Extent & Distribution of UK Upland Habitats
The tables below give information on the
extent (area covered) and distribution of upland habitats
around the UK. The most extensive upland habitats are blanket
bog and upland heathland covering around 3.3 million hectares
combined. Although these habitats occur mostly in Scotland,
sizeable areas are also found in the uplands of England, Northern
Ireland and Wales.
The other upland habitats are, in comparison, far more limited
in extent. Two occur mainly in the Scottish uplands – mountain
heaths and willow scrub, and inland rock outcrop and scree
habitats. Upland calcareous grassland occurs mainly in England, as
does limestone pavement, although this is a far more localised
habitat. Calaminarian grassland is a scarce habitat mainly found in
the English and Scottish uplands.
UK BAP habitats
The table below shows an historic (dating back
to around 2008) estimated extent of the four upland priority
habitat types recognised by the UK
Biodiversity Action Plan. The values are based mainly on
information extracted from the (now archived)
Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS). It is important to
note that the data available through BARS date back to the
2008 UK BAP reporting round (and may in fact reflect data collected
in 2005).
|
UK BAP priority habitats*
|
England
(ha)
|
Scotland
(ha)
|
Wales
(ha)
|
Northern
Ireland
(ha)
|
United
Kingdom
(ha)
|
|
Blanket bog
|
255,308
|
1,759,000
|
70,000
|
139,796
|
2,224,104
|
|
Upland heathland
|
243,929
|
778,000
|
80,000
|
11,059
|
1,112,988
|
|
Upland calcareous grassland
|
12,293
|
5,000
|
700
|
936
|
18,929
|
|
Limestone pavement
|
2,553
|
300
|
54
|
220
|
3,127
|
|
Calaminarian grassland
[part of this habitat occurs in the lowlands,
but most is in the Scottish uplands]
|
<200
|
<200
|
50
|
–
|
<450
|
* information on the extent of the following UK BAP priority
habitats is not available: (i) inland rock outcrop and scree
habitats; (ii) mountain heaths and willow scrub; and (iii) upland
flushes, fens and swamps
EU Habitats Directive Annex I types
The table below shows an historic (dating back
to around 2012) estimated extent of habitats on Annex I of the EU
Habitats Directive that occur in UK upland areas. The data is
derived from the 2013 UK Report on Implementation of the
Habitats Directive. Note that for habitats that occur in both
the uplands and lowlands, the area specific to the uplands has not
been determined.
|
EU Habitats Directive Annex I
types
(select to follow links to see further
information on each habitat)
|
England
(ha)
|
Scotland
(ha)
|
Wales
(ha)
|
Northern
Ireland
(ha)
|
UK
(ha)
|
|
Blanket bog and
upland flushes, fens and swamps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H7130 Blanket Bogs
|
244,536
|
1,759,000
|
53,200
|
140,000
|
2,196,736
|
|
H7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs
[a small part of this habitat occurs in lowland wetland areas]
|
2,850
|
1,420
|
336
|
50
|
>4,656*
|
|
H7150 Depressions on peat substrates of the
Rhynchosporion
[a small part of this habitat occurs in
lowland heathland/wetland areas]
|
>428*
|
>781*
|
17
|
unknown
|
>1,226*
|
|
H7230 Alkaline fens
[a small part of this habitat occurs in
lowland wetland areas]
|
2,800
|
370
|
120
|
40
|
3,330
|
|
H7240 Alpine pioneer formations of the
Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae
|
6
|
70
|
3
|
–
|
79
|
|
H7220 Petrifying springs with tufa
formation
|
unknown
|
46
|
6
|
1
|
>53
|
|
Upland heathland
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H4030 European dry heaths
[a small part of this habitat occurs in
lowland heathland areas]
|
320,000
|
479,000
|
77,740
|
16,800
|
893,540
|
|
H4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with
Erica tetralix
[a small part of this habitat occurs in
lowland heathland areas]
|
25,000
|
370,000
|
14,414
|
58,300
|
467,714
|
|
Mountain heaths and
willow scrub
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H6150 Siliceous alpine and boreal
grassland
|
1,078
|
70,000
|
84
|
60
|
71,222
|
|
H4060 Alpine and boreal heaths
|
1,232
|
41,000
|
35
|
80
|
42,347
|
|
H4080 Sub-Arctic Salix scrub
|
1
|
23
|
–
|
–
|
24
|
|
Inland rock outcrop
and scree
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H8110 Siliceous scree of the montane to snow
levels (Androsacetalia alpinae and Galeopsietalia
ladani)
|
3,250
|
60,000
|
317
|
100
|
63,667
|
|
H8220 Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic
vegetation
|
1,250
|
37,500
|
1,200
|
100
|
40,050
|
|
H8210 Calcareous rocky slopes with
chasmophytic vegetation
|
300
|
110
|
270
|
20
|
700
|
|
H8120 Calcareous and calcshist screes of the
montane to alpine levels (Thalaspietea rotundifolii)
|
400
|
150
|
34
|
20
|
604
|
|
H6430 Hydrophilous tall herb fringe
communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels
|
7
|
200
|
65
|
15
|
287
|
|
Upland calcareous
grassland
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[H6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and
scrubland facies: on calcareous substrates
(Festuco-Brometalia)]
[most of this habitat occurs in the
lowlands]
|
[48,700]
|
[270]
|
[741]
|
[936]
|
[50,647]
|
|
H6230 Species-rich Nardus grassland,
on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas in
continental Europe)
|
349
|
4,600
|
138
|
40
|
5,127
|
|
H6170 Alpine and subalpine calcareous
grasslands
|
–
|
680
|
2
|
–
|
682
|
|
Limestone
pavement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H8240 Limestone pavements
|
1,978
|
300
|
75
|
220
|
2,573
|
|
Calaminarian
grassland
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H6130 Calaminarian grasslands of the
Violetalia calaminariae
[part of this habitat occurs in the lowlands,
but most is in the Scottish uplands]
|
200
|
80
|
49
|
–
|
329
|
* minimum value based on or partly on the area
of the habitat with SACs