Habitat hope for Dunwich Heath, between Southwold and Aldeburgh, as heather flowers recover from 2022 drought
A Suffolk beauty spot is showing signs of recovery after it was severely impacted by extreme heat and a drought in 2022.
A pink and purple patchwork of heather at Dunwich Heath is in bloom once again, with new data showing that 11 per cent of damaged plants showing signs of life after one of the wettest Februarys on record.
The heathland is a vital cog in its ecosystem, which also houses species such as nightjar, woodlark and adders.
However, the site was put at risk after a period of high heat during the summer of 2022, when a drought coincided with the flowering season.
A drone survey conducted last year showed a 60 per cent loss in heather, which caused concern for the wider impacts on the habitat.
However, Sam Cooper, National Trust area ranger at Dunwich Heath, said recent results showing more than 50 per cent of the heathland being made up of heather was ‘really encouraging’.
“The wet start to the year has certainly helped, and we’ll be continuing to monitor how the weather impacts not just the heather itself, but the birds and other wildlife that depend on it,” Sam said.
Three different types of heather typically grow and flower at the site from June to September, with hotter and drier seasons putting strain on what the flower can cope with.
Last year’s drone results showed not only a loss in heather, but also insects and pollinators, which provide a crucial food source for nesting birds.
Following this, Sam and his conservation team started the first of several trials to determine the fastest method to restore heather growth.
Some areas were left uncut to see if they would recover, some were cut and scraped to encourage seed growth, while other areas were just trimmed, with cuttings removed.
Sam added: “It’s still too early to see the full effect, but we’ve already observed some differences between our trials and we’ll use this to inform how we further manage the habitat.”
Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said it was experiencing first hand the consequences of more extreme weather events.
He said: “Many rare wildlife and plant species rely on this and other habitats threatened by our changing climate, this is why one of our priority asks for the new Government is to address this significant issue to help ensure generations for years to come can enjoy the nature, beauty and history of this country and sights such as carpets of purple heather are not lost.”
Despite this, Richard Gilbert, property operations manager at Dunwich Heath, said it was great to see heather flowers blooming once more at the site.
He described it as the best it had looked in years.
“This time of year is always a favourite among our visitors, in part because Dunwich is the only place in the East of England where the heathland extends to the sea, so you get fantastic views and contrasts between the sky, sea and heath,” he added.
“Visitors can help us preserve this special landscape by picking up their litter, keeping dogs on leads, sticking to the paths and refraining from lighting barbecues or cigarettes, as these can easily ignite dry vegetation where fires spread rapidly and are difficult to control.”
