Is the restoration potential of blanket bog affected by long-term of grazing and prescribed burning impacts on propagule banks?

摘要

Moorlands in the UK have been designated as of high international conservation significance with 75% of the world's moorlands occurring in the UK (Thompson et al 1995, Ratcliffe et al 1998). Moorlands are dominated by dwarf shrubs, mainly Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, and many are managed using rotational prescribed burning mainly for sheep grazing and game management (red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus L.). Surprisingly, very little is known about the impacts of these management treatments on ecosystem structure and function and this includes data on the size and composition of the propagule pool bank in the surface peat.