Ecology of Fire and Disturbance

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Science and Engineering at The University of Edinburgh

School of GeoSciences

Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Science

Section Contents

Vegetation Fires and Disturbance Ecology

Experimental burning of heather within a pine forest to improve habitat for capercaillie

Behaviour and characteristics of vegetation fires
Disturbance in ecosystems and implications for conservation managers
History of vegetation mosaics in Abernethy Forest
The effects of management on the carbon budget of blanket bog

Mycorrhizas and fire in Greek pine forest
Ecology and Management of West Coast Plant Communities

Other fire-related projects at Edinburgh University. For more information follow the above links or see the FireBeaters web site or email Colin Legg

Publications

Behaviour and characteristics of vegetation fires - Matt Davies

A PhD project by Matt Davies in association with The Game Conservancy Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Matt is working with game keepers on Scottish grouse moors to study muirburn, the burning of heather for grouse moor management. He is using experimental fires to establish a relationship between weather conditions, fuel characteristics and the intensity and severity of the fire. Better understanding of these relationships should enable us to reduce the incidence of severe and damaging accidental fires in the future and to manage fire in a way that benefits wildlife and biodiversity.

For more information see the FireBeaters web page about

Poster on Wildfire Research prepared for the Aberdeen Wildfire: a National Strategy 2004 conference Matt's project

Lighting an experimental fire in heather moorland

Disturbance in ecosystems and implications for conservation managers - Mark Hancock

A PhD project by Mark Hancock in association with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Abernethy Forest is one of the largest remaining blocks of native Scottish pine forest managed by the RSPB for many species of rare plants and animals. Mark is looking at potential new ways of managing this habitat. Fire is normally considered to be a natural part of the environment of pine forests throughout the world but we cannot allow wildfire to destroy the last remaining fragments of native forest. It may be possible to use prescribed fire on a small scale to manage the ground vegetation. Alternatively, similar effect may come from cutting ground vegetation, or from the effects cattle grazing within the forest. Mark is comparing the value of all three types of disturbance for conservation management.

Further information.

Lighting an experimental fire in pine woodland

The effects of management on the carbon budget of blanket bog - Alan Gray
A PhD project by Alan Gray in association with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Summary of proposal

Mycorrhizas and fire in Greek pine forests - Jeremy Milne

A PhD project by Jeremy Milne in association with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the University of Athens.

Fire in Mediterranean countries destroys the decomposing litter on the forest floor and damages the organic material in the soil. This project looked at the roots of seedlings of the shrub, Cistus, shortly after a forest fire to see how rapidly mycorrhizal fungi can colonise roots from the damaged soil. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for enabling the plant to obtain water and nutrients from the soil.

Abstract

Mycorrhizas on a Cistus seedling from a recently burnt Mediterranean pine forest

Ecology and Management of West Coast Plant Communities - Alistair Hamilton

A PhD project by Alistair Hamilton in association with Scottish Natural Heritage.

This project looked at the characteristics of fire as used by shepherds to improved pasture in the north west of Scotland. Alistair described the relationship between weather, fuel and fire characteristics with experimental fires and monitored the effects of fire on vegetation (particularly on the bog mosses, Sphagnum species.).

Abstract

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