Work by scientists at Durham University’s Department of Earth Sciences, funded by the pro-shooting Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, has been cited to counter some of these claims. Peatlands with healthy ecosystems are by contrast expected to be relatively robust to climate change.” In a briefing produced last year, the society claimed: “If we don’t restore upland peatlands, CO 2 emissions from degraded peatlands are likely to increase by 30% for every 1C rise in average global temperature. If it is disturbed and exposed to the air, the carbon stored in its soil decomposes and releases carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change.Īccording to the RSPB, some 76,000 hectares, or 27% of the UK’s blanket bog, have already lost peat-forming vegetation due to regular burning. Not only does peatland provide a home for many different types of wildlife, including dragonflies and other insects, help clean water and prevent floods, it is also rich in carbon. But the use of fire is deeply controversial. ”Įstate owners insist they are true conservationists, spending millions of pounds maintaining the moors. They’re possibly at their optimal level now. “A lot of the estates are getting back to their prewar potential. “It probably is fair to say there has been more burning in recent years compared to the preceding decade, and a lot of that is to do with reinvestment in estates because new entrepreneurs are coming in,” said Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association. The birds are valued at anything between £2,500 and £5,000 a brace. It also adds to their considerable net worth because the capital value of a grouse moor is based on its grouse population. With clients paying more than £150 to bag only a single brace of grouse, estate owners know that delivering a plentiful supply of targets makes sound business sense. In the past couple of decades, City financiers such as the multimillionaire hedge fund manager Jeremy Herrmann, and businessmen such as David Ross, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, have been buying up estates and raising the profile of their shoots. This is an attractive prospect for the new wave of grouse moor owners bringing market forces to the once fusty world of shooting. Creating a patchwork comprising heather of different lengths is a land management tool that experienced gamekeepers can use to increase grouse yields. Young heather is nutritious while more established heather provides a place for nesting grouse. Burning creates different heather habitats.
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