FLORA & FAUNA
The Breckland Natural Area is not a designation, but an area of countryside
identified by its unique combination of physical attributes, wildlife,
land use and culture. The natural area is a low plateau that reaches its
highest point of 59 metres near Rymer Point in Suffolk. The underlying
chalk is topped by varying depths of windblown sand and, in places, boulder
clay between chalk and sand. Breckland has a rich wildlife heritage, but
has experienced extraordinary change and loss of wildlife species in just
the last 50 years.
Breckland is undoubtedly best known for its heather and grass heaths,
which, together with associated disturbed habitats, provide wildlife communities
unique within the British Isles.
Breckland’s history of windblown sand has left fixed inland sand dunes
which are often dominated by sand sedge, a species otherwise found only
on coastal dunes. The last remaining mobile sand system in Breckland occurs
at Wangford Warren, Britain’s only inland home to grey hairgrass. Sheep
grazing alone does not maintain conditions suitable for the characteristic
Breckland communities with their abundant lichens, winter annuals and cushion-forming
mosses. From the thirteenth century, commercial rabbit warrens were established
in Breckland. It is their feral descendants which have a profound effect
on the vegetation, producing open, sparse conditions necessary for many
of the natural area’s plant and animal specialities to survive.
Breckland’s heaths are home to 19 nationally-rare or scarce flowering
plant species of which 11 are Breck
specialities, with Breckland thyme and spiked speedwell found only
here in Britain. Eleven heath species of
international conservation concern, including Spanish catchfly, purple
stem cat’s tail, tower mustard, the starry Breck lichen and the scaley
Breck lichen, are specific to calcareous Breck heaths and now extremely
rare. Thetford Forest is one of only two strongholds for the military orchid
in Britain, which occurs in a long-disused chalk pit in the forest.
Amongst the mammals, stoats and foxes are common predators of rabbits
on Breckland’s heaths. Brown hares are also commonly seen on some larger
estates, where a mixture of heathland, dry grassland, wooded shelter belts
and arable crops provide food and shelter. Adders, too, occur on Breckland
heathland but are nowhere common. Some species have directly benefited from
the creation of the pine woodland habitat. Most notable is the red squirrel,
a species better suited to conifers than the alien grey. Thetford Forest
provides one of the few lowland refuges. The red squirrel population is
very low and its present reduction is directly linked to the appearance of
the grey squirrels, which colonised the Forest as recently as 1968. Four
deer species breed within the Forest. All have arisen from deliberate introductions
or accidental escapes in the area during the last 100 years.
Breckland is acknowledged to be of European importance for its three
renowned bird species, stone curlew, woodlark and nightjar. These three
qualify Breckland for designation as a Special Protection Area under the
EC Birds Directive. Breckland heaths are also important breeding sites
for the Red Data Book (RDB) species: wheatears, whinchat, common curlew
and formerly ringed plover, which now prefers gravel pits or arable fields.
Birds which make use of the pines include goshawk, which breed in the
forest, as does the secretive hobby, also the pine-kernel-eating crossbill
and a large population of siskins. The red-backed shrike is a bird now
lost as a regular British breeder. Its final stronghold was Breckland.
Breckland is nationally important for the conservation of a wide range
of invertebrates. At least 50 of the 180 nationally rare species of invertebrates
recently recorded in Breckland, are associated with heaths and dry grassland.
Invertebrates are undoubtedly under-recorded generally and somewhat patchily.
At Santon Downham, one small site has produced records for 180 species
of bees/wasps, which is an astonishing 40% of the British fauna. A number
of species are known or feared extinct. These include the Breckland specialities:
the vipers bugloss moth and the spotted sulphur moth - both lost since
1960. Many other endangered invertebrates have not been re-found since
records earlier this century.
FLORA AND FAUNA
