WORK to maintain the unique habitat on Poole’s Canford Heath started this week.

Borough of Poole (BOP) will be carrying out the work, which will involve felling of mostly pine trees but also some deciduous trees.

A BOP spokesman explained: “To fulfil our legal obligations to manage the Borough of Poole’s internationally important heathlands, we organise, and oversee works across these sites in addition to routine maintenance. This mainly involve carrying out tree and scrub removal during the autumn/winter season.

“If this management is not undertaken the continual spread of trees and scrub will affect many of the plants and wildlife which need the relatively treeless landscape to survive.”

The borough says much work has been undertaken over the last decade to revert the loss of the special habitat.

Canford Heath is Dorset’s largest heathland and much of it is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.In 2015 two hectares of the heath were damaged by fire, which took the efforts of around 70 firefighters to bring under control.

The heath is home to many rare species, including the smooth snake, sand lizard and Dartford Warbler.

“We have done much work over the last decade to halt the decline and revert the loss of this special habitat,” explained the BOP spokesman.

“We have undertaken much of this alongside other organisations managing other heaths in South East Dorset, often in partnership when applying for different funding streams as in the case of Higher Level Stewardship.

“This positive management will help to save and protect the remainder of the heaths and their rare flora and fauna.

“The works are carried out with the agreement of Natural England and largely funded by Higher Level Stewardship.”