Heathlands are lowland areas dominated by colourful heather, gorse and bracken. Much like moorland, the soils are acidic and nutrient-poor, but unlike the water-logged moors, heaths have light and sandy soils. These barren heaths are not the naturally wild places they seem. Early farming communities cleared woodlands and worked the land until the soil became exhausted and was left to the wild plants. Lowland heath occurs mainly in north-west Europe, with about 20% of the world's total coverage found across the warmer parts of southern England.

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