Research Paper Summaries

2025 has been the worst year on record for wildfires in the UK. The data illustrate just how bad. Imagine what the data will look like once the impact of the government's new burning restrictions take hold.

A major review finds no robust evidence that prescribed heather burning causes flooding, exposing flaws in studies and highlighting the need for better research.

A major review finds no robust evidence linking prescribed heather burning to water quality issues, citing confounding factors, contradictions, and weak methods.

A major review questions the claim that the UK holds 75% of global heather moorland, highlighting uncertainties but stressing its global significance.

A major review finds no solid evidence that stopping prescribed burning makes peat wetter or reduces heather, urging site-specific, long-term research instead.

Evidence suggests that heather is more resilient to wet conditions than is often assumed, and that ceasing fuel management in favor of rewetting alone could increase the risk of severe wildfires.

There is no robust data to support the claim that prescribed heather burning reduces Sphagnum abundance and peat formation, and in fact, several datasets reject it.

A scientific review challenges the idea that fire and heather dominance are recent phenomena primarily driven by modern management practices like grouse moor management.

New research has revealed the global health impacts of the record-breaking wildfires that swept through Canada in 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths across North America and Europe.

A new study has modelled how prescribed burning interacts with uncontrolled wildfires. The researchers compared two main approaches: reactive and proactive.

Scientists have questioned the claim that prescribed heather burning causes a net peat carbon loss and contributes to the climate crisis.

A new study from Nevada, USA, has found that smoke from wildland fires can lead to increased hospital visits for breathing and heart problems - and the type of fire makes a difference.