As legislation across the UK increasingly recognises the importance of restoring peatlands to an active state where carbon emissions are minimised, a debate has arisen around how best to manage fuel loads as vegetation reverts to a more natural state. ‘Fuel load’ is the term commonly used to describe the vegetation growth or litter on a given habitat, with particular concern for species which are fire adapted, as these burn most readily.
The IUCN UK Peatland Programme wildfire resilience brief explores the importance of restoration and the process of rewetting in increasing resilience to wildfire occurrence in the context of a changing climate. We discuss recent evidence from the UK and North America and highlight case studies of recent UK wildfires on peatlands and the resilience of wet peatlands.
You can access the brief on the ‘Resources’ pages of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme website: Briefings | IUCN UK Peatland Programme.
Caithness wildfire 2019. Image credit: Paul Turner, RSPB
