Flora and Fauna
The Breckland Natural Area is not a designation, but an area of countryside identified by its unique combination of physical attributes, wildlife, land use and culture. The natural area is a low plateau that reaches its highest point of 59 metres near Rymer Point in Suffolk. The underlying chalk is topped by varying depths of windblown sand and, in places, boulder clay between chalk and sand. Breckland has a rich wildlife heritage but has experienced extraordinary change and loss of wildlife species in just the last 50 years.
Breckland is undoubtedly best known for its heather and grass heaths, which, together with associated disturbed habitats, provide wildlife communities unique within the British Isles. Breckland’s history of windblown sand has left fixed inland sand dunes which are often dominated by sand sedge, a perennial species, otherwise found only on coastal dunes. The last remaining mobile sand system in Breckland occurs at Wangford Warren, Britain’s only inland home to grey hairgrass. Sheep grazing alone does not maintain conditions suitable for the characteristic Breckland communities with their abundant lichens, winter annuals and cushion-forming mosses. From the thirteenth century, commercial rabbit warrens were established in Breckland. It is their feral descendants which have a profound effect on the vegetation, producing open, sparse conditions necessary for many of the natural area’s plant and animal specialities to survive.
Breckland’s heaths are home to 19 nationally-rare or scarce flowering plant species of which 11 are Breck specialities, with Breckland thyme and spiked speedwell found only here in Britain. Eleven heath species of international conservation concern, including Spanish catchfly, purple stem cat’s tail, tower mustard, the starry Breck lichen and the scaly Breck lichen, are specific to calcareous Breck heaths and now extremely rare. Thetford Forest is one of only two strongholds for the military orchid in Britain, which occurs in a long-disused chalk pit in the forest.
Amongst the mammals, stoats and foxes are common predators of rabbits on Breckland’s heaths. Brown hares are also commonly seen on some larger estates, where a mixture of heathland, dry grassland, wooded shelter belts and arable crops provide food and shelter. Adders, too, occur on Breckland heathland. Red Squirrels colonised the Thetford Forest up to as recently as 1968, but have now sadly been ousted by the non-native Grey Squirrel. Four deer species breed within the forest, Red, Roe, Fallow and Muntjac. All have arisen from deliberate introductions or accidental escapes in the area during the last 100 years.
Breckland is acknowledged to be of European importance for its three renowned bird species, stone curlew, woodlark and nightjar. These three qualify Breckland for designation as a Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive. Breckland heaths are also important breeding sites for the Red Data Book (RDB) species: wheatears, whinchat, common curlew and formerly ringed plover, which now prefers gravel pits or arable fields.
Birds which make use of the pines include goshawk, which breed in the forest, as does the secretive hobby, also the pine-kernel-eating crossbill and a large population of siskins. The red-backed shrike is a bird now lost as a regular British breeder. Its final stronghold was Breckland.
Breckland is noted for it's involvement in the conservation of a wide range of invertebrates. At least 50 of the 180 nationally rare species of invertebrates recently recorded in Breckland, are associated with heaths and dry grassland. At Santon Downham, one small site has produced records for 180 species of bees/wasps, which is an astonishing 40% of the British fauna. A number of species are known or feared extinct. These include species unique to Breckland; the Vipers Bugloss Moth and the Spotted Sulphur Moth - both lost since 1960. Many other endangered invertebrates have not been re-found since records earlier this century.
