Iron Ore Extraction on Exmoor

Exmoor's moorland supports nationally important invertebrates with 80 important species having been identified. Lowland heathland is particularly rich in invertebrates with many species favouring patchy heathland vegetation with an abundance of bare ground which is most often created by a combination of grazing, burning and scrub control illustrating that active management of moorland is vital if we are to conserve these species.

The high brown fritillary is one of the most important species occurring on Exmoor. However, it is currently now very threatened as many of the areas which it formerly occupied have not been managed for many years and have been encroached by scrub and dense bracken. Work is being undertaken with farmers under the Exmoor ESA Scheme and the National Park Authority's Farm Conservation Scheme to make the habitat more suitable for this butterfly which has involved cutting of bracken and introducing Exmoor ponies to graze some sites.

Upland heathland on Exmoor supports an important assemblage of moths, most of which are reliant upon mature stands of ericaceous dwarf shrubs, heather and whortleberry, upon which the larvae feed. This means that management of heather moorland must retain areas of mature heather and traditional burning should be carried out on a long rotation over many years.

Contributed by: George Yelland