Urban development adjacent to heathland sites in Dorset: the effect on the density and settlement patterns of Annex 1 bird species (ENRR463)

The impact of urban development adjacent to heathland sites has long been of concern to conservationists. This concern stems from a wide variety of potential detrimental effects that may affect the conservation interest of a site. These include fragmentation, increased fire risk, disturbance from increased recreational use, pollution, predation from domestic pets and changes to the hydrology of a site. This report first examines the relationship between the amount of urban development, adjacent to heathland sites in Dorset, and the numbers of three Annex 1 bird species (nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler).