Heath and Moorland
Heath is wild looking open countryside which has seen little, if any, agricultural improvement. The low, coarse vegetation dominated by such species as heather or western gorse form a complex mosaic with grassland habitats to make an extremely diverse habitat especially for plants and invertebrates.
Over a third of all lowland heath in Wales occurs in Pembrokeshire emphasising the importance of the county for this rare and protected habitat. Within the county there are good examples of coastal or maritime heath, wet heath, and large areas of ‘moorland’ in the Preseli hills. Most heathland is legally protected and a great deal of work is being done to preserve and enhance, in particular coastal, heath in the county.
When you are out in the countryside; please follow the Countryside Code.
Lowland Heath
- Lowland heath is characterised by dwarf shrub species such as heather, bell heather, cross-leaved heath and western gorse, and is typically found on shallow nutrient-poor soils overlying impervious rocks.
Maritime Heath
- On sea cliffs and coastal slopes, lowland heath tends to grade into maritime grassland, and both habitats form a complex mosaic, frequently described as maritime or coastal heath. The habitat is characterised by such species as such as spring squill, sea plantain and thrift which can all tolerate exposure to high winds and salty spray.
