Prescribed burning can promote recovery of Atlantic coastal heathlands suffering dieback after extreme drought events

• DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12760
• Publication Date: 2023-12-15T06:27:52Z
• Authors: Liv Guri Velle; Siri Vatsø Haugum; Richard J. Telford; Pål Thorvaldsen; Vigdis Vandvik
• Keywords: Calluna; Fire regime

Abstract Questions During the winter of 2014, an intense drought combined with sub‐zero temperatures resulted in a massive Calluna dieback Norwegian heathlands. We studied initial vegetation recovery under two management approaches: natural and prescribed burning. hypothesized that will be slower more drought‐affected sites, whereas burning facilitate post‐fire all sites by effectively removing dead damaged heath. Both succession north. Location heath seven spanning approx. 600‐km latitudinal gradient along coast Norway (60.22–65.69° N). Methods After drought, 10 permanent plots per site were either burnt or left for recovery. Vegetation data recorded annually 2016 (pre‐fire) 2017–2019 (post‐fire) reflecting factorial repeated‐measures design ( n = 280). The analyzed using mixed‐effects models. Results Two years after we observed high but variable damage mortality. Over four study, recovered, showed little extent mortality, as well rate recovery, are only weakly related to climate environmental factors. Fire efficiently removed facilitated successional dynamics majority sites. Conclusions Extreme substantial often persistent on gradient. In biomass and, some cases, Traditional heathland management, which uses all‐year grazing Old Norse sheep Atlantic coastal heathlands, can efficient tool mitigate events generally increase resistance resilience extreme future.