Dartmoor Habitats

The Dart Valley is cloaked in extensive woodland and is a biodiversity ‘hot-spot’.

There are a great variety of habitats on Dartmoor, some of which are nationally or even internationally important and are home to many rare plant and animal species. There are large areas of blanket bog on the highest part of the moor and in the more sheltered, steep-sided valleys are broadleaved woodlands. Between the valleys and the blanket bogs is a mixture of heath and grassland. In terms of wildlife, Dartmoor is of international importance for its blanket bogs, upland heaths, upland oak woods and cave systems, and of at least national importance for its valley mires, Rhôs pasture and grass moor. Other notable habitats in the Dartmoor National Park include species-rich hay meadows and hedgebanks, granite tors, torrent rivers and lowland heath. Here is a brief outline of the most important habitats and their associated species within the Dartmoor National Park.

Moorland

• Upland Heathland
• Blanket Bog
• Valley Mire
• Grass Moor and Bracken
• Rocky Outcrops
• Caves and Mines
• Lowland Heath

Woodland

• Upland Oakwood
• Wet Woods

Farmland

• Rhos Pasture
• Hay Meadows
• Hedgebanks and Stone Walls

Rivers

• Torrent Rivers and Streams