Data from: Resolving a heated debate: the utility of prescribed burning as a management tool for biodiversity on lowland heath

We investigated the impact of prescribed burning and vegetation cutting on a chronisequence of heathland sites (107 in total) in the New Forest National Park, Hampshire, UK. We present data for vegetation cover, canopy active invertebrates collected with sweep nets and ground active invertebrates collected using pitfall traps. Using a multi-trophic approach, we compared the ecological impact of prescribed burning with two types of vegetation cutting (swiping and baling) as management tools for biodiversity outcomes for up to 20 years after management. Indicators included: Common Standards Monitoring assessment (CSM); vegetation species assemblage; invertebrate biodiversity; and available food resources for two characteristic heathland birds – the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. When compared with swiped sites, areas managed by prescribed burning resulted in: better habitat condition (assessed by CSM); higher cover of heathers; lower bracken cover; more areas of bare ground. We found no evidence that burning is detrimental for the investigated components of biodiversity. Cutting by swiping did not replicate the benefits of burning. Swiping supported grassland conditions that suit non-heathland species. Baling resulted in habitat conditions similar to prescribed burning but restricted replication of baled sites limited our conclusions. However, swiped sites supported high invertebrate abundance and diversity, including food resources for Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.

本研究针对英国汉普郡新森林国家公园内共计107个石楠灌丛年代序列样地，探究了计划火烧（prescribed burning）与植被刈割对其产生的生态影响。本数据集包含植被盖度数据、扫网采集的冠层活动性无脊椎动物数据，以及巴氏罐诱捕器（pitfall traps）采集的地面活动性无脊椎动物数据。本研究采用多营养级研究方法，对比了计划火烧与两种植被刈割方式（swiping与baling）作为提升生物多样性的管理手段，在管理后长达20年内的生态影响。本研究选取的监测指标包括：标准监测规程（Common Standards Monitoring, CSM）评估结果、植物物种组成、无脊椎动物生物多样性，以及两种典型石楠灌丛鸟类——达特福德柳莺（Sylvia undata）与欧夜鹰（Caprimulgus europaeus）的可利用食物资源量。相较于经swiping处理的样地，计划火烧管理样地的生境条件（经CSM评估）更佳、石楠盖度更高、欧洲蕨（bracken）盖度更低，且裸地面积更广。本研究未发现计划火烧对本次研究涉及的生物多样性组分产生不利影响的证据。采用swiping处理的样地无法复刻计划火烧带来的生态益处，且该处理会形成适于非石楠灌丛物种的草原类生境。采用baling处理的样地生境条件与计划火烧样地相近，但由于baling处理样地的重复数量有限，本研究结论存在一定局限性。不过，经swiping处理的样地可为无脊椎动物提供较高的丰度与多样性，同时也能为达特福德柳莺与欧夜鹰提供充足的食物资源。