On thought of moor damage. Shooting moors have controlled burning for grouse. They feed on the green shoots. The Snake pass area above Glossop has a lot of this type of management and there appears to be more Red Grouse about as a result. Above Marsden degredation of this habitat caused by burning but also apparently aircraft dumping fuel flying into manchester was combated via the National trust by mowing heather in some parts of the moor and air lifting huge bales of the cut heather onto other parts of the moor in a major operation. This was then simply scattered on the bare peat. The idea being that heather seeds would fall from the cut heather and not be blown away as the heather protected it. It is a long term programme that takes several years but with goods results. Other NT properties tried simply seeding the bare peat with differing results. I helped on several such excersices. Heavy work many miles from anywhere often in the middle of winter in the mist. It sounds bleak. It was, but also great. Some people got mild hyperthermia which was more worrying but help was on hand from (without exception) the very dedicated, hard working and commited NT wardens and local volounteers. Unconected Marsden moors is also a stronghold of the twite and the dampest place in Yorkshire, apparently, but a great place to visited for walks or birding.
At this time of year atleast, whilst the moorland birds may have some impact on territories of nesting birds, importantly it has a lesser effect on the moors themselves. As the moors are still wet under the surface the fires do not generally burn down and into the soil, burning the roots of the heather. Instead the flames tear across the tops of the heather, looking impressively large and destructive at times but causing superficial damage. Indeed, heather can grow very tall and 'leggy' and can them become less useful for breeding birds, grouse too, which is why it is often strategically burned by land owners particularly on grouse moors.
Later on in the year, when the soil is very dry, the fires can burn deep into the soil and burn underneath the ground for days. This not only causes unpredictable patterns of burning across the moors but can kill off large areas due to damaging the plant's roots.
The same is true for grass fires and a recent spate whilst leaving large blackened patches, actually did little damage. The fires simply swept very rapidly across the dead and dry tops of the grass and already, only one or two weeks later, new green grown is has emerged. At one point after such a grass fire, close inspection of the area burned revealed a mass of insects unharmed and unaffected by the fires (the heat rises upwards and is gone very quickly) although on one a frog wasn't capable of avoiding the fast moving flames
At this time of year atleast, whilst the moorland birds may have some impact on territories of nesting birds, importantly it has a lesser effect on the moors themselves. As the moors are still wet under the surface the fires do not generally burn down and into the soil, burning the roots of the heather. Instead the flames tear across the tops of the heather, looking impressively large and destructive at times but causing superficial damage. Indeed, heather can grow very tall and 'leggy' and can them become less useful for breeding birds, grouse too, which is why it is often strategically burned by land owners particularly on grouse moors.
Later on in the year, when the soil is very dry, the fires can burn deep into the soil and burn underneath the ground for days. This not only causes unpredicatable patterns of burning across the moors but can kill off large areas due to damaging the plant's roots.
The same is true for grass fires and a recent spate whilst leaving large blackened patches, actually did little damage. The fires simply swept very rapidly across the dead and dry tops of the grass and already, only one or two weeks later, new green grown is has emerged. At one point after such a grass fire, close inspection of the area burned revealed a mass of insects unharmed and unnaffected by the fires (the heat rises upwards and is gone very quickly) although on one a frog wasn't capeable of avoiding the fast moving flames
Sorry no news on that but when i was in the cheesden valley it clearly had a huge fire on one of the hills last year, and on recent ambles I've noticed very recent 2010 grass fires at nob end bolton and in the elton area among others. These must impact on nesting birds and other fauna detrimentally in the immediate vicinity.
