How Does the Impact of Grazing on Heathland Compare with Other Management Methods?

This is a draft review for consultation. Additional work is in progress. Please do not quote this document or any part therein without prior consent of the authors. 2 COVER SHEET Title How does the impact of grazing on heathland compare with other management methods? Systematic review N o. 14 Date draft protocol published on website Date final protocol published on website Date draft review published on website Date final review published on website n/a Date of most recent amendment n/a Date of most recent SUBSTANTIVE amendment n/a Details of most recent changes n/a Contact address Background Lowland heathland is a priority habitat for nature conservation throughout northwest Europe. One of the most important causes of the loss of heathland habitat has been a widespread decline in 'traditional' use of heathlands, which included light grazing, controlled burning and cutting of vegetation for use as fuel and animal fodder. As a result, many heathlands have reverted to scrub or woodland through a process of natural succession. Current management responses to this problem include the use of fire, cutting of vegetation and reintroduction of grazing. Although reviews and guidelines for the management of lowland heath exist, few attempts have been made to compare grazing with alternative management approaches, such as cutting or burning. This highlights the need for a critical review of the evidence, to identify the conditions under which grazing is likely to be most effective as a management approach, and to determine the relative impacts of grazing compared to alternative management interventions. • How the impacts of grazing on heathland compare with the impacts of burning, cutting or no management? • The effect of timing, extent, frequency, severity, and nature of grazing, cutting or burning on their relative impacts? Search strategy Electronic databases and web sites were searched using key words. Bibliographies were also searched and researchers were contacted to retrieve relevant material. Heathland manager experience was collated using a questionnaire survey. Selection criteria For the systematic literature search, studies or data were included in the review where the following criteria were met: 1. Subject: lowland heath. 2. Intervention: grazing, burning, cutting or no management. 3. Outcomes: Relevant outcomes are amount and type of bare ground; cover of ericoid dwarf shrubs and Empetrum or Ulex species; cover of pioneer, building, mature, degenerate and dead Calluna/Erica spp. and growth form of Calluna; cover of graminoids; cover of forbs; cover of bryophytes …