A GIANT roller crushing and slowing the growth of invasive bracken at Ibsley Common in the New Forest is being hailed as a success by the National Trust.

The specially designed large roller is helping the Trust’s Countryside Team to deal with eight acres of bracken a day.

Although bracken provides shelter for some birds, reptiles and invertebrates, it is invasive, shading out heather and other plants and grasses that are needed by a wide range of species.

The large roller bruises the bracken stems as the plant is at its peak, and interferes with the food supply necessary for next year’s growth. This drastic weakening of the bracken allows the re-growth of heather which struggles to survive alongside its more vigorous neighbour.

“Bracken has an ability to colonise rapidly but it does so at the expense of other plants and wildlife, so it has little direct conservation value,” said Tom Hordle, estate ranger for the National Trust in the New Forest.

“It also limits the forage area available to livestock, so getting rid of it encourages primary habitats to re-establish. We do leave some small stands of it to provide a nesting, feeding and roosting habitat for some wildlife including stonechats, woodlarks, fritillary butterflies, wild gladiolus and some orchids,” he said.

Keeping on top of bracken control means that it has be managed over several years to stop it re-colonising.

Tom emphasised the importance of maintaining the historic landscapes at Ibsley, encouraging the return of heathers there.

“It’s satisfying to know our work helps to restore the natural landscape,” he said.

“The steep ground at Ibsley makes navigation with the roller tricky at times but it will recreate that iconic undulating view of heather-clad slopes in years to come.