This photo shows one of the most important habitat areas on Troopers Hill, the area of eroded ground seen below the chimney is home to large numbers of rare Andrena solitary bees and their preditors and parasites. It can be seen that the extent of this area has remained unchanged throughout the last ten years.
The photo also illustrates the affect of the 1995 fire. In 1996 the hawthorn tree towards the centre of the photo is shown blackened and there is no heather in flower. The heather recovered over the following years and by 2002 can be seen to cover a larger area than it had in 1994.
The 2004 photo clearly shows the steps through the bracken that were kept clear for this year by the Friends of Troopers Hill at their Work Parties.
The heather has spread further in 2006, the area of shrub and bramble in the area where the single hawthorn tree was burnt in 1995 can also be seen to have spread over the 10 years since the fire. Some of this bramble will be cut back at work parties next winter.
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