moor

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moor An acidic area, usually high-lying and with peat development, and most typically dominated by low-growing ericaceous shrubs (especially Vaccinium myrtillus, bilberry), though including grass and sedge-dominated areas. In many respects the terms ‘moor’ and ‘heath’ are interchangeable. A. G.Tansley (1939) maintained a traditional distinction between upland and lowland heaths, as opposed to heather moors, which have deeper peat development rather than any distinctive floral characteristics. Compare heathland.

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