Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Stakeholder Event 2019 - Presentation - What works for a quality native woodland - Anna Lawrence

Woodland Achieving the Biodiversity Strategy targets Anