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The moorland looks bleak and wild but it was made by man when he cut down the virgin forest to make way for grazing.
Most people think of moorland when they think of Exmoor. About a quarter of Exmoor National Park is open uncultivated moor and heath lying between 305 m (1000 ft) and 519 m (1700 ft) above sea level.
Moors are found on wet, acid soil. There are grass moors where many grasses and sedges grow, including purple moor grass and deer sedge, and heather moors with mainly ling.
Heaths are found on free-draining soil. Ling and bell heather grow there along with gorse, whortleberry and bracken.
The moorland appears natural and undisturbed but it was partly created by human beings who destroyed the prehistoric woods on the hills by cutting down trees and grazing domestic animals. In order to keep moorland we need to stop small trees and bushes growing there. This is done by swaling or burning the vegetation on the moor and by grazing.
It is very important that swaling takes place at the right time of year before birds build their nests and reptiles come out of hibernation, and not too often or grass and bracken will take over from the heather.
The Exmoor pony, though not strictly wild, roams the moors and the sharp-eyed may see red deer. Birds include the soaring sky-lark with its trembling, high-pitched song, snipe and kestrels. You might see a buzzard swooping after its prey. The merlin is a rarity.
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