The power of ponies: Grazing helps rare landscape near Eastbourne recover
The condition of a rare chalk heath near Eastbourne has been upgraded after Exmoor ponies were used to graze the site.
Lullington Heath in the South Downs was established as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1955 to protect one of the largest areas of chalk heath remaining in Britain.
The rare habitat features areas of chalk heathland and chalk grassland which need careful management.
The 62 hectare site is owned by South East Water and managed by Natural England and forms part of the Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve.
The nature reserve was declared by His Majesty King Charles III in March and is the first reserve in the King’s Series of super National Nature Reserves to be declared for the protection of groundwater.
In October 2019, the condition of Lullington Heath was downgraded to unfavourable declining due to the increased presence of scrub, such as gorse and coarse tor grass, which makes it more difficult for the rare plants and habitats of the chalk heath to grow and thrive.
To prevent further decline, the area was cleared of scrub and Exmoor ponies have been brought in to graze the heath.
As a result of the ponies grazing, the condition has been upgraded to unfavorable recovering, meaning conditions are improving.
Richard Dyer, South East Water Biodiversity Manager, said: “The Lullington Heath SSSI is not only an incredibly rare and important habitat, it is also important for the region’s water supplies as it sits above one of our groundwater sources.
“The way land is managed above these sources is important because it affects the quality and quantity of water within it.
“To support the site and help restore the rare chalk landscape, contractors were hired to clear the site of the scrub which allows the rare species found on chalk heath and grassland to flourish.
“Grazing is key to the ongoing maintenance of the site and we have been working with a local farmer to graze Exmoor ponies on the heath. A rare species themselves, they are great at eating the course scrub many other grazing animals would avoid.”
The improvement at Lullington Heath means 97 per cent of the SSSI land South East Water owns is now in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition.