Upland burn monitoring through integration of Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2

Background The purpose of this research is to investigate the ability to monitor abrupt structural vegetation change in UK upland environments through combining Sentinel 1 with Sentinel 2 derived data. This change can occur due to both cutting and burning (managed burning and wildfires). This work is to help understand and monitor the impact of changes, especially managed burning and wildfires to support policy development relating to protected site, Net Zero, the 25 year Environment Plan, and England Peat Action Plan. This evidence will help Natural England and Defra meet requirements to understand change in management on moorland with peat soils in response to regulatory changes and policy initiatives. Using remotely sensed data will allow a national picture of change to be developed with improved spatial and temporal detail. This will help inform: - The scale, distribution and frequency of change activities. - An understanding of compliance with regulation and behaviour change in response to regulation - Damage caused by wildfires to habitats and wildlife on protected sites and areas of deep peat. - Good land management practices and behaviours that could be promoted to reduce the likelihood or impact of wildfires into the future.