Seminar One
The role of managed fire in ecosystem services of UK moorlands and heathlands
The University of Edinburgh, 31 March - 1 April 2008
An experimental muirburn management fire.
FIRES series launched at Edinburgh
Over 60 delegates attended the first meeting of the FIRES series on 31 March in the magnificent surroundings of Playfair Library, Old College, University of Edinburgh. This was followed by a dinner and workshop in the Raeburn room for about 35 invited participants, and a discussion seminar the next day in the Crewe Building.
The seminar reviewed how fire has been used historically, and the role of managed burning today. The ecosystem services provided by UK moorlands and heathlands were identified, including: biodiversity; carbon budget; water provision; rural livelihoods; landscape quality and recreational use. The focus for debate was the extent to which managed fires contribute to the maintenance of these ecosystem services or pose threats to them, especially with changes in climate.
Gallery (click to enlarge)
Format
Day one was a conference-style event with plenary discussion sessions attended by over 60 delegates. It was open to anyone with an interest in the relationship between managed fire and ecosystem services of moorlands and heaths. Approximately half of attendees were academic and half were practitioners. Day two was a round table discussion seminar for about 35 invited participants.
Programme
- Seminar One programme (PDF, 60KB).
Additional Sponsors
Outputs
- Conference booklet (programme and abstracts) (PDF, 250KB).
Presentations
Day One
- Introduction to the Series (PDF, 200KB), Julia McMorrow.
- Introduction: our heaths and moorlands – values and criteria for management (PDF, 47KB), Charles Gimingham (Aberdeen).
- Where do we set the baselines? A long-term perspective on fire management on moorlands (PDF, 1250KB), Althea Davies (University of Stirling).
- Ecosystem services in the uplands (PDF, 120KB), Stefanie O’Gorman (Jacobs Babtie).
- The upland economy, ecosystems services and rural livelihoods (PDF, 3860KB), Klaus Hubacek (University of Leeds).
Day Two
- Moorland fires – the implications for water (PDF, 14600KB), Andrew Walker (Yorkshire Water).
- Implications for biodiversity and conservation of changes in managed fire regimes (PDF, 195KB), Graham Sullivan (Scottish Natural Heritage).
- Rural livelihoods and managed burning (PDF, 486KB), Claire Quinn (University of Leeds).
- The role of managed fire on ecosystem services of UK moorlands and heathlands: impacts on recreation and tourism (PDF, 28KB), Roger Sidaway (University of Edinburgh).
Posters
- Fire experiments for Calluna heathland conservation in NW Italy (PDF, 780KB), D. Ascoli and G.Bovio.
- The effects of increased atmospheric nitrogen on ombrotrophic bog vegetation (PDF, 220KB), I. D. Leith, L. J. Sheppard, N. van Dijk, J. N. Cape and M. A. Sutton.
- Perceptions of landscape and fire in the Cairngorms (PDF, 234KB), T. Valor Ivars, M.t Davies and C. Legg.
Breakout group reports
- The evolution of land management priorities breakout group (PDF, 10KB), Andrew Coupar.
- How do we transfer resources (money) from beneficiaries of ecosystem services to producers? Pat Thompson (in conference booklet).
- Spatial Zoning & Integration of Land Uses, Ethan Bigelow (in conference booklet).
- The Evolution of Land Management Priorities, Alan Gray (in conference booklet).
