Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Burn is key to moorland future
A walk was being staged on Exmoor this week to demonstrate the importance of seasonal burning, or ‘swaling’, reports Martin Hesp
THE West Country’s heather moors are one of the wonders of the region – thousands visit our two national park areas during August to see the carpets of purple – and healthy heather moors provide a unique habitat which, globally, is scarcer than rainforest. Yet our heather moors are in serious decline.
On Exmoor, the area of heather moorland has decreased by around 40 per cent in the past 40 years.
Experts are mystified why the heather is in such decline, but suspect that changes to traditional management practices, such as fewer controlled burns (known locally as swaling) and grazing animals may be partly to blame.
This week, the Exmoor National Park has teamed up with the Exmoor Hill Farming Network, the National Trust and the Somerset and Devon Fire and Rescue Service in a bid to
Without regular
burning... this delicate habitat would be lost forever
TIM PARISH
raise awareness when it comes to the importance of swaling.
Together they hosted a special walk yesterday for people to find out more about the centuries-old practice of controlled burning and its role in moorland management.
In recent years swaling has been the victim of a kind of ‘fake news’ campaign in which visitors who have seen the moorland fires have placed photographs on social media complaining of ruinous farming practices.
The authorities now wish to educate people about the need to seasonally burn as a way of conserving the habitat and cutting the risk of the summer wildfires which can be so harmful to the environment.
Exmoor Hill Farming Network chairman Dave Knight, who hosted the walk at his farm on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate, said: “My family have farmed this land for over 100 years and swaling has long been an important part of the toolkit used to regenerate the moor ready for grazing in the summer.
“This walk was open to anyone interested in discussing the issues.”
British moors provide a rich mosaic of habitats, the rarest of which is heather moorland. But since the Second World War the UK’s heather moorland has been in steep decline, despite efforts to protect it as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Exmoor ranger, Tim Parish, said: “Swaling takes place each year between October and March, when farmers and land managers burn small targeted areas of less than 10 hectares at a time. It needs to be burned in a controlled fashion, then grazed. Burning of moorland dates back to at least the 16th century – possibly even further back into our distant past.
“When you look at the wild moorland of Exmoor, it often comes as a surprise to people that it is a farmed landscape.”
Mr Parish was speaking two years ago when a photograph that appeared on various social media sites inspired criticism from some country lovers from outside the region.
“Things on Exmoor are different to the moors of northern England, where the heather is managed predominantly for grouse shooting,” he said.
“Here it is a part of upland farming, and as much a part of the landscape as the beech hedges.”
He said instead of burning narrow strips to benefit grouse the Exmoor National Park ranger team burned wider patches with the help of special equipment.
“The heat and smoke help to germinate heather seed and stimulate fresh growth in the spring, creating a mosaic of different aged heather that is ideal for grazing livestock and moorland wildlife.
“Without regular burning, the heather moorland would be slowly replaced with gorse, bracken and trees, and this delicate habitat would be lost forever, along with its rare wildlife and heritage.”
Firefighter Adrian Woollaston, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescus Service, said: “There is a lot of misunderstanding about the use of burning in the management of heather moorland and we welcome this chance to highlight its role in reducing the risk of uncontrolled fires.
“Keeping on top of the burning cycle is important to limit the buildup of flammable woody material and prevent potentially catastrophic wildfires during the drier months.”