1, 2003): 123–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/043087703798237345.

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Morvan, N., F. Burel, J. Baudry, P. Tréhen, A. Bellido, Y. R. Delettre, and D. Cluzeau. "Landscape and fire in Brittany heathlands." Landscape and Urban Planning 31, no. 1-3 (February 1995): 81–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0169-2046(94)01037-9.

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Cristofoli, Sara, Julien Piqueray, Marc Dufrêne, Jean-Philippe Bizoux, and Grégory Mahy. "Colonization Credit in Restored Wet Heathlands." Restoration Ecology 18, no. 5 (September 2010): 645–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100x.2008.00495.x.

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Sevink, J., E. A. Koster, B. van Geel, and J. Wallinga. "Drift sands, lakes, and soils: the multiphase Holocene history of the Laarder Wasmeren area near Hilversum, the Netherlands." Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw 92, no. 4 (December 2013): 243–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0016774600000196.

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AbstractA unique complex of multiphased Holocene drift sands and paleosols, with at least two lacustrine phases, was discovered during a major sanitation project in the Laarder Wasmeren area near Hilversum, the Netherlands. The complex could be studied in detail, highly facilitated by the excellent and large-scale exposure of the various deposits and soils. OSL dating was used to establish ages of the phases, where possible differentiating between time of deposition and time of burial by taking into account the potential effects of bioturbation. Pollen analysis served to reconstruct the vegetation during the various phases.A first minor phase of aeolian activity already started before approx. 5,000 BC, followed around 4,000 BC by a second phase and a rather massive third phase around 3,000 BC. After a long phase of soil formation, the latest, massive drift sand phase started around the 14th to 15th century. It clearly represents the classic drift sand phase that started in the Late Middle Ages in the Netherlands. Sand drifting followed on soil forming phases during which the vegetation became increasingly dominated by ericaceous plants and culminated in heathlands. The first three aeolian phases and associated heathlands are much older than generally assumed for heathland and drift sand to occur in the Netherlands. Moreover, podzolisation was found to have started very early, true podzols already occurring before 4,000 BC.Around 3,000 BC groundwater in the area reached a maximum altitude of about 230 cm +NAP, resulting in local open water in the area. This rise is probably linked to the development of the Dutch coastal area, where at that time peat accumulated and drainage was poor, inducing a rise of the groundwater level in ‘het Gooi’. This groundwater level fell later on, to never reach this altitude again. The Groot Wasmeer was formed by local stagnation on a slowly permeable podzol and already reached a level of 320-325 cm +NAP by 400 BC, which more or less equals its 20thcentury level.The results demonstrate that earlier concepts on the occurrence and age of aeolian phases, podzols and heathland vegetations in the Netherlands are far too schematic, and that early, pre-agricultural cultures may already have had an impact on the stability of fragile cover sand landscapes, e.g. through burning. Results are in line with those from several contemporary studies on early prehistoric cultures and their impact in river dune areas in the Central and Eastern Netherlands.

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Misset, M. T. "Meiotic abnormalities during microsporogenesis and low fertility in prostrate ecotypes of Ulex species (Papilionoideae, Genisteae)." Canadian Journal of Botany 70, no. 6 (June 1, 1992): 1223–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b92-154.

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Prostrate ecotypes of the species Ulex europaeus and Ulex gallii occurring in coastal heathlands of Brittany, France frequently exhibit irregularities during meiosis that lead to partial or total male sterility. Microsporogenesis in prostrate individuals grown in an experimental garden located far from the coast appears to be normal. Their fertility is also higher, as shown by counts made on seeds and pods. Comparison of plants growing in both places suggests that the low level of fertility may be due to environmental factors like drought or salinity. On the other hand, there is no correlation between the prostrate habit and the impairment of microsporogenesis under stress. Key words: water stress, microsporogenesis, Ulex, coastal heathlands.

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Latorre, Andrés Vicente Pérez, Oscar Gavira, and Baltasar Cabezudo. "Ecomorphology and phenomorphology of Mediterranean heathlands (SW Iberian Peninsula)." Phytocoenologia 37, no. 2 (May 31, 2007): 239–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0340-269x/2007/0037-0239.

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Minsavage-Davis, Charles D., and G. Matt Davies. "Evaluating the Performance of Fire Rate of Spread Models in Northern-European Calluna vulgaris Heathlands." Fire 5, no. 2 (April 6, 2022): 46. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire5020046.

