New survey gives hope for heathland habitat

Nail fungus, Poronia punctata, is only found in Great Britain in the New Forest and is one of the species found in the newly restored lowland heathland

A new study of recently restored heathland has found species are returning faster than expected.

The specialist habitat will take decades to fully establish but the project has identified more than 70 different species already thriving.

Forestry England has restored 170 hectares of heathland in the New Forest since 2019 with a further 190 hectares planned over the next 5 years.

The work follows a devastating year of heath fires across the South which has seen hundreds of hectares lost.

Conifer plantations are being cleared to make way for internationally important lowland heath

The survey examined three separate restoration sites in the New Forest over a two year period.

Amongst the wildlife recorded were 22 nationally uncommon or threatened species of birds, reptiles, bats, insects and fungi.

Tiny Nail Fungus, poronia punctata, that only grows on the dung of ponies that have lived on a high fibre low nutrition diet was among the species found.

The New Forest is one of the few places in Great Britain where it grows and lowland heath is the perfect habitat.

Leanne Sargeant, Senior Ecologist at Forestry England

"We've probably got the most lowland heathland across all of Europe in the New Forest" says Leanne Sargeant, a senior ecologist with Forestry England.

"So it's really important that we protect it and we restore as much area as we can."

"Conifer supports some species but they're very few. But the lowland heathlands supports a vast array of species."

The importance of these areas of biodiversity is one of the key reasons for the New Forest's designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Enclosures are being thinned alongside work to clear conifers previously planted for timber production

In 1905 less than 5 percent of the UK's land area was covered by woodland.

The Forestry Commission was established in 1919 to create a strategic timber reserve following the First World War after supplies ran short.

It led to vast swathes of conifer plantations being established, including in the New Forest.

Although timber production was boosted the single species sites saw a fall in biodiversity something the restoration programme hopes to address.

Today it is estimated woodland covers 13 percent of the UK's total land area (3.24 million hectares)

Bracken and grasses are quick to establish in areas where the conifers have been removed before the heather and gorses according to Professor Russell Wynn

The independent survey of the recently restored heathland has been carried out by Wild New Forest and the New Forest Biodiversity Forum.

Director of Wild New Forest, Professor Russell Wynn said: "Within 1 to 2 years we've got an assemblage here now that is pretty characteristic of lowland heathland."

"It's going to take years for it to really restore back to absolutely top quality heathland but it's on it's ways and it's going really quick" says Prof Wynn.

"And that was a real pleasant surprise just how fast it's starting to recover."

A wood cricket, nemobius sylvestris, is one of the more than 70 species found during the two year survey

The restoration work by Forestry England has also seen artificial drains filled in and former plantations opened up for grazing by ponies and cattle.

Remaining enclosures are being thinned and native trees planted to boost biodiversity.

"Restoring heathland takes many years so it is incredibly encouraging to see over 70 different species already returning" said Ms Sargeant.

"It just shows how nature can thrive again given a little bit of help."