Heather utilisation along paths by red deer and sheep in a natural heather/grass mosaic.

Heather utilisation (i.e. proportion of current year's growth removed) by red deer and sheep along the edges of paths was examined within 1 ha plots in a natural heather/grass mosaic in NE Scotland. Utilisation was studied along the edges of bare paths (?heather paths?) and paths colonised by grass (?grass paths?). Utilisation was greatest within the first 25 cm from the path edges and greater at uphill edges of paths than downhill edges. Heather utilisation was also greater at edges of grass paths than heather paths. Sheep browsed more heather at the path edges than did red deer. Greater percentages of dead shoots (associated with trampling) were found at downhill edges of paths than at uphill edges, but heather canopy heights were lower at uphill path edges. It is suggested that heather utilisation and trampling along paths can play key roles in the fragmentation of heather, especially under grazing by sheep as opposed to red deer.