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Land-use, climate, and policy changes have impacted the fire regimes of many landscapes across northern Europe. Heathlands in oceanic climates are globally important ecosystems that have experienced an increase in the prevalence of destructive wildfire. Many of these landscapes are also managed using traditional prescribed burning that enhances their structural diversity and agricultural productivity. The changing role of wild and managed fire highlights a necessity to better understand the performance of fire behaviour prediction models for these ecosystems to support sustainable fire risk management. Our research evaluates the outputs of several empirical and quasi-empirical prediction models, as well as their varying software implementations, against observations of fire behaviour. The Rothermel model and its implementations predict rates of spread with similar accuracy to baseline empirical models and provide tolerable estimates of observed fire rate of spread. The generic shrubland empirical model developed by Anderson et al. consistently overpredicts observed rates of spread for prescribed burns in target fuel structures, but its predictions otherwise have a strong correlation with observed spread rate. A range of empirical models and software tools thus appear appropriate to assist managers who wish to evaluate potential fire behaviour and assess risk in heathland landscapes.

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Osoro, K., L. M. M. Ferreira, U. García, A. Martínez, and R. Celaya. "Forage intake, digestibility and performance of cattle, horses, sheep and goats grazing together on an improved heathland." Animal Production Science 57, no. 1 (2017): 102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an15153.

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A mixed herd of five cows, five mares, 32 ewes and 32 goats was managed with their offspring during two consecutive years in a paddock (22.3 ha) with 76% of heathlands and 24% of improved pasture area, with the aim of studying their differences in ingestive behaviour and performance. Diet composition, dry matter intake (DMI) and digestibility (DMD) were estimated on three occasions using the alkane technique, and all animals were periodically weighed to calculate bodyweight (BW) changes per livestock unit (LU). Goats selected higher proportions of shrubs than the other herbivore species (P < 0.001). Overall, daily DMI was higher (P < 0.001) in equines (218 g/kg BW0.75) than in ruminants (174, 121 and 80 g/kg BW0.75 for cattle, goats and sheep, respectively), whereas DMD was lower (P < 0.001) in equines (569 g/kg DM) compared with ruminants (733–791 g/kg DM). During the first half of the grazing season (from late April to mid-July), dams’ BW changes per LU did not differ between species. However, during late summer–autumn lower (P < 0.001) BW losses per LU were observed in sheep and goats (–89 g/day) than in cattle (–534 g/day), being intermediate in horses (–254 g/day). For the overall grazing season, ewes and goats showed greater (P = 0.056) BW gains per LU (338 g/day) than cows and mares (178 g/day). Regarding the offspring, BW gains per LU were greater (P < 0.001) in lambs (3612 g/day) than in other species. Calves presented greater gains than kids (2647 vs 1909 g/day.LU), whereas foals showed intermediate gains (2385 g/day.LU). Therefore, under these conditions of partially improved heathlands, sheep was the most productive species. However, looking at the diet selection and digestibility, goats could complement sheep or cattle herds by achieving a more efficient utilisation of heathland vegetation, and increasing overall productivity per hectare. By contrast, horses, having high levels of grass intake, compete with cattle and sheep for pasture utilisation.

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Calvo, L., R. Tárrega, and E. Luis. "Changes of Species Richness in Heathland Communities over 15 Years following Disturbances." International Journal of Forestry Research 2012 (2012): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/547120.

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The aim of this study was to define the species richness patterns over a period of 15 years during the vegetation recovery process after disturbances (burning, cutting and ploughing) in heathlands. Three communities were selected: two dominated byErica australisand one dominated byCalluna vulgaris. The alpha and gamma diversity patterns were site specific and influenced by the ecological traits of dominant shrub species. The shrubland dominated byErica australis, typical resprouters with a fast regeneration, showed the highest values of alpha and gamma diversity during the first 7 years of regeneration. The heathland dominated byCalluna vulgaris, an obligate seeder, had a contrasting pattern of alpha and gamma diversity, as the highest values appeared from year 7 until year 14. Thus, the speed of regeneration of the dominant shrub species could be the main factor affecting structural parameters in these communities. Species richness patterns did not vary in relation to the different types of perturbation. Cutting and burning would be the most suitable forestry management strategies to conserveErica australisheathlands, but burning is more appropriate inCalluna vulgarisones because cutting modified this community.

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González-Hernández, María Pilar, and Juan Gabriel Álvarez-González. "Estimating Energy Concentrations in Wooded Pastures of NW Spain Using Empirical Models That Relate Observed Metabolizable Energy to Measured Nutritional Attributes." Sustainability 13, no. 24 (December 8, 2021): 13581. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su132413581.

