| Does Burning of UK Sub-Montane, Dry Dwarf-Shrub Heath
Maintain Vegetation Diversity? |
What is the aim
of the review?
To systematically collate and synthesise published and unpublished
evidence in order to examine the effect of burning on the diversity
of sub-montane dry dwarf-shrub vegetation communities.
Who's in the review team?
At what stage is the review?
This review is now complete.
What is the rationale?
Though a popular management tool,
that has been employed in the British uplands for many centuries
in order to promote the growth of young heather and grasses, poorly
managed muirburn is believed to reduce the quality of upland heath
habitat by causing a simplification of structure, loss of lower
plant assemblages and erosion of peat. A recent assessment of
conservation status revealed that nearly a quarter of the area
of upland Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) was found
to be in an unfavourable condition, and this has been attributed
to inappropriate moor burning. There is therefore a clear need
for evidence concerning the effects of burning on the conservation
value of heathland to determine if burning management is compatible
with conservation objectives.
The issue was initially raised by
Natural England's (formerly English Nature) 'Uplands Group' and
the question was then further refined and developed through iterative
discussion between English Nature and the Centre for Evidence-Based
Conservation.
How were the results
obtained?
A number of electronic databases were searched for information
using a range of search terms. Bibliographies of retrieved articles
were checked for additional relevant references. Subject experts
and conservation practitioners were contacted for relevant publications.
Over 24,000 references were retrieved in total. Of these, seven
passed all inclusion criteria and were accepted into the final
review; five of these into a quantitative meta-analysis.
What
did the review find?
To read more about this review, its findings, and the implications for conservationists and researchers, please see the Summary or Full Report.
Comments?
If you would like to comment on any aspect of this review, please email us. Your feedback is appreciated.
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