Research Paper Summaries

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.

A ten-year study across three British upland peatlands has found that active heather management - especially controlled burning - can improve the nutritional quality of key moorland plants.

This blog post provides a detailed summary of the paper: Unprecedented UK heatwave harmonised drivers of fuel moisture creating extreme temperate wildfire risk.

A new UK study has shown how extreme heatwaves can dramatically increase the risk of severe wildfires on heath and peatland landscapes.

Proactive land management - including traditional burning - is essential to protecting both ecosystems and rural communities from catastrophic wildfire.

Red grouse are famed for their ability to thrive on heather, a plant that makes up most of their diet. Heather is tough, woody, and full of fibre - not the easiest food to digest. A new study has revealed how grouse manage it.

A new study comparing two large heathlands in Europe has found that prescribed fire can significantly benefit bird species that rely on open heath habitats.

A scientific review by Dr. Andreas Heinemeyer and colleagues critically examines ten common claims regarding the effects of prescribed heather burning on UK peatlands, often made by governmental, non-governmental organizations, media, and scientists.

A Norwegian study has shown that traditional land management - including prescribed burning and grazing - plays a vital role in supporting wildlife and protecting landscapes.

A new study has found that wildland firefighters are exposed to harmful substances during wildfire suppression that can increase their risk of serious health problems - including lung damage, oxidative stress, and even cancer.

The summer of 2022 saw London face its worst wildfire outbreak on record, fuelled by extreme heat and parched green spaces.

A new 38-year satellite study from the United States shows clear evidence that controlled, or “prescribed,” burning reduces the size and spread of wildfires.