or moor vegetation, a type of vegetation represented by evergreen shrubs and low brushes, predominantly of the family Ericaceae, having stiff narrow leaves. The plants thrive in a cool and moist maritime climate, in poor, strongly podzolized sandy or peat soils. They are found primarily in Europe. They have a limited distribution in North and South America, Africa (Cape Province), and the Falkland Islands; in the USSR they are found along the Baltic Sea coast.
In the heaths of northern and eastern Europe the dominant plant is the heather Calluna vulgaris; Erica tetralix predominates in western Europe, in more moist conditions. They are accompanied by ptarmigan-berry, crowberry, cowberry, whortleberry, bog whortleberry, and others. Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is also frequently found. The soil cover contains many mosses and lichens. In northern Europe heaths are largely secondary growths on the sites of dried-up peat bogs and pine forests destroyed by felling or fire. The areas freed from heaths are easily improved and are used as cultivated lands.
(Erica), a genus of plants of the family Ericaceae. Members of the genus are undershrubs, shrubs, or small trees. Some species of heath strongly resemble heather and are therefore known as true heath. In contrast to heather, the heath’s corolla is much longer than its calyx. About 500 species grow in South Africa. There are about 15 in Europe. In the USSR there are two species. The tree heath (E. arborea) grows only on Cape Pitsunda (on the coast of the Black Sea); the cross-leaved heath (E. tetralix) grows on the coast of the Baltic Sea. This species, as well as the purple heath (E. cinerea), is extensively distributed in the swampy areas of Western Europe. Many species of heath are cultivated as ornamentals. The beautiful dense wood of some species is used in making pipes.
a biogeocenosis that forms primarily where forests are cleared or destroyed by fire. There is a predominance of evergreen undershrubs (in Europe, mainly Ericaceae or Vaccineaceae). A typical plant found in heaths is heather (Calluna vulgaris), which is widely distributed in the coastal regions of Western Europe. Heather prefers cool, humid climates and strongly podzolized acidic soils. Several undershrub and shrub biogeocenoses of southern Africa and South Australia are also called heath.