heathland Most typically, a community dominated by dwarf shrubs belonging to the family Ericaceae. Sometimes, especially in Britain, ‘heathland’ is used more loosely to denote any community developing on acidic, podzolized soils, e.g. grass heaths and lichen heaths. The term was first used in a narrow sense to describe shrubby vegetation dominated by the genus Calluna (heath or ling). Compare MOOR.

heathland Most typically, a community dominated by dwarf shrubs belonging to the family Ericaceae. Sometimes, especially in Britain, ‘heathland’ is used more loosely to denote any shrub community developing on acidic, podzolized soils (e.g. grass heaths and lichen heaths). The term was first used in a narrow sense to describe shrubby vegetation dominated by the genus Calluna (heath or ling). Compare moor.