填空题 Today's topic is the heather moors of Scotland. It's a sight that is {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}itself: the heather blooming on the moors {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}. But it is one that is becoming far less common. Rather alarmingly, the moors {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}, and nowadays only {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}is covered with heather, whereas in the not too distant past, this area was much greater, in the 1940s there was {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}heather than there is today.
Why should any of this matter? Aside from the fact that {{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}, does heather have any other value? The answer must be an emphatic yes. First of all, {{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}would be very hard pressed to survive without it. In fact, twenty-one species are {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}. Secondly, the heather moors provide the backdrop for certain sports such as deer stalking, which constitute {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}for the rural economy. Thirdly, this small bushy plant features prominently among {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}, and as is the case in many countries today, tourism is an important source of revenue {{U}} {{U}} 11 {{/U}} {{/U}}.
So, if the heather moors are {{U}} {{U}} 12 {{/U}} {{/U}}to Scotland, why have they been allowed to shrink so drastically? To a certain extent, the damage is due to mismanagement and {{U}} {{U}} 13 {{/U}} {{/U}}on the part of landowners: {{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}} {{/U}}is one of the major factors that have contributed to {{U}} {{U}} 15 {{/U}} {{/U}}of the heather moors. On top of that, large tracts have been cleared so that {{U}} {{U}} 16 {{/U}} {{/U}}.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that something should be done to {{U}} {{U}} 17 {{/U}} {{/U}}as soon as possible. Now, there is no disputing the fact that {{U}} {{U}} 18 {{/U}} {{/U}}over a long period has been one of the main causes of the problem, so there is no reason why {{U}} {{U}} 19 {{/U}} {{/U}}to manage the heather moors properly shouldn't likewise bring positive results. Such programmes have recently got under way in certain areas, although it could be several years before {{U}} {{U}} 20 {{/U}} {{/U}}.