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Research Paper Summaries
Read summaries of scientific research papers on a variety of moorland topics.


Devastating Wildfire Data Highlights Risks of New Burning Restrictions
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.

Rob Beeson
45 minutes ago1 min read


The Science Doesn’t Add Up: No Evidence That Controlled Burning Causes Flooding
A major review finds no robust evidence that prescribed heather burning causes flooding, exposing flaws in studies and highlighting the need for better research.

Rob Beeson
8 hours ago3 min read


Major Review Finds No Clear Link Between Burning and Water Quality
A major review finds no robust evidence linking prescribed heather burning to water quality issues, citing confounding factors, contradictions, and weak methods.

Rob Beeson
8 hours ago3 min read


How Much Heather Moorland is in the UK? Rethinking the 75% Figure
A major review questions the claim that the UK holds 75% of global heather moorland, highlighting uncertainties but stressing its global significance.

Rob Beeson
1 day ago2 min read


Claim That “Cessation of Burning Leads to Wetter Peat” Rejected by Scientists
A major review finds no solid evidence that stopping prescribed burning makes peat wetter or reduces heather, urging site-specific, long-term research instead.

Rob Beeson
1 day ago3 min read


Claim That ‘Rewetting Cuts Wildfire Risk’ Remains Unproven
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.

Rob Beeson
2 days ago3 min read


No Evidence That Heather Burning Reduces Sphagnum or Peat Formation
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.

Rob Beeson
5 days ago3 min read


6,000 Years of Heather and Fire: Why the ‘Recent Management’ Claim Doesn’t Stack Up
A scientific review challenges the idea that fire and heather dominance are recent phenomena primarily driven by modern management practices like grouse moor management.

Rob Beeson
6 days ago3 min read


Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Reached Europe, Killing Tens of Thousands
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.

Rob Beeson
Sep 111 min read


Proactive Burning Policies Could Reduce Wildfire Risk, Study Suggests
A new study has modelled how prescribed burning interacts with uncontrolled wildfires. The researchers compared two main approaches: reactive and proactive.

Rob Beeson
Sep 91 min read


Heather Burning and Carbon Loss: Questioning the Evidence Behind a Contentious Climate Claim
Scientists have questioned the claim that prescribed heather burning causes a net peat carbon loss and contributes to the climate crisis.

Rob Beeson
Sep 83 min read


Smoke from Wildfires: New Evidence on Health Risks and Why Fire Type Matters
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.

Rob Beeson
Sep 31 min read
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