Berner's Heath Explained

Berner's Heath
Aos:	Suffolk
Interest:	Biological
Area:	236.9 hectares
Notifydate:	1983
Map:	Magic Map

Berner's Heath is a 236.9hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Icklingham in Suffolk.^{[1] [2]} It is a Nature Conservation Review site,^[3] a Special Area of Conservation,^{[4] [5]} and a Special Protection Area^{[6] [7]}

War time use

The site was used as a high altitude bombing range from 1936 until after World War II.^{[8] [9] [10]}

Plant and wildlife

The heath is the largest remaining area of heather dominated heath in the Brecks. It contains blocks of heather of different ages as a result of rotational heather burning conducted as a management strategy. Heather dominates the heath, achieving almost 100% coverage with blocks divided by rides.^[11] This allows a variety of different ground cover species to develop in different areas of the heath. In the areas of younger heather this includes species such as sheep’s sorrel Rumex acetosella and mosses such as Polytrichum juniperinum, although in areas where heather is slightly older and growing quickly ground cover is restricted. Older, established blocks of heather have greater biodiversity and include lichens as well as flowering plant species isuch as heath bedstraw Galium saxatile, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, common speedwell Veronica officinalis and sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina. These areas also support a wide range of insect populations.^[12]

At the edges of the site, especially in the south, acidic grasslands gradually merge with the heather with a range of grass and lichen species present, dominated by sheep's fescue grass. There are some areas of chalk soils as well as an area of self-set Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) along the southern edge of the site.

Access

It is open access land and can usually be accessed between November and February to allow for ground nesting bird species to be undisturbed during the nesting season.^[13]

References

52.36°N 0.64°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Designated Sites View: Berner's Heath . Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. 22 May 2017.
2. Web site: Map of Berner's Heath. Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. 22 May 2017.
3. Book: Derek . Ratcliffe . A Nature Conservation Review. 2 . 134–135 . Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK . 1977. 0521 21403 3 .
4. Web site: Breckland . Special Areas of Conservation . Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 4 May 2017.
5. Web site: Designated Sites View: Breckland . Special Area of Conservation. Natural England. 10 May 2017.
6. Web site: Designated Sites View: Breckland . Special Protection Area. Natural England. 10 May 2017.
7. Web site: Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Breckland. . Joint Nature Conservation Committee . 4 May 2017 . 15 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160315171523/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/SPA/UK9009201.pdf . dead .
8. http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1296-Berner-s-Heath-bombing-range-Suffolk Berner's Heath bombing range, Suffolk
9. http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/latest-news/panoramic-view-of-former-bombing-range-1-4457146 Panoramic view of former bombing range
10. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/details?Uri=C2638317 RANGES (Code B, 62): Berners Heath Bombing Range: extension of live bombing facilities
11. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090206210321/http://www.naturalareas.naturalengland.org.uk/Science/natural/NA_HAbDetails.asp?Name=Breckland&N=46&H=34 Breckland
12. Web site: Berner's Heath citation. Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. 22 May 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150504232617/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002396.pdf. 4 May 2015.
13. http://www.discoversuffolk.org.uk/userfiles/Leaflets/Cycling%20and%20horseriding/Kings%20Forest.pdf The King's Forest Rides