Ourea Events foot races are located in Britain’s greatest upland areas that often contain features of outstanding biodiversity value and importance. Occasionally, the features that provide this interest can be vulnerable to the wear and tear that may result from the passage of event participants. The risk of ecological damage is carefully assessed during the planning process for each event, when every effort is made to avoid sensitive ecological interest areas that could be disturbed by the event.

We are keen to encourage personal route selection choices by participants on our events to further avoid the risk of local ecological disturbance. These Ecological Briefing Notes have been prepared for the Northern Traverse event to identify key ecological interest features that contribute to the special character of the route followed by the race, with route selection comments to help minimise the risk of localised ecological disturbance.

A range of distinctive wildlife habitats and vegetation types occur along the Northern Traverse route, including a number of areas designated for their nature conservation importance at international and national levels. These include extensive areas of outstanding upland wildlife habitats and tracts of moorland of particular importance for the conservation of internationally important breeding bird populations.

The majority of the Northern Traverse route will follow conspicuous paths and tracks, helping to avoid the risk of disturbance to sites and features of special nature conservation interest. For localised situations where event participants might be required to cross areas of land where hill paths are indistinct, these ecological briefing notes should support personal route choices that will avoid the risk of significant ecological disturbance.

These ecological briefing notes have also been produced to communicate the special upland environmental interest of the event area to enrich the experience of participating in the Northern Traverse event.

•  Dry acid grassland is a widespread vegetation type along extensive sections of the route, where centuries of livestock grazing has converted heather moorland to open grassland. These areas provide a relatively robust vegetation type that can generally withstand the trampling effects of hill running.

• Extensive areas of dry acid grassland can include mosaics of other upland vegetation types such as blanket bog, heather-dominated heath vegetation and wet acid grassland creating areas of local vulnerability to a concentration of trampling by Northern Traverse participants.

• Blanket bog is an important feature at several locations along upland sections of the route. Disturbance of blanket bog by runners churning through deep peat deposits has the potential to trigger peat erosion by de-stabilising the peat surface. Wherever possible, route choices in these areas should try to link strips and patches of better drained moorland vegetation. These are often quite well-drained, providing areas of relatively robust vegetation and resistant to the trampling effects of running.

• Some sections of the Northern Traverse route contain patches of high quality blanket bog with an intact vegetation surface. These are typified by areas of wet heath vegetation interspersed with shallow pools, often associated with Sphagnum mosses. These areas often comprise a mosaic of vegetation types that will include slightly raised areas of better drained peat with drier heather moorland vegetation. These will be far less vulnerable to disturbance through vegetation damage by trampling and should ideally be selected when making route choices for running through these intact blanket bog areas.

• Areas of wet acid grassland will be encountered where impeded drainage occurs within relatively level hill grassland areas or where groundwater emerges at the surface as seepages across more steeply sloping ground. Wet acid grassland can be of special nature conservation interest, in particular where groundwater seepages provide conditions for communities of specialised mosses, liverworts and other specialised plants. These vegetation types can be vulnerable to persistent disturbance effects of trampling and should ideally be avoided wherever possible by selecting routes that keep to dry acid grassland to by-pass wet grassland patches.

• Wet acid grassland at groundwater seepages on steep ground can be difficult to avoid where they cross valuable contouring lines. Avoidance of these areas could involve a significant route change and deviation from the desired contour level. Despite this, it would be ideal if damage to seepage zone vegetation could be minimised, often located within shallow gulleys, re-entrant features or associated with ground level rock outcrops that cross steep slopes.

• On hillsides, soil movements within dry and wet acid grassland areas can develop well-defined micro-terrace systems, often referred to as sheep walks or trods. These typically follow contours and can provide extremely useful running lines. Grassland vegetation at the edge of these micro-terraces is often friable and easily broken off. Care should be taken when using these features for contouring to avoid running on the edge of these terraces to minimise grassland damage. As the majority of the route follows conspicuous hill paths, the need to cross areas of this vegetation type will be limited to a small number of locations along the Northern Traverse route.

• Distinctive semi-natural woodland of very high conservation interest is present along several sections of the Northern Traverse route. Many of the broadleaved woodlands are of importance for the mosses and liverworts that grow on tree trunks and boulders on the woodland floor. The Northern Traverse route generally avoids the need to pass through or in close proximity to key areas of upland semi-natural woodland interest. Where the route passes small upland woodland fragments, it is important that existing paths are used.

• A variety of boulder field and scree habitats are present along upland sections of the route that are potentially vulnerable to disturbance. Ice-shattered boulder fields on the highest mountain tops often support fragile montane grass-heath plant communities of extremely high nature conservation value. Existing paths through these areas should be used to avoid disturbance of these communities. Blocky scree often supports specialised plant communities that utilise the microclimate of sheltered spaces within the scree. Sections of the Northern Traverse route that cross these features should use existing paths wherever possible and should always minimise disturbance of scree blocks. 

• Specialised rock ledge plant communities are present at a number of locations along upland sections of the Northern Traverse route. If participants need to negotiate low rock outcrops great care should be taken to minimise disturbance of ledge vegetation.

• The route passes through a landscape that includes a number of lakes and hill tarns that are generally of considerable nature conservation interest. Often this interest is associated with complex and specialised vegetation areas that develop at the margins of both large lakes and smaller hill tarns. There is no need for Northern Traverse participants to enter any water body within the event area, and all lake and tarn margins should be avoided.

• The Northern Traverse route pass through a landscape that contains a number of streams and rivers, some of which are potentially vulnerable to ecological disturbance from repeated crossing by runners. Some of the rivers and streams in the vicinity of the Northern Traverse route include watercourses that could support internationally and nationally threatened animal species such as otter and water vole. In many cases, the nature conservation interest of these rivers and streams concerns use of the banksides by these animals. At no point does the Northern Traverse route require participants to deviate from bridges when crossing rivers and streams. This will ensure that adverse impacts on the nature conservation interest and importance of these features are avoided. 

• Wildlife that could be present within habitats along the route of the Northern Traverse could include a wide range of nesting bird species. In particular, ground nesting birds will use open hill grassland and moorland habitats along the route such as acid grassland, blanket bog and heather moorland. Woodland habitats will also be in use by a number of nesting bird species. Following the route of the Northern Traverse along paths, tracks and roads will help to ensure that nesting bird disturbance is avoided.