Lowland Heathland BNG Units
High
Heathland and shrub
Lowland sandy and acidic landscapes of southern and eastern Britain
Trusted by Developers and Landowners
What are is Lowland Heathland?
Lowland heathland is a semi-natural habitat dominated by dwarf shrubs growing on nutrient-poor, acidic soils in the lowland zone, generally below about 300 metres above sea level. The vegetation is typically dominated by ericaceous species such as heather, bell heather, and cross-leaved heath, often with gorse species.
Lowland heathland usually occurs as a mosaic habitat, containing patches of dwarf shrub heath alongside acid grassland, bare ground, scattered scrub or trees, and occasionally wet heath or small bog areas.
Why It Matters for BNG
Lowland heathland contributes to the baseline habitat units used to calculate BNG. Because of its conservation priority and rarity, losses are typically expected to be replaced with habitats of equal or higher distinctiveness, and proposals to recreate or enhance heathland are subject to risk multipliers reflecting the time and difficulty involved in establishing the habitat.
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Where You'll Find It
Lowland Heathland occurs mainly in southern and eastern England, including areas such as Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Suffolk and Norfolk. It is typically found on open landscapes including heaths, commons, former grazing land and military training areas where nutrient-poor soils limit agricultural productivity.
Soil & Site Requirements
Lowland heathland develops on acidic, nutrient-poor soils, commonly sandy or gravelly substrates derived from sandstone, heath sand or glacial deposits. Soil pH is typically below 5.5, and soils are generally free-draining and low in fertility. These conditions favour dwarf shrub vegetation over grasses or woodland species.
How New Lowland Heathland is Created
Inputs
• Establish dwarf shrubs such as heather, bell heather, and cross-leaved heath.
• Use locally sourced seed or plant material where possible.
• Ensure soils are acidic and low in nutrients.
• Reduce soil fertility where necessary, for example through topsoil removal.
Management
• Control encroachment by scrub and woodland species.
• Maintain open heathland structure through grazing, cutting or rotational management.
• Monitor regeneration of dwarf shrubs.
• Prevent nutrient enrichment from fertiliser drift or runoff.
Landscape
• Expand existing heathland areas where possible.
• Maintain connectivity with other heathland or acid grassland habitats.
• Retain habitat mosaics including bare ground and wet heath patches.
How Existing Lowland Heathland is Improved
Inputs
• Reduce nutrient inputs and soil disturbance.
• Remove invasive scrub and tree regeneration where it threatens heathland vegetation.
• Encourage regeneration of dwarf shrubs.
Management
• Control scrub encroachment.
• Maintain a mix of dwarf shrub age classes.
• Retain areas of bare ground and structural variation.
Landscape
• Restore degraded heathland patches.
• Increase connectivity between heathland areas.
• Buffer heathland edges from nutrient enrichment.
Target Condition
Lowland heathland in Good condition shows:
• Dominance of dwarf shrubs such as heather and heath species
• Structural diversity in dwarf shrub height and age classes
• Limited scrub or tree encroachment
• Presence of characteristic heathland mosaics such as acid grassland or bare ground
• Low levels of invasive or non-native species
The BNG Value of Lowland Heathland
• Distinctiveness: High
• Condition potential: Improvement possible through appropriate management
• Restoration pathway: Often restoration of degraded heath or conversion from acid grassland
• Strategic value: Priority habitat within many Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Species Typical of Lowland Heathland
Canopy or Dominant Layer
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Bell heather (Erica cinerea)
Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix)
Western gorse
Shrub Layer
Common gorse
Dwarf gorse
Scattered birch (Betula pendula)
Ground Flora
Sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina)
Wavy hair-grass
Heath bedstraw
Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)
Lichens and mosses typical of acidic soils
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lowland Heathland?
A Lowland heathland BNG Habitat is a semi-natural habitat dominated by dwarf shrubs such as heather growing on acidic, nutrient-poor soils in the lowland zone of Britain.
How is BNG measured for Lowland Heathland?
BNG is measured using habitat units, calculated from habitat area, distinctiveness, condition and strategic significance within the statutory Biodiversity Metric.
How can I achieve BNG with Lowland Heathland?
BNG can be achieved by restoring degraded heathland, enhancing existing heathland condition, or creating new heathland on suitable acidic soils where appropriate.
What is the BNG target condition?
Target condition focuses on maintaining dwarf shrub dominance, varied vegetation structure, limited scrub encroachment and characteristic heathland mosaics.
What management is required?
Management typically includes scrub control and maintaining open heathland structure through grazing, cutting or other rotational management practices.
Exploring Other Habitats?
Hazel Scrub
Hazel scrub is a native scrub habitat dominated by hazel, typically forming dense multi-stemmed shrubs or coppice stools usually less than 5 metres in height. It commonly occurs along woodland edges, ride margins, hedgerow networks and as transitional scrub developing on former grassland or farmland.
Hazel scrub provides structural habitat for birds and small mammals and produces nuts, catkins and leaf litter that support invertebrates and woodland food webs. It may also function as a transitional habitat facilitating woodland regeneration.
Lowland Heathland
Lowland heathland is a semi-natural habitat dominated by dwarf shrubs growing on nutrient-poor, acidic soils in the lowland zone, generally below about 300 metres above sea level. The vegetation is typically dominated by ericaceous species such as heather, bell heather, and cross-leaved heath, often with gorse species.
Lowland heathland usually occurs as a mosaic habitat, containing patches of dwarf shrub heath alongside acid grassland, bare ground, scattered scrub or trees, and occasionally wet heath or small bog areas.
Bramble Scrub
Bramble scrub is a dense scrub habitat dominated by bramble , typically forming thick thickets between 2 and 3 metres in height. It commonly occurs along woodland margins, grassland edges, road and rail embankments, brownfield land and other disturbed areas as part of natural vegetation succession. All bramble scrub parcels are also recorded as poor condition in the metric, regardless of their structure or species composition.
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