Native Forest in the Highlands! - the Caledonian Forest!

Transcription

1 Native Forest in the Highlands! - the Caledonian Forest! Alan Watson Featherstone" Executive Director, Trees for Life"

2 What is (or was) the Caledonian Forest?!

3 What is (or was) the Caledonian Forest?! A massive expanse of dense pinewood?

4 What is (or was) the Caledonian Forest?! of which only a few scattered derelict remnants survive?

5 Changing perspectives on the forest! " " " "A variety of woodland types within the forest not just pines "" "Greater component of broadleaved trees" "Varied age structure" "The forest is a whole community, of fungi, plants, insects, birds & animals" "" "The forest is dynamic, changing over time, and from area to area"

6 A range of woodland types in the forest! The Atlantic oakwoods, such as this in Ariundle NNR, are a bryophyte-rich temperate rainforest component of the Caledonian Forest! Away from the west coast, narrow gorges with cascading rivers, such as this is Glen Moriston, create similar a rainforest micro-climate!

7 Riparian and floodplain woodlands! Alder and birches in riparian woodland along a burn in Glen Affric! Alder trees in the floodplain of the! River Moriston!

8 Treeline and montane scrub communities! Krummholz pines and juniper at! Creag Fiaclach in the Cairngorms! Reindeer lichen, juniper & birches at 500 metres on an island on the Hilton Estate!

9 Bog woodland and clearings in the forest! Stunted pine in an area of bog woodland! in Glen Affric! This natural clearing in the forest at Dundreggan is formed by an area of boggy ground, which is the habitat for the strawberry spider (Araneus alsine)!

10 Diversity of tree species in the Forest! Oak and hazel growing amongst pine and birch at the eastern end of Glen Affric. The vegetation community here is an upland oakwood one, although the forest is mainly birch today! Aspens in autumn in Glen Affric. Aspen would have been more abundant in the past, but its restricted seed production limits its ability to recolonise sites where it is absent!

11 Diversity of tree species in the forest! Wych elm growing on a rocky crag! in Glen Strathfarrar! Ash trees in Rassal Ashwood NNR a limestone area in Wester Ross!

12 Diversity of species in the forest! Twinflower grows in abundance in similar forests in Scandinavia & North America, but is very scarce in Scotland due to past deforestation?! Zoned tooth fungi (Hydnellum concrescens). The tooth fungi are an unusual group of fungi associated with ancient woodland in Scotland!

13 Diversity of species in the forest! This sawfly (Nematus pseudodispar), a rare boreal birchwood species, was only known from Finland & Latvia until its discovery on Dundreggan in 2010! The capercaillie has already been extirpated once from Scotland. Despite much conservation effort, its numbers are declining and it is at risk again!

14 Much of the Highlands remains in a depleted condition! Native forest cover still a small percentage of its former area.! Populations of many species (eg wildcat, wood ants) fragmented and greatly reduced.! Important species are extirpated, including keystone species (eg European beaver) and large carnivores.! Crucial ecological processes (eg succession, disturbance, predation) are not functioning.! Human pressures maintain the land in a condition of impoverishment, through overgrazing, muirburn, waterlogging of soils, export of sheep and deer carcasses etc.! Deforested riparian area, unable! to regenerate, in Glen Affric!

15 Many areas are in a state of arrested succession! Arrested succession occurs when the natural process of succession from one vegetation community to another is prevented. " Peat hags are an example of arrested succession, where mire vegetation is unable to grow and cover the exposed peat.!! Here, at the fence by the road on Dundreggan, heather is flourishing and a birch is growing in the absence of overgrazing. On the other side of the fence, arrested succession predominates and heather (and new trees) are unable to grow.!

16 Protection from overgrazing allows succession to occur again! At Athnamulloch in Glen Affric, heather and bog myrtle are flourishing inside the fence, whereas outside, vegetation is still unable to colonise the peat hags.! At Allt Coire Ghaidheil on West Affric, the protection provided by the fence is enabling the process of succession from grassland to! dry heath to occur.!

17 The role of natural disturbance! Natural disturbance is caused by events such as flooding, windthrow, avalanches, fire, actions of predators, insect outbreaks etc.! Disturbance operates at all levels in a healthy ecosystem, from wild boar disturbing soil by their rooting behaviour, to catastrophic disturbance through occasional large scale fire.! Disturbance brings a dynamic element to ecosystems, and creates diversity and mosaic-like habitat patches in the landscape.! Disturbance provides the conditions for opportunistic or pioneer species to thrive, and creates the habitat (eg dead wood) for whole groups of organisms.! Flood at the vehicle bridge at Dog Falls in Glen Affric!

