Early analysis suggests peatland restoration helped reduce wildfire severity, retaining patches of wet vegetation
5 min read
Striking new drone images captured after this summer's wildfires at RSPB Dove Stone are offering hope for the future, revealing patches of wet vegetation in areas where peatland restoration work has taken place.
Early analysis shows a notable difference in burn severity between areas where restoration has been completed and areas where it has not yet been undertaken. While further assessment is needed, conservationists say the findings provide further evidence that peatland restoration can help build resilience in the face of increasingly extreme weather.
The photographs have been released following two significant wildfires at Dove Stone this summer, which are estimated to have destroyed between 800 and 1,000 hectares of habitat and led to a major incident being declared.
They reveal a stark contrast between large areas of burnt moorland and pockets of greener habitat that remain visible within the wider burned landscape, with these wetter areas providing a powerful snapshot of resilience.
Dove Stone is important for many bird species, including Curlew, Dunlin and Golden Plover, making them especially vulnerable to the devastating impacts of wildfire.
This summer's hot, dry conditions have led to an unprecedented number of wildfires across the UK, damaging habitats, threatening wildlife and in some places putting people and properties at risk. With climate change expected to bring more frequent periods of extreme weather, the risk is likely to remain a significant challenge for landscapes in the future.
The RSPB and United Utilities joined forces at Dove Stone in 2010 to help restore a landscape that had suffered severe degradation since the industrial revolution. Restoration of this kind is not a quick fix and Dove Stone is still on a journey of recovery. Early work focused on bringing vegetation back to large areas of bare peat. More recently, restoration has focused on smaller patches of habitat, using measures to make areas of the landscape wetter.
The newly released drone images show areas where restoration measures have been implemented. These include adding stone dams in deep gullies, planting vegetation which holds water, like Sphagnum moss, and installing peat dams to help keep peatlands naturally soggy.
In some of these locations, more vegetation has survived the fire, remaining visibly greener and wetter within the wider burned landscape.
"These images are incredibly powerful because they show that even in a landscape that has experienced significant damage, there are signs of hope.
While it's too early to understand the full long-term impacts of the wildfire, you can clearly see areas where restoration measures such as peat dams have been put in place and where more vegetation appears to have survived the fire.
Dove Stone is still on a long journey of recovery, but these early findings are encouraging and reinforce why restoring peatlands is so important for wildlife, climate and helping landscapes become more resilient to extreme weather."
The drone imagery will also help experts monitor recovery over the coming months and years, providing valuable insight into how different parts of the landscape respond after a major wildfire.
“While it is very difficult to witness fires of this scale, seeing this evidence of resilience and the early green shoots of recovery is very encouraging. Restoration is a long-term process and work will continue.”
Dove Stone has now reopened to visitors and the RSPB is urging everyone planning a visit to the countryside to help prevent future fires.
This year has shown just how vulnerable our upland landscapes can be to wildfire. While climate change is creating the conditions for more frequent and severe wildfires, it is important to remember that almost all wildfires in the UK are caused by human activity.
Simple actions, such as taking litter home, avoiding campfires, BBQs and fireworks, and reporting fires quickly, can make a huge difference in protecting wildlife, habitats and local communities."
The RSPB hopes the images will not only help tell the story of Dove Stone's recovery but also highlight the importance of restoring peatlands for nature, climate and people.
