Forest of Bowland Natural HabitatsBlanket Bog - a Bowland Speciality Blanket bog is by far the most extensive semi-natural habitat to be found in this country, with a total of approximately 1.5 million hectares, the majority of which is found in Scotland. England has approximately 215,000 ha of blanket bog, though much of it especially in the southern areas has been damaged by a combination of pollution, grazing, draining and burning. Most blanket bogs began to form somewhere around 5000 to 6000 years ago and have been linked to the clearance of the original forest cover by early man, though this hasn’t been proved. The Forest of Bowland lays claim to some of the best blanket bog in England and this supports a range of scarce and unusual plant and animal species. Perhaps one of the rarest is bog rosemary, which can be found in abundance in some areas of the Bowland fells. This wild plant, though less aromatic than its cultivated cousins, has beautiful pinky-white bell-shaped flowers, which can be seen in April and May. Other special plants include the Cloudberry (a relative of the Wild Rose), Cranberry, Round-leaved Sundew and, of course, the wide range of Sphagnum mosses that eventually create the peat. Birds such as the ever-present Meadow Pipit, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Short-eared Owl, and Grouse can be found utilising this habitat throughout the spring and early summer. www.forestofbowland.com The Forest of Bowland contains the following habitats as defined by English Nature
PublicationsA Nature Conservation Profile Prepared for English Nature North West Team (PDF) THE FOREST OF BOWLAND Summary of talk by E.F. Greenwood, 10 March 2007 (PDF) The Wild Flower Society 2004 Forest of Bowland 25th to 27th May Main Meeting AcademicThe recent vegetational history of the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, UK |
The aim of this site is to bring together as much information about the wildlife and natural history of the Forest of Bowland as possible. To help those who want to bird watch and watch hares and other mammals we also want it to become the best resource for those searching for wild flowers and anyone interested in the entomology of the Forest of Bowland. If you have a Blog about wildlife in the Forest of Bowland please contact us. |