Scottish Uplands: Romantic Wilderness or Devastated Wasteland?

by Helen Armstrong- Broomhill Ecology

Transcript

1. The Scottish Uplands: Dr Helen Armstrong Broomhill Ecology Romantic Wilderness Devastated Wasteland? or Photo: Gerald England
2. The Scottish Uplands: • What are they like now? • What has shaped them? (romantic wilderness or devastated wasteland?) • Where should we take them?
3. Where are the Scottish uplands? 70% of our land
4. The eastern Southern Uplands Photo: Despondent images
5. The western Southern Uplands Photo: Anthony O’Neil
6. The south west Highlands Photo: Gerald England
7. The western Highlands Photo: Ben Matthews
8. The central Highlands Photo: Rebecca Brassey
9. The eastern Highlands
10. The north western Highlands Photo: Benvironment
11. The north east
12. The Scottish uplands Photo: Gerald England • Awe-inspiring • Remote • Lonely • Beautiful • Wild • Tranquil
13. Vegetation The Scottish uplands:
14. The Scottish uplands: Soils
15. Upland land uses • Sheep farming • Deer stalking • Grouse shooting • Forestry
16. Sheep farming Sheep densities 2011
17. Deer stalking Red deer densities 2000-2010
18. Deer distribution 2011 Source: British Deer Society Red Roe
19. Grouse shooting
20. Grouse and deer Grouse moor Grouse moor / red deer forest Red deer forest Source: Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
21. Forestry 18% of land area is forest 78% of this is coniferous 2% of land area is ancient, semi- natural woodland
22. The Scottish uplands Scotland’s breathtaking and stunning glens are unique and inspiring places which have remained unchanged for thousands of years. Visit Scotland (2013) Photo: Gerald England
23. 9000 BC Last ice age ends Tundra dwarf willow, birch, juniper First humans – hunter /gatherers 4000 BC Source: Oosthoek 2013 6000 BC Trees colonise hazel, birch, willow, Scots pine, aspen then oak, elm, alder 8000 BC Greatest woodland extent 3000 BC The Scottish uplands: Woodland history 9000 BC -1000 AD
24. The Scottish uplands: woodland history Source: Osthoek 2013, modified from Tipping, (1994) Woodland extent 4000 - 3000BC
25. The Scottish uplands: Woodland history 9000 BC -1000 AD Source: Oosthoek 2013 Greatest woodland extent: ~60% Last ice age ends Tundra dwarf willow, birch, juniper First humans – hunter /gatherers 9000 BC 6000 BC 8000 BC 4000 BC 3000 BC Trees colonise hazel, birch, willow, Scots pine, aspen then oak, elm, alder Climate gets colder and wetter Woodland clearance for farming Scots pine woodland shrinks woodland clearings larger and more permanent 1000 AD 2000 BC 0 AD More agriculture and clearing Romans in Scotland About half of woodland cleared: ~25% cover
26. The Scottish uplands: Woodland history 1000 - 1900 Source: Oosthoek 2013 1000 Woodland cover ~20% 1400 Construction timber increasingly imported 1300 1200 Construction timber in Perth comes from Highlands 1100 1900 1800 1700 1600 Charcoal production from western oakwoods Tanbark production from western oakwoods 1500 Two acts passed to halt deforestation Woodland cover declining Sheep replace cattle in Lowlands and Highlands Remaining woodlands coppiced, pollarded and used for wood pasture until ~ 1750 ~9% Woodland cover ~6%
27. Increased creation of commercial plantations 1850 The Scottish uplands: woodland history 1800 - present 1900 Source: Oosthoek 2013 Woodland cover at lowest extent ~6% Woodland cover ~18% 1800 Increased felling of native pinewoods Timber price collapses: increased sport shooting and sheep farming Creation of plantations of exotic conifers Woodland cover ~9% 2000 1950 Forestry Commission created
28. Unintended consequences • Nutrient losses from soils • Acidification of soils • Peat formation • Soil erosion and landslides • Reduced carbon sequestration • Silting up of lochs and reservoirs • Flooding • Drying out of soils • Lack of natural tree and shrub regeneration • Spread of rough grasses and bracken • Loss of salmon spawning grounds • Loss of shelter for deer and domestic stock • Loss of biodiversity
29. Unintended consequences Century of extinction Lynx 2nd or 3rd Aurochs (wild ox) 9th or 10th Brown Bear 10th Reindeer 12th Moose 12th Beaver 16th Wild horse 17th Wild boar 17th Wolf 18th Red squirrel ~1810 (later re-introduced) Polecat ~1915
30. Unintended consequences Eradication of ‘vermin’ 1837 -1840 on one estate in the Cairngorms: 246 Martens, 198 Wild Cats, 106 Polecats, 67 Badgers, 58 Otters, 475 Ravens, 462 Kestrels, 371 Rough-legged Buzzards, 285 Common Buzzards, 275 Kites, 98 Peregrine Falcons, 92 Hen Harriers, 78 Merlins, 71 Short-eared Owls, 63 Goshawks, 35 Long-eared Owls, 27 Sea Eagles, 18 Ospreys, 15 Golden Eagles, 11 Hobbys, 6 Gyrfalcons, 5 Marsh Harriers, 3 Honey Buzzards, 11 Foxes, 301 Stoats and Weasels, 78 House Cats, 1,431 Hooded or Carrion Crow, 3 Barn Owls, 8 Magpies and 7 "Orange-legged Falcons"
31. The Scottish uplands The bald, unpalatable fact is that the Highlands and Islands are largely a devastated terrain Sir Frank Fraser Darling (1955) The West Highland Survey Photo: Gerald England
32. Green shoots? Carrifran Photo: M.M. Richards
33. Green shoots? Creag Meagaidh Photo: Alan O’Dowd
34. Green shoots? Abernethy Photo: Alan O’Dowd
35. Green shoots? Glen Feshie Photo: Peter Cairns
36. New native woodland Photo: Jenny Owen
37. A vision Amworth estate Galloway
38. The future? Photo: Kate Holl
39. The future? Photo: Kate Holl
40. The future? Photo: Kate Holl
41. The future? Photo: Julian Holbrook
42. Potential woodland cover
43. The Future Devastated Wasteland? Romantic Wilderness? Productive, biodiverse, beautiful place to live, work and visit? or