Farmers use burning as a traditional way of ensuring that the dry heath habitat remains open to livestock and that young green shoots are available. Repeated uncontrolled burns, however, have a negative impact on the flora and fauna associated with the habitat. Mowing or cutting combined with light pony or cattle grazing will have much less impact on the biodiversity of the habitat. If burning can’t be avoided, then controlled burning of small patches on a rotational basis will have less of a negative impact.
