title: The role of fire in UK peatland and moorland management: the need for informed, unbiased debate.
abstract: Fire has been used for centuries to generate and manage some of the UK's cultural landscapes. Despite its complex role in the ecology of UK peatlands and moorlands, there has been a trend of simplifying the narrative around burning to present it as an only ecologically damaging practice. That fire modifies peatland characteristics at a range of scales is clearly understood. Whether these changes are perceived as positive or negative depends upon how trade-offs are made between ecosystem services and the spatial and temporal scales of concern. Here we explore the complex interactions and trade-offs in peatland fire management, evaluating the benefits and costs of managed fire as they are currently understood. We highlight the need for (i) distinguishing between the impacts of fires occurring with differing severity and frequency, and (ii) improved characterization of ecosystem health that incorporates the response and recovery of peatlands to fire. We also explore how recent research has been contextualized within both scientific publications and the wider media and how this can influence non-specialist perceptions. We emphasize the need for an informed, unbiased debate on fire as an ecological management tool that is separated from other aspects of moorland management and from political and economic opinions.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA davies.411@osu.edu.
authors.forename: G Matt
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B31 2DX, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kettridge
authors.affiliation: Soil Geography and Landscape Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cathelijne R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Stoof
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco (TO) 10095, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ascoli
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marrs
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3270-5817
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Stefan H
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8700-9002
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Clay
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMorrow
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Postboks 7803, Bergen 5020, Norway.
authors.forename: Vigdis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vandvik
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D005390:Fires; D006113:United Kingdom; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Calluna vulgaris; UK; management burning; moorland; peat; prescribed burning; wildfire