Plate III. View of main Heather area August 1978 showing some of the dif-
ferent-aged blocks. The area of young growth on the right was flailed about
1970 and consists of mixed cross-leaved heath and ling. The mature ling on the
left is 90cm in height and over 20 years old.
David Corke
was dug to cut off the car park from the main body of the Heath. Casual litter is
a perpetual problem and warrants an annual litter clearance each October.
Nature conservation management involves interference in a cycle of natural
succession and with a habitat as transitional as heathland it is vital. There are
quite a lot of remnant heaths in Essex, and also commons with heathland
features but, in fact, the total area covered by an ericaceous heathland
community is only about ten acres, most of which is on Tiptree Heath. Our
main priority therefore is to maintain the vigour of the existing heather (Calluna
and Erica spp.) areas by periodic cutting of elderly plants to obtain a pattern of
uneven-aged blocks and to contain invading gorse (Ulex europaeus Linn.) and
birch (Betula spp.) scrub.
Another important priority is to retain existing grass as grassland by
flailing if necessary and to win back extinct grass areas whenever gorse fires
present the opportunity. Grassland is an important heathland habitat and at
the same time the means by which the heather species will spread. Bell heather
8