Editing Heath (section)

== Anthropogenic heaths ==
[[human impact on the environment|Anthropogenic]] heath habitats are a [[cultural landscape]] that can be found worldwide in locations as diverse as [[Northern Europe|Northern]] and [[Western Europe]], the [[Americas]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Madagascar]] and [[New Guinea]].

These heaths were initially made or expanded by centuries of human clearance of the natural forest and woodland vegetation by [[grazing]] and burning. In some cases, this clearance went so far that parts of the heathland have given way to open spots of pure sand and [[sand dune]]s, with a local climate that, even in Europe, can rise to temperatures of {{convert|50|C|F}} in summer, drying the sand spot bordering the heathland and further raising its vulnerability for wildfires. Referring to heathland in England, [[Oliver Rackham]] says, "Heaths are clearly the product of human activities and need to be managed as heathland; if neglected, they turn into woodland".<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of the Countryside |first=Oliver |last=Rackham |author-link=Oliver Rackham |page=282 |publisher=Phoenix |year=1997}}</ref>

The conservation value of these human-made heaths has become much more appreciated due to their historical cultural value as habitats;<ref name="Atkins 2015">{{cite book |last=Atkins |first=William |title=The moor: a journey into the English wilderness |publication-place=London |date=2015 |isbn=978-0-571-29005-5 |oclc=910177358 |pages=115, 202 and throughout}}</ref> consequently, most heathlands are protected. However, tree incursion also threatens them because of the discontinuation of traditional management techniques, such as grazing and burning, that mediated the landscapes. Some are also threatened by [[urban sprawl]]. Anthropogenic heathlands are maintained artificially by a combination of grazing and periodic burning (known as swailing),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-22054636 |title=Dartmoor fire 'largest in years' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=7 April 2013}}</ref> or (rarely) mowing; if not so maintained, they are rapidly recolonised by forest or woodland. The recolonising tree species will depend on what is available as the local seed source, and thus it may not reflect the natural vegetation before the heathland became established.