Protecting our peatlands - short summary of the 10-year Peatland- ES-UK report.

A landmark project studying moorland management has released its ten-year results. Peatland-ES-UK is a University of York project designed to address many of the key questions that drive the debate around moorland management – especially prescribed heather burning, which is often associated with management for red grouse. What impact does moorland vegetation management have on peatland? Can active bogs be maintained under the different management approaches, so they function as healthy ecosystems that support biodiversity, store carbon and lay down peat? Peatland-ES-UK addressed these and other questions using a robust scientific design to give reliable answers. The results so far are findings from the first half of a long-term study. It is vital that the work continues for at least the length of a complete management cycle of about 20 years.