24 September 2023 , 21:13
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The enigma surrounding a peculiar lunar-like landscape in a popular National Park has finally been solved by an ecology expert.
When a grassy expanse at Balmer Lawn in the New Forest became bumpy, mystery shrouded the change in appearance. Some speculated the involvement of a hyperactive colony of moles, while others wondered if yellow meadow ants were the culprits, as they're known for their penchant for crafting ant hills in grassland habitats.
But now Leanne Sargeant, a senior ecologist from Forestry England, said the agency believes the landscape has changed because an area of moor grasses has dried out, likely as a result of climate change.
People have been baffled by the vast stretch of grassland in Hampshire (MattPinner/BNPS)She said: "There has been some debate in the past about what caused the bumpy lawn but we believe that this is an area of old molinia tussocks that have dried out over the years causing the peat around the molinia to shrink, as the ground has lowered, the molinia tussocks have vegetated over with other species that can cope in the drying ground."
The unusual topography was captured by photographer Matt Pinner, who himself took to social media to solicit theories about its cause. Forestry England, though, has studied the grassy expanse on land it manages near Brockenhurst, Hampshire, for some time.
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Tourists in New Forest had been baffled by the hundreds of odd lumps recently. Photographs show the lumps peppering the vast stretch of grassland, which is heavily grazed by livestock including ponies, donkeys and cattle.
New Forest, designated a National Park in 2005, receives more than 13 million visits from tourists each year, figures show. Total spending associated with leisure visits to the New Forest is estimated at around £107.6 million. Approximately 30 per cent of jobs in the New Forest are provided by the tourism industry.
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