School of Conservation Sciences

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Monitoring heathland recovery after a major fire
Staff at Bournemouth University have started a monitoring programme in collaboration with Poole Borough Council.

Monitoring heathland recovery following a major fire in March

Uncontrolled fires on heathlands can damage large areas of vegetation and kill a large proportion of the population of rare reptiles e.g. sand lizards. It is possible that as well as directly killing reptiles and the chicks of any ground nesting birds e.g. nightjar, large heath fires deplete the area of invertebrates that are food for these species.

Many invertebrate species on the heaths also have a direct conservation value and so it is important to understand what factors can increase the rate at which they can re-colonise sites.

Staff at Bournemouth University have started a monitoring programme in collaboration with Poole Borough Council and the Herpetological Conservation Trust to measure the rate at which invertebrates re-colonise burnt areas different distances away from the burn edge.

For further information please contact Dr Anita Diaz

ADiaz@bournemouth.ac.uk