Interactions of Grazing and Burning on Heather Moors and Their Implications in Heather Management

In order to study the interaction between burning and grazing on heather areas, an experiment was set up in which six paddocks were subjected to different systems of controlled grazing. One quarter of each paddock was burned at two‐yearly intervals. The effects of burning and grazing on the regeneration of the vegetation are described. The chemical composition of heather is known to change with age and season; in this experiment grazing was shown to have an effect also. The amount and earliness of the growth of the current season's shoots of heather were affected by both age of plants and grazing intensity. This result was thought to be related to temperature gradients near the ground. Sheep did not graze the sub‐plots of different age within each paddock evenly; more recently burned sub‐plots were preferred, the preference being most marked with the grazing regimes of lower intensity. At the highest grazing intensity the older and younger sub‐plots were grazed to a similar extent. It is concluded that, in addition to controlled burning, effective management of heather moors must include some measure of grazing control.