This photo shows one of the most important habitat areas on Troopers Hill, the area of eroded ground seen below the chimney is home to large numbers of rare Andrena solitary bees and their preditors and parasites. It can be seen that the extent of this area has remained unchanged throughout the period.
The photo also illustrates the affect of the 1995 fire. In 1996 the hawthorn tree towards the centre of the photo is shown blackened and there is no heather in flower. The heather recovered over the following years and by 2002 can be seen to cover a larger area than it had in 1994.
The 2004 photo clearly shows the steps through the bracken that were cleared for that year by the Friends of Troopers Hill at their Work Parties having become impassable.
The heather has spread further in 2006, the area of shrub and bramble in the area where the single hawthorn tree was burnt in 1995 can also be seen to have spread over the 10 years since the fire. To prevent it spreading further and in the hope of reinstating some of the area as heathland, this area was cleared of scrub in 2007.
The photos also show that the gorse has spread over the years on the slopes in the background.
In 2011 there is increased vigour of heather and goldenrod, a spread of the patch of broom, and the gorse scrub to rear is taller.
2016: Management in the 1990s and since has opened up much of the area in the left part of this image, but the scattered broom has spread from a single plant since 2000.
2021: The foreground of this picture has changed relatively little since 2016 apart from an increase in goldenrod, and some reduction in broom due to habitat management. In the background evidence of scrub removal can be seen. In 1994 heath species were confined to small quantities on the middle slopes, and the furthest slopes were much more open.
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