But the National Trust warned that it is “experiencing first-hand the consequences of more frequent extreme weather events” and called for the Government “to address this significant issue”. The conservation charity said specialist drone surveys conducted in summer 2023 confirmed a 60% loss in heather at Dunwich Heath on the Suffolk coast following the 2022 heatwave. However, similar surveys conducted in June of this year indicated that 11% of the damaged heathland heather had sprung back to life following increased rainfall this February.
The rare heathland habitat of Dunwich Heath is nationally important and is home to species including nightjar, woodlark and adders. Three different types of heather typically grow and flower there from June to September – common, bell and cross-leaved – transforming the landscape into a bright and vibrant patchwork. But hotter, drier summers are pushing the limits of what the heather can cope with, and the 2022 drought coincided with the middle of the heather flowering season.
The result was that almost the entire heath failed to flower, with some plants also dying. Where there was significant die-off in the heather, there was also a lower number of insects, particularly pollinators, which provide crucial food for nesting birds. Resident species such as the Dartford warbler depend on reliable food sources year-round, with numbers dropping from 30 breeding pairs to just under 20 from 2022 to 2023.
However, rangers believe the wet.