Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust

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Heathland Restoration Project

This report is a description of the gradual changes in plant cover taking place on a 2 hectare area of land, which is being restored to a heathland habitat. The site is located in the Woodland Education Centre in Offwell, near Honiton in the county of Devon, South West England.

The area was formerly wooded with conifers and Sweet Chestnut, with an understory of Rhododendron. This was completely cleared in 1993. The area was subsequently divided into nine sections. Various different management techniques are being used on different sections (see pictures below) to test their effects on heath restoration. Changes to the heathland project site have been monitored on an annual basis from 1996 onwards. For an article describing the heathland five years after the initiation of the project click here.

For an ecological sampling exercise, based on Bluebell distribution in strips 1 - 4 seven years after management on the Heathland Restoration site began, click here

For a discussion of secondary succession on the Control strip of the Heathland Project area, click here.

 

The Heathland Restoration Site

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Strips 1-4 (left to right of picture)

Strip 5 (gorse) - the Control Strip

Strip 6

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Strip 7

Strip 8

Strip 9

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Contents
List of 26 summary points of the Heathland Project.