Current Uplands Issues

Overgrazing, pollution, heath burning, drainage, recreation, energy and, of course, climate change – all these factors have a potentially significant impact on the Welsh uplands.

Overgrazing

Overgrazing and the poor management of grazing can result in vast areas of poor grasslands with little diversity. These could improve and the damage be reversed with the use of better grazing systems, with fewer sheep and more cattle and ponies, but it will all take time.

Pollution

Some species and habitats are suffering greatly from overgrazing and pollution. This is particularly true of the montane vegetation right on the very tops of mountains, where tiny mosses, lichens and sedges are some of the few plants that can grow in this extreme environment.

Inappropriate heath burning

Some heaths need periodic burning so they can grow and flourish. If they are burnt too often, however, they can become grassland, and if not burnt enough, scrub and woodland can result. Other heaths, on the higher and steeper hills, do not need this burning. They grow quite happily with minimal intervention.

Drainage and damage to peat soil

Restoration of blanket bogs is important to protect the fragile vegetation and to help retain the carbon currently locked up in peat soils. Erosion and the drying out of these soils could lead to the large scale release of this vast store of carbon.

Recreation

Recreation can have localised effects and these can be severe. The challenge is to manage access in a way that protects and enhances the natural world – for its own sake and for the enjoyment of all.

Energy

Energy production is increasingly important, particularly from the wind. Should we be encouraging wind farms in the uplands? Or should we be looking to reduce the consumption of energy and produce renewable energy in alternative ways? If wind farms are accepted, how do we ensure that their construction does not damage the soils and vegetation?

Climate Change

The Welsh uplands support plants and habitats which are right at the edge of their range in the UK, such as the heaths and grasslands right on the summits of our mountains and plants such as the rare alpines which now occur in such restricted sites. If these disappear due to warmer and wetter climates, it would be a great loss to the biodiversity of Wales.