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Wooded pastures serve as a traditional source of forage in Europe, where forest grazing is valued as an efficient tool for maintaining the diversity of semi-natural habitats. In a forest grazing setting with diverse diet composition, assessing the energy content of animal diets can be a difficult task because of its dependency on digestibility measures. In the present study, prediction equations of metabolizable energy (ME) were obtained performing stepwise regression with data (n = 297; 44 plant species) on nutritional attributes (Acid Detergent Fiber, lignin, silica, dry matter, crude protein, in vitro organic matter digestibility) from 20 representative stands of Atlantic dry heathlands and pedunculate oak woodlands. The results showed that the prediction accuracy of ME is reduced when the general model (R2 = 0.64) is applied, as opposed to the use of the specific prediction equations for each vegetation type (R2 = 0.61, 0.66, 0.71 for oak woodlands; R2 = 0.70 heather-gorse dominated heathlands, R2 = 0.41 continental heathlands). The general model tends to overestimate the ME concentrations in heaths with respect to the observed ME values obtained from IVOMD as a sole predictor, and this divergence could be corrected by applying the specific prediction equations obtained for each vegetation type. Although the use of prediction equations by season would improve accuracy in the case of a Winter scenario, using the general model as opposed to the prediction equations for Spring, Summer or Fall would represent a much smaller loss of accuracy.

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Doyle, Kathleen M., Timothy J. Fahey, and Robert D. Paratley. "Subalpine Heathlands of the Mahoosuc Range, Maine." Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 114, no. 4 (October 1987): 429. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2995999.

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41

Ashurst, Adrian. "Heathlands Village care home: a first impression." Nursing and Residential Care 20, no. 8 (August 2, 2018): 413–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2018.20.8.413.

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Delerue, Florian, Maya Gonzalez, David L. Achat, Luc Puzos, and Laurent Augusto. "Competition along productivity gradients: news from heathlands." Oecologia 187, no. 1 (March 24, 2018): 219–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4120-8.

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43

Gallet, Sébastien, and Françoise Roze. "Conservation of heathland by sheep grazing in Brittany (France): Importance of grazing period on dry and mesophilous heathlands." Ecological Engineering 17, no. 4 (August 2001): 333–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0925-8574(00)00136-1.

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Ojeda, F., T. Maranon, and J. Arroyo. "Postfire Regeneration of a Mediterranean Heathland in Southern Spain." International Journal of Wildland Fire 6, no. 4 (1996): 191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wf9960191.

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Fire is a recurrent disturbance in the vegetation of Mediterranean climate regions. Most of the woody species (16 out of 19) in a Mediterranean heathland community, in the Strait of Gibraltar region of southern Spain, sprouted from subterranean vegetative organs after a wild-fire. Dominant sprouters were the prostrated oak Quercus lusitanica, three gorses, Genista tridens, G. tridentata and Stauracanthus boivinii, and a heath, Erica scoparia. About 100 seedlings m-2 of 14 woody species were censused in the first three years after fire. The highest density of seedlings was recorded for heather (Calluna vulgaris), a rockrose (Cistus populifolius subsp. major) and a gorse (Genista triacanthos). Woody vegetation covered up to 85% of the soil surface in the third year after fire. At this stager the community was co-dominated by the sprouters Quercus lusitanica (21%), Genista tridentata (21%) and Stauracanthus boivinii (20%), and the seeder Cistus populifolius subsp. major (20%). A total of 52 herbaceous species, many of them (35) perennials, was recorded, showing a temporal change in species composition. The role of fire influencing community diversity and the consequences for the conservation of heathlands in the Strait of Gibraltar region, are discussed.

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Kopittke, G. R., E. E. van Loon, A. Tietema, and D. Asscheman. "Soil respiration on an aging managed heathland: identifying an appropriate empirical model for predictive purposes." Biogeosciences 10, no. 5 (May 6, 2013): 3007–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3007-2013.

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Abstract. Heathlands are cultural landscapes which are managed through cyclical cutting, burning or grazing practices. Understanding the carbon (C) fluxes from these ecosystems provides information on the optimal management cycle time to maximise C uptake and minimise C output. The interpretation of field data into annual C loss values requires the use of soil respiration models. These generally include model variables related to the underlying drivers of soil respiration, such as soil temperature, soil moisture and plant activity. Very few studies have used selection procedures in which structurally different models are calibrated, then validated on separate observation datasets and the outcomes critically compared. We present thorough model selection procedures to determine soil heterotrophic (microbial) and autotrophic (root) respiration for a heathland chronosequence and show that soil respiration models are required to correct the effect of experimental design on soil temperature. Measures of photosynthesis, plant biomass, photosynthetically active radiation, root biomass, and microbial biomass did not significantly improve model fit when included with soil temperature. This contradicts many current studies in which these plant variables are used (but not often tested for parameter significance). We critically discuss a number of alternative ecosystem variables associated with soil respiration processes in order to inform future experimental planning and model variable selection at other heathland field sites. The best predictive model used a generalized linear multi-level model with soil temperature as the only variable. Total annual soil C loss from the young, middle and old communities was calculated to be 650, 462 and 435 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively.

