The description below accounts to the research programme, which consist of several research projects. The projects are independent activities, although they are all related with a topic of fire and they will cover a broad spectrum of research issues – reasons for fire, it’s effects on soil, fauna, flora and management tools. It is intended that all this projects will have separate budgets and each of them can stands on it’s own. Some of these projects are already going on, for other money was applied for and others are in preparations or in plans. The description which can be find below address the research programme and can be seen as a main outline of it. Different projects can be placed in this framework for research.

The aim of this integrated research project is to study the effects of the deep fires on the peat land. The focus of this research is on fen and moss-fen peatlands, which are rich ecosystems, often located in the river valleys and used by man in more or less intensive way. The focus of the study will be on:

• vegetation processes (species survival, succession),
• effect of fire on fauna
• the habitat changes (peat and soil conditions, detrimental chemical compounds)
• management on the post fire sites.

There are many types of fires with respect to its length, character, timing and impact on the living organisms and some of them are said to cause a serious loss of biodiversity and significantly change the habitats. The deep, underground peat fires are among the most destructive. Our purpose is to investigate the consequences of deep fires for the vegetation, animals and abiotic environment. We will also plan to explore the possibilities of applications the innovative techniques (Remote Sensing, modelling) to monitor, predict and prevent the fire.

Important question the project addresses is how to manage the post-fire sites in order to restore the valuable nature. We also would like to look how the fire acted as a management tool in the past and how it can be possible to apply fire as a management tool today.

We are going to explore risks of mismanagement, knowledge gaps and uncertainties about fire and finally the common opinion and legislation towards fires. Bringing together the theoretical concepts, new nature conservation paradigms and empirical knowledge we would like to formulate new policy towards management in nature sites.

In order to be able to control the fire and properly manage the post fire areas monitoring, mapping and collecting information about the conditions before and during the fire as well as about the burning process is needed. Fight against the deep peatland fires is very difficult and sometimes practically impossible. To avoid fires or predict the risk of its occurrence, gaining knowledge about reasons and circumstances of fire in the peatlands seems to be essential. The following objectives should fulfil described needs:

• Map the burnt areas, based on Remote Sensing techniques and in-the-field measurements
• Describe spatial and physical features of fire
• Define the reasons, conditions and dynamics of fire
• Develop the early warning system (fire-alert model)

Download the project document for more information.