To see the above images as a PDF click here
A Dynamic Landscape in Action
It is not easy to demonstrate just how easily the appearance of the landscape can change over time. It often happens so slowly that people don’t notice it and it’s really only when you see an old photograph and compare it with today that the changes become obvious. However, in some areas there is something happening which makes it much easier to see how dynamic and changing the landscape is. It also demonstrates just how much our activities and decision making influences our surroundings.
Ever since the devastating outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 there are areas that are no longer grazed by sheep, and others where the number of sheep have been deliberately kept low. Where this has happened on the edges of the moorlands, it has become increasingly obvious that there are small sapling trees growing amongst the more traditional moorland vegetation. Normally the tender shoots of a sapling would be eaten by sheep before it had a chance to grow any bigger, but without them the saplings are able to establish themselves, and as they grow taller they are becoming ever more visible. This represents the early stages in a process of natural regeneration of tree cover, which if left unchecked will, for those areas, see the open vistas of a moorland landscape disappearing.
Such a change in appearance is no different to the way in which it was created in the first place, i.e. it was human activity that initially cleared the uplands of trees, so perhaps it should be allowed to continue. What is remarkable is that even by doing nothing it will change the appearance of a landscape, so whatever we decide now does matter as it will determine how it looks long into the future. Do you have a preference ?
Comments:
Posted by Guy Thompson on Jul 1st, 2011
The natural recovery from centuries of overgrazing, over burning and acid rain is long overdue. The Pennines are in very poor shape in terms of biodiversity and habitat structure.The seed bank in the soil is so poor ( eg heather)that even Natural regeneration will rarely make much difference to the vaste "desert" of purple moor grass.
Where we have removed sheep and introduced trees and shrubs , the wildlife improvements are there to see ie bluebells reappearing on the moorland edge!. Where they is still heather and bilberry present the heathland communities can recover to produce a dynamic mosaic of habitat.
If you are interested in this work contact me and I can show you some great examples of a rewilded and recovering "lost" landscape.