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Vera, Manuel, R. Romero, M. A. Rodríguez-Guitián, R. M. Barros, C. Real, and C. Bouza. "Phylogeography and genetic variability of the Arnica montana chemotypes in NW Iberian Peninsula." Silvae Genetica 63, no. 1-6 (December 1, 2014): 293–300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/sg-2014-0037.

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AbstractThe threatened European species Arnica montana L. is a plant much appreciated in the pharmaceutical industry, Galicia (North-Western Spain) being one of the main supply regions. Two chemotypes based on the content of sesquiterpene lactones have been found in this area: a chemotype dominated by helenalins, common in Central Europe, and another dominated by dihydrohelenalins, only found currently in Galicia. The aim of this work was to analyse the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity of Arnica montana in Galicia and their concordance with previous biochemical and environmental information. Two polymorphic chloroplast markers were sequenced in individuals from populations showing significant biochemical differences and situated in different environments (heathland, hay-meadow and peatland). Three haplotypes, different from those previously described in Europe, were found in Galicia and our results suggest that one of them could be ancestral inside the species. Significant population differentiation was detected in the studied area but genetic diversity within populations was low, only showing variability in heathland populations. This study is the first one describing the genetic diversity of Arnica montana in the extreme SW of Europe. The results suggested the presence of two different genetic groups (one of them ancestral) and were congruent with the two chemotypes described. Plants from heathlands displayed the highest variability because the two chemotypes were present in them. Future design of conservation and economical management plans for this threatened species should take into account this genetic variability and prioritize further genetic and chemical characterizations across the distribution range of the species.

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Härdtle, Werner, Thomas Niemeyer, Thorsten Assmann, Hartmut Meyer, and Goddert Von Oheimb. "Can prescribed burning compensate for atmospheric nutrient loads in wet heathlands?" Phytocoenologia 37, no. 2 (May 31, 2007): 161–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0340-269x/2007/0037-0161.

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Hacala, Axel, Clément Gouraud, Wouter Dekoninck, and Julien Pétillon. "Relative Efficiency of Pitfall vs. Bait Trapping for Capturing Taxonomic and Functional Diversities of Ant Assemblages in Temperate Heathlands." Insects 12, no. 4 (March 30, 2021): 307. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects12040307.

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Whereas bait and pitfall trappings are two of the most commonly used techniques for sampling ant assemblages, they have not been properly compared in temperate open habitats. In this study, taking advantage of a large-scale project of heathland restoration (three sites along the French Atlantic Coast forming a north-south gradient), we evaluated the relative efficiency of these two methods for assessing both taxonomic and functional diversities of ants. Ants were collected and identified to species level, and six traits related to morphology, behavior (diet, dispersal and maximum foraging distance), and social life (colony size and dominance type) were attributed to all 23 species. Both observed and estimated species richness were significantly higher in pitfalls compared to spatially pair-matched bait traps. Functional richness followed the same pattern, with consistent results for both community weighted mean (CWM) and Rao’s quadratic entropy. Taxonomic and functional diversities from pitfall assemblages increased from north to south locations, following a pattern frequently reported at larger spatial scales. Bait trapping can hardly be considered a complementary method to pitfall trapping for sampling ants in open temperate habitats, as it appears basically redundant with the latter sampling method, at least in coastal heathlands of the East-Atlantic coast.

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Mandaluniz, N., A. Aldezabal, and L. M. Oregui. "Atlantic mountain grassland-heathlands: structure and feeding value." Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 7, no. 1 (March 1, 2009): 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2009071-405.

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Furgoł, Michał, Agata Piwnik, and Konrad Wiśniewski. "Five springtail (Collembola) species inhabiting heathlands in Poland." Entomologica Fennica 30, no. 4 (December 2, 2019): 186–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.33338/ef.87176.

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We report the presence of five Collembola species from western Poland, three of which were recorded in this country for the first time – Bourletiella pistillum Gisin, 1964 (Bourletiellidae), Lepidocyrtus tellecheae Arbea & Jordana 1990 (Entomobryidae) and Isotoma caerulea Bourlet, 1839 (Isotomidae). Seira dollfusi Carl, 1899 (Entomobryidae) was earlier known solely from a single, old report. Pachyotoma topsenti (Denis, 1948) (Isotomidae) is generally considered a rare species in the region. Though generally infrequently encountered, all five species occur in very high numbers in our plots and they are among the dominant springtails. The habitats surveyed in the study, i.e. dry Calluna-heathlands and their accompanying habitats are endangered in Central Europe and require active management. In one of the studied plots, a prescribed burn was applied to rejuvenate the heather. We discuss the distribution and habitat preferences of the five species in the European context and their possible significance as indicators of different habitat types.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Heathlands'

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