Assessing soil compaction on blanket bog

The study found that while heavy machinery used for cutting did not cause lasting plot-level impacts on peat depth or bulk density, it did reduce surface micro-topography by approximately 2 cm by removing hummock tops. Burning showed no significant difference from uncut plots in these metrics. The authors suggest cutting is a suitable alternative to burning, though they note that compaction may be site-specific and micro-topography preservation may require adjustments to machinery and cutting height.

• Mechanical cutting using heavy tractors did not result in lasting plot-level changes to peat depth or bulk density, indicating the peat showed resilience despite the use of heavy machinery.
• Mechanical cutting reduced plot micro-topography by approximately 2 cm, primarily through the removal of hummock tops, whereas burnt plots showed no difference compared to uncut plots.
• Cutting is considered a viable alternative to burning for grouse moor management, although the potential for soil compaction may vary based on peat type, machinery used, and activity at resting or turning points.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). Assessing soil compaction on blanket bog. https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-soil-compaction-on-blanket-bog/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Assessing soil compaction on blanket bog. 2019. https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-soil-compaction-on-blanket-bog/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Assessing soil compaction on blanket bog |date=18 July 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-soil-compaction-on-blanket-bog/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019assessing, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Assessing soil compaction on blanket bog}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = jul, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-soil-compaction-on-blanket-bog/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }