Comment on: "Peatland carbon stocks and burn history: Blanket bog peat core evidence highlights charcoal impacts on peat physical properties and long-term carbon storage," by A. Heinemeyer, Q. Asena, W. L. Burn and A. L. Jones (Geo: Geography and Environment 2018; e00063)

Evans, Chris D.; Baird, Andy J.; Green, Sophie M.; Page, Susan E.; Peacock, Michael; Reed, Mark S.; Rose, Neil L.; Stoneman, Rob; Thom, Tim J.; Young, Dylan M.; Garnett, Mark H.

doi:10.1002/geo2.75

Other publication in scientific journal2019Peer reviewedOpen access

Comment on: "Peatland carbon stocks and burn history: Blanket bog peat core evidence highlights charcoal impacts on peat physical properties and long-term carbon storage," by A. Heinemeyer, Q. Asena, W. L. Burn and A. L. Jones (Geo: Geography and Environment 2018; e00063)

Evans, Chris D.; Baird, Andy J.; Green, Sophie M.; Page, Susan E.; Peacock, Michael; Reed, Mark S.; Rose, Neil L.; Stoneman, Rob; Thom, Tim J.; Young, Dylan M.; Garnett, Mark H.

Abstract

A recent paper by Heinemeyer et al. (2018) in this journal has suggested that the use of prescribed fire may enhance carbon accumulation in UK upland blanket bogs. We challenge this finding based on a number of concerns with the original manuscript including the lack of an unburned control, insufficient replication, unrecognised potential confounding factors, and potentially large inaccuracies in the core dating approach used to calculate carbon accumulation rates. We argue that burn-management of peatlands is more likely to lead to carbon loss than carbon gain. e00075

Keywords

blanket bog; carbon; fire; moorland management; peatlands

Published in

Geo
2019, volume: 6, number: 1, article number: e00075
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

Peacock, Michael
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

UKÄ Subject classification

Physical Geography

Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.75

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/105530