Use herbicide and prescribed burning to control grass

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

0%
Certainty

10%
Harms

20%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Fire may damage or kill grasses therefore reducing competition between with other shrubland vegetation. Applying herbicide may further reduce their cover allowing other shrubland vegetation to increase in abundance.

Study locations

Key messages

One randomized, replicated, controlled, paired, before-and-after study in the UK found that burning and applying herbicide to reduce the cover of purple moor grass reduced cover of common heather but did not reduce cover of purple moor grass.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomized, replicated, controlled, paired, before-and-after study in 1996-1999 in wet heathland in Northumberland, UK (Ross et al. 2003) found that burning and applying herbicide to reduce the cover of purple-moor grass Molinia caerulea reduced cover of common heather Calluna vulgaris but did not reduce cover of purple-moor grass. Cover of common heather was lower after than before burning and applying herbicide (after: 26-68%, before: 70-99%) and was lower than in plots that were not burned or sprayed with herbicide (68-93%). Cover of purple-moor grass in plots that had been burned and sprayed with herbicide was not significantly different to that in plots that had not been burned or sprayed with herbicide (no data presented). In April 1996 six 10 x 10 m plots were burned and sprayed with herbicide and six plots were not burned or sprayed with herbicide. In 1995 five 1 m² quadrats were established in each plot and vegetation was surveyed in July 1995 and 1997-1999. The area was used for livestock and density of sheep varied from 0.66 to 1.5 ewes/ha.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Ross S., Adamson H. & Moon A. (2003) Evaluating management techniques for controlling Molinia caerulea and enhancing Calluna vulgaris on upland wet heathland in northern England, UK. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 97, 39-49.

Please cite as:

Martin, P.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Shrubland and Heathland Conservation. Pages 483-525 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Shrubland and Heathland Conservation

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