Heather burning evidence UK policy

The research evaluates 10 claims about prescribed heather burning and rewetting in UK peatlands, finding that most are unsubstantiated or based on poor data. The authors call for a reassessment of peatland management policies and improved methodological approaches to better understand the effects of these practices on carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

• The majority of the 10 claims made by NGOs, governmental organizations, researchers, and popular media regarding prescribed heather burning are not supported by robust data, often rely on ill-defined terminology, or are extrapolated from specific sites.
• The authors recommend that decision-makers re-evaluate the evidence base and recent reviews of peatland management policies to avoid generalizations and identify the most effective land management strategies.
• To improve the evidence base, the authors suggest refining methodological approaches, improving the definition of key terms, and ensuring studies monitor varying timescales and the interrelated effects of management on carbon sequestration and moorland biodiversity.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2025). Heather burning evidence UK policy. https://www.sei.org/publications/heather-burning-evidence-uk-policy/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Heather burning evidence UK policy. 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/heather-burning-evidence-uk-policy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Heather burning evidence UK policy |date=29 September 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/heather-burning-evidence-uk-policy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2025heather, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Heather burning evidence UK policy}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/heather-burning-evidence-uk-policy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }