Prescribed moorland burning meets good practice guidelines: A monitoring case study using aerial photography in the Peak District, UK

Allen, Katherine A.; Denelle, Pierre; Toscano, Antonio; Santana, Víctor M.; Marrs, Rob H.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.11.030

Cited by 38 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…However, Allen et al . also state that ‘whilst the specific results obtained from this management unit cannot be extrapolated to any other sites and we do not claim that management on this moor is characteristic of UK moors in general, the method of monitoring proved to be effective’. Grouse moor management has arguably improved the resilience of these dwarf‐shrub communities in the face of disease and outbreaks of pest insects such as Heather Beetle Lochmaea suturalis (Werritty et al .…”

Section: Managed Burning Grazing and Vegetation Controlmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Despite contentious debate over the effects of Heather burning on moorland ecosystem services, a case study on a moor managed for grouse shooting and sheep grazing in the Peak District showed that burning was within the widely accepted good practice guidelines (Allen et al . ). However, Allen et al .…”

Section: Managed Burning Grazing and Vegetation Controlmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Three-quarters of the world's Heather moorland is found in the UK uplands (Holden et al 2007), with six of the heath and mire communities virtually confined to the UK and Ireland (Thompson et al 1995). Despite contentious debate over the effects of Heather burning on moorland ecosystem services, a case study on a moor managed for grouse shooting and sheep grazing in the Peak District showed that burning was within the widely accepted good practice guidelines (Allen et al 2016). However, Allen et al 2016 also state that 'whilst the specific results obtained from this management unit cannot be extrapolated to any other sites and we do not claim that management on this moor is characteristic of UK moors in general, the method of monitoring proved to be effective'.…”

Section: Predator Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An alternative view of moorland management for Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica

Sotherton

Baines

Aebischer

2017

Ibis

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Section: Managed Burning Grazing and Vegetation Controlmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Managed Burning Grazing and Vegetation Controlmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Predator Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An alternative view of moorland management for Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica

Sotherton

Baines

Aebischer

2017

Ibis

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“…Burn severity varies, but good practice guidelines recommend 'cool' burns which remove the canopy layer of vegetation without consuming the moss or litter layer or igniting underlying peat (Defra 2007;Scottish Government 2011). The area of UK peatlands managed by burning has increased in recent decades (Douglas et al 2015;Thacker et al 2015;Yallop et al 2006), causing concern about potential impacts on peatland function and debate about the sustainability of current practice (Allen et al 2016;Brown et al 2016;Harper et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peatland vegetation change and establishment of re-introduced Sphagnum moss after prescribed burning

et al. 2019

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Fire, including prescribed burning, is common on peatlands globally and can affect vegetation, including peat-forming Sphagnum mosses, and affect ecosystem services. We monitored vegetation in different burn-age categories at three UK peatland sites over a 19-month period. Half of the plots had Sphagnum fragments added and their survival was assessed. Changes in vegetation composition over time, and associations between vegetation composition, site and burn-age category were investigated. Plots in the most recently burned category were likely to have more bare peat, a thinner moss layer and lower vascular plant strata. Graminoid cover initially increased after burning but was low after 10 + years. Dwarf shrub cover increased after burning and remained high after 10 + years. At the most Sphagnum-rich site, a high proportion of existing Sphagnum cover was bleached one year after burning, but recovery occurred during the study period. Sphagnum re-introduction success decreased over the study period in the most recent and intermediate burn-age categories at the most Sphagnum-poor site. These results show that burning rotation length is an important factor in determining site-level vegetation composition on burned sites. More frequent burning will result in a greater proportion of land in the early post-burning stages, potentially resulting in a thinner moss layer, more bare peat and less healthy Sphagnum, with potential consequences for carbon balance. No evidence was found to support the use of burning as a tool to increase existing Sphagnum or promote Sphagnum re-establishment success.

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“…Wildfire activity is projected to increase due to changes in temperature and rainfall patterns arising from climate change (Krawchuk et al 2009;De Groot et al 2013), possibly leading to more severe disturbances in peatland ecosystems. In some regions such as the British Isles, open peat bogs (sensu Rydin and Jeglum 2013), including blanket and raised bogs, are also subjected to managed burning to promote suitable habitat for livestock, game and wildlife and to manage the risk and severity of wildfires (Fernandes and Botelho 2003;Harris et al 2011;Allen et al 2016). Managed burning is a controversial practice on peat bogs (Davies et al 2016a,b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sphagnum abundance and photosynthetic capacity show rapid short-term recovery following managed burning

Grau‐Andrés

Gray

Davies

2017

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background: Prescribed burning in peatlands is controversial due to concerns over damage to their ecological functioning, particularly regarding their key genus Sphagnum. However, empirical evidence is scarce. Aims: The aim of the article is to quantify Sphagnum recovery following prescribed burns. Methods: We completed nine fires at a raised bog in Scotland, achieving a range of fire severities by simulating drought in some plots. We measured Sphagnum cover and chlorophyll fluorescence F v /F m ratio (an estimate of photosynthetic capacity) up to 36 months post-fire. Results: Cover of dominant Sphagnum capillifolium was similar in unburnt and burnt plots, likely due to its high moisture content which prevented combustion. Burning decreased S. capillifolium F v /F m 5 months after fire from 0.67 in unburnt plots to 0.44 in low fire severity plots and 0.24 in higher fire severity (drought) plots. After 22 months, F v /F m in burnt plots showed a healthy photosynthetic capacity of 0.76 and no differences between severity treatments. Other Sphagnum species showed similar post-fire recovery though their low overall abundance precluded formal statistical analysis. Conclusions: S. capillifolium is resilient to low-moderate fire severities and the same may be true for a number of other species. This suggests that carefully applied managed burning can be compatible with the conservation of peatland ecosystem function.

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Prescribed moorland burning meets good practice guidelines: A monitoring case study using aerial photography in the Peak District, UK

Cited by 38 publications

References 27 publications

An alternative view of moorland management for Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica

An alternative view of moorland management for Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica

Peatland vegetation change and establishment of re-introduced Sphagnum moss after prescribed burning

Sphagnum abundance and photosynthetic capacity show rapid short-term recovery following managed burning

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