Factcheck: Is 75% of the world’s heather moorland in the UK?

What The Science Says website checks out another claim:

Claim: 75% of the world's heather moorland is in the UK

This figure is widely quoted by many interested parties, holding different views about the management of such environments:

• Ecologist: Grouse Shooters Thrive on Heather Moorlands

• Climate News Network: ‘Amazon of UK’ being destroyed for grouse shooting

• The Moorland Association

• Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust: How much upland heather moorland is in the UK?

• BASC: Grouse Moor Landscape

The assertion was recently challenged by Dr Steve Carver on his blog.

Read the answer here