RESTORATION OF CALLUNA HEATHLAND ON A BRACKEN PTERIDIUM-INFESTED SITEIN NORTH-WEST ENGLAND

Heathlands tend to occur on low fertility soils, but where heathland h as been invaded by bracken Pteridium soil nutrient concentrations may be increased. In order to reestablish Calluna-dominated heathland thes e elevated soil nutrient concentrations may have to be reduced. This p aper describes an attempt to re-create an area of Calluna-dominated he ath on land which had been invaded by bracken. Several management tech niques were implemented in a hierarchical manner to control a dense br acken stand, including: litter stripping, ploughing and traditional br acken control methods such as cutting and herbicide treatment. Finally a heathland propagule source, which was rich in Calluna seeds, was ad ded. The effects of these treatments on both nutrient budgets and soil chemical properties were also investigated. Litter stripping removed a large amount of nutrients, ranging between 19 and 98 years' worth of rainfall inputs depending on the element. Ploughing caused an initial reduction in frond density and biomass but effects were not significa nt thereafter. Cutting twice yearly was the most effective treatment i n reducing frond biomass. The establishment of Calluna seedlings was d irectly related to the success of the bracken control treatments. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.