Scattered across lowland Britain are areas of lowland heathland. This type of heath occurs on dry to wet, sandy, peaty soils and is a rare and threatened habitat. Lowland heath has declined greatly and is estimated that 80% of heathland that one covered Britain since the 1800's has been lost.
This type of heathland is important to many specialized plants and animals, examples are dwarf shrubs like heather, dwarf gorse and western gorse, bristle bent grass, sand sedge and spring squill. It is also important to many birds like the Dartford Warbler and Nightjar which is found on all major heaths. Lowland heath is especially important to reptiles like the sand lizard which live in sand dunes, smooth snake which is almost exclusively found on lowland heath but mainly restricted to Dorset and Hampshire. Insects are also present like Heath Sand Wasp, Green Tiger beetle, Beewolf and the rare Mottled Bee-fly.
Linwood warren
Three Types of Heather
Linwood Warren is owned by the Wildlife Trust and is located near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. It is a Dry/ Wet Lowland Heath with birch scrub, meadow surrounded by ancient oak and pine forest.
