Chalk heath is a rare habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, formed of a paradoxical mixture of shallow-rooted calcifuge ("calcium-hating") and deeper-rooted calcicole ("calcium-loving") plants, growing on a thin layer of acidic soil over an alkaline substrate.
Chalk heath tends to occur as narrow strips and scattered fragments, being limited to places where the conditions are exactly right for its development and survival.
Chalk heath is a grazing habitat, created and maintained by livestock (usually sheep and cattle) and rabbits.
It also includes plants which can tolerate both acidic and basic conditions, such as common bent (Agrostis capillaris), wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) and sometimes juniper (Juniperus communis).
Many examples have disappeared due to agricultural improvement, or to a lack of grazing management, which leads to replacement by species-poor scrub and woodland.