18 The importance of predation! Predators exert a top down regulatory effect on ecosystems they control the numbers of their prey species, which in turn limits the effects of herbivory.! Predators maintain the health and fitness of their prey, by removing the old, weak, sick etc from the population.! The effects of predators are not just through the number of animals they kill. Their role as agents of disturbance (eg wolves affecting where deer spend time) are possibly more significant in the ecosystem.! Predation enables the nutrients contained in their prey species to be retained and recirculated within the ecosystem.! Human actions (eg deer stalking) do not fulfill all the ecological functions of predators.! Photo Peter Cairns!

19 Accomplishments to date:! Forest restoration via natural regeneration" Natural regeneration of birches at Creag Meagaidh NNR! Natural regeneration of Scots pines in Glenfeshie!

20 Accomplishments to date:! Forest restoration through tree planting" Left: Planting a pine in Glen Affric in April 1991.!! Bottom left: The same scene in 2002.!! Below: May 2011, after 20 years of no grazing.!

21 Accomplishments to date:! Species recovery" Photo Laurie Campbell! Photo Laurie Campbell! Pine marten numbers have increased in Scotland have increased in recent decades with the expansion of conifer plantations and native woodland, and a reduction in persecution! The trial reintroduction of European beavers, a keystone species in riparian and aquatic ecosystems, at Knapdale in Argyll, is potentially a major step forward for the return of Scotland s missing mammals!

22 What might a restored forest look like?! There would be more diversity in the forest - on better (eg south-facing) sites, oak and hazel would take over from birch, through natural succession, with pine as well.! Reindeer lichen, heather, juniper and trees on an island in a loch on the Hilton Estate. This gives an indication of what higher elevation landscapes (505 m.) could look like.!

23 Principles of Ecological Restoration! 1.! " 2.! " 3.! "Work from areas of strength - the areas where the ecosystem is closest to its natural condition."" "Pay particular attention to keystone species - those on which many others depend." "Utilise processes like the use of pioneer species, natural succession etc to facilitate the restoration process." These are based on the premise that Nature knows best!

24 Principles of Ecological Restoration! 4.! 5.! " 6.! " "Mimic Nature wherever possible. "" "Re-create ecological niches where they have been lost." "Re-establish ecological linkages - reconnect the threads in the web of life." Wood ants tending aphids on an aspen sucker at Dundreggan!

25 Principles of Ecological Restoration! 7.! " 8.! " 9.! "Control and/or remove introduced non-native species."" "Remove or mitigate the limiting factors which prevent restoration from taking place naturally." "Reintroduce species that are unlikely or impossible to return by themselves." Photo Liz Balharry!

26 Principles of Ecological Restoration! 10.! " 11.! " 12.! "Re-establish essential ecological processes, eg succession, predation, natural disturbance etc that are absent." "Let Nature do most of the work." "The green thumb principle human care & love has a tangible, positive effect on all living things to which it is directed." These are based on the premise that Nature knows best! Trees for Life " Restoring the Caledonian Forest!

27 Participating in restoration has changed lives! " " " "Did first of many volunteer Weeks in Glen Affric in 1991"" "Trained as a group leader in 1995" "Organised Sponsored Walks on Dartmoor & ran stands for Trees for Life at Glastonbury & other festivals" "Set up Moor Trees as a charity dedicated to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor in 1999" Adam Griffin!

28 Participating in restoration has changed lives! " " " "5 consecutive volunteer Weeks in Glen Affric in 1995 "" "Trees for Life s first Work Week coordinator, & set up the Leader Training programme in 1995" "Began taking groups of school children to Glen Affric in 1998" "Set up Wild Things! as a separate (& very successful) charity in 2003" Jennie Martin!

29 Restoring the Caledonian Forest is! changing life in Scotland " In the last 25 years there s been a tremendous upsurge of awareness, concern and action to protect and expand Scotland s native forests! This has been paralleled by reclaiming control over our own governance. As native peoples everywhere know, connection with, and responsibility for, the land is vital for the health of society!

30 Restoring the Caledonian Forest is! changing life in Scotland "... to stand amongst the ancient pines is to feel the past. Professor Steven Helping to restore the forest is to shape the future of our land and our nation.!