Peatlands are important habitats for nature and ecosystem services, and Natural England has a statutory role to work alongside a range of stakeholders to ensure their sustainable management in England. Managed burning of upland peatlands is common in the UK and its compatibility with habitat restoration and function is the subject of continuing debate. This review updates a previous review (NEER004, 2013) carried out as part of a wider Review of Upland Evidence. New available evidence from 102 studies relating to the effects of burning on peatland biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and hydrology was reviewed and compared with the evidence from NEER004. Up-to-date conclusions were drawn based on the combined evidence base.
Findings suggest that managed burning can influence peatland vegetation, faunal communities, carbon cycling pathways, water chemistry and water flow. These impacts are influenced by the severity and frequency of burning. There is also some evidence that the response of vegetation is influenced by an interaction between burning and grazing. Evidence on the relationship between burning and wildfire in the UK context is limited, though out-of-control managed burns are a cause of wildfire. The extent and frequency of managed burning vary by year and region with a long-term increase followed by an indication of a recent decrease since 2016.