Mourne Mountains Wildfires Threaten Biodiversity

0:00On May 2nd, firefighters are back at it in Northern Ireland's Morn Mountains, where wildfires have torched over seven square miles of land in just the past week. These flames are wiping out peat lands, heath lands and forests in this special area, known for its rare habitats and stunning peaks from Sleeve Donard, down to the county down coast. Experts warn the real harm runs deep, changing the peat's chemistry and killing off specialist plants that need wet conditions to thrive. After a year of these blazes means no time for recovery, potentially losing centuries or even millennia of built-up peat, it's like death by A, thousand cuts to the ecosystem. Local rangers and conservationists are sounding the alarm on biodiversity hits, with over a thousand hectares burned recently alone. The morns hold over half of Northern Ireland's Heathland communities in less than 1% of the land, and studies show invertebrate populations. Still 90% down three years after past fires, rippling out to plants, birds and insects.

1:04Forests are taking a beating too, including ancient woods and new plantings worth tens of thousands of pounds, slowing erosion control and flood, protection. Tourism suffers as 300,000 visitors a year flock here, supporting nearly 6,000 jobs and 73 million pounds in. Spending, but charred moonscapes, are tanking the area's reputation. These are pushing back with strict burn windows from September 1st to April 14th, a new wildfire action plan and promises of prison for arsonists, but they need public tips to catch the culprits and protect this intergenerational treasure for good.