Scotland's Wildlife – an assessment of biodiversity in 20

Dwarf shrub heath
Dwarf shrub heath (heather moorland) covered 11.1% of Scotland in 2007. It remained
essentially unchanged in extent between 1998 and 2007 (an apparent decrease of 2%,
from 912,000ha to 894,000ha was not statistically significant). The interchange of gains
and losses between habitats is illustrated in Figure 9.3.
Figure 9.3
Change in the extent of dwarf shrub heath broad habitat between 1998 and 2007
Source: Countryside Survey 2007
Note: negative changes (losses) are scaled differently from positive changes (gains)
losses
94% unchanged
gains
1% acid grassland
2% bog
3% other
1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
-200000
area (ha)
Grassiness increased (grass:forb ratio, i.e. the log ratio of grass to forbs, where forbs
are mainly meadow herbs such as buttercup & clover). Plants that provide food for
butterfly caterpillars decreased.
Acid grassland
Acid grassland covered 12.3% of Scotland in 2007. It increased in extent by 8%, from
911,000ha in 1998 to 983,000ha in 2007. Much was unchanged from 1998 (88%), the
rest due to a conversion of heath (3%) and other habitats (6%), together with the
opening up of coniferous woodland through restructuring or felling (3%). The main
expansion was in the uplands, from 573,000ha in 1998 to 624,000ha in 2007. The
interchange of gains and losses between habitats is illustrated in Figure 9.4.
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