Upland
Upland habitats include the many 'open' habitats found above the
upper limits of agricultural enclosure (usually around 250 - 400
m). These include heaths, bogs, rough grasslands, and also rocky
habitats such as screes and ledges, and mountain habitats. They
cover in total around one-third of Britain's land surface. These
open habitats have important interfaces with other habitats such as
native woodlands and freshwaters, and support a wide range of
species.
The uplands have suffered huge losses of some habitats and
associated species over a long period of time. Since the 1950s,
conifer plantations, acid grasslands and so-called 'improved' hill
pastures have replaced many of the more natural upland habitats.
There have also been reductions in the cover and quality of some of
the more natural components of habitats, largely due to heavy
grazing and burning pressures, but also due to atmospheric
deposition.
To reverse this trend and to re-establish healthy and
biodiverse upland areas, Habitat Action Plans for the uplands have
been published as part of the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan. There
are four upland UK BAP Priority Habitats:
JNCC advises government on issues affecting upland habitats
across the UK. The
Upland Lead Co-ordination Network (LCN) was
established to assist the JNCC carry out its special functions.
Current and recent key work areas include:
- Development of Common Standards for Monitoring (CSM);
- Improving data and information availability on the extent and
condition of upland habitats;
- Disseminating specialist knowledge on issues affecting the
conservation and management of upland habitats;
- Chairing and supporting the work of the UK Upland Habitat
Action Plan Steering Group, a wider forum which supports the
implementation of Habitat Action Plans for the uplands.
Weblinks to some key UK upland projects
There are so many interesting and valuable projects underway in
the UK uplands that it can be difficult to remember which is which
and who is doing what! This spreadsheet brings together the
weblinks to some of the key projects that are underway or recently
completed throughout the UK, giving a brief description and contact
details. If you know of any projects with an upland interest and
information on a webpage please email the webpage URL to
and they will be
added to the list. Download
spreadsheet
The network has contributed to a range of reports and other
publications.
Resources
Caring for our uplands - Free leaflet
Download or available from
An illustrated guide to British upland
vegetation.
Averis, AM, Averis, ABG, Birks, HJB,
Horsfield, D, Thompson, DBA & Yeo, MJM
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.
The British uplands: dynamics of
change.
Burt, TP, Thompson, DBA & Warburton, J (eds.) (2002)
JNCC Report 319
Summary descriptions of National Vegetation
Classification grassland and montane
communities.
Cooper, EA (1992)
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough (UK nature
conservation, No. 14)
Montane landscapes in Scotland: are these natural,
artefacts or complex relics? In: Earth science and the natural
heritage: interactions and integrated
management.
Thompson, DBA, Gordon, JE & Horsfield, D (2001) ed. by JE
Gordon & KF Leys.
The Stationery Office, Edinburgh