Moss restoration project underway

A project to improve the condition of rare moss heath on Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve is seeing promising results, but is threatened by damage from illegal disturbance. NatureScot is urging visitors to help protect this special habitat by avoiding the areas where moss is being restored and staying on existing routes along the summit. Unfortunately, there have been recent reports of damage caused by illegal motorbikes. Ben Wyvis has one of the longest single tracts of alpine moss heath in the UK. The habitat on the summit plateau is sensitive to damage from visitors and may take a long time to recover. This carpet of spongy moss is a collection of plant species – dominated by the silvery woolly-fringe moss – which can tolerate the harsh, exposed environment of the high plateau. www.nature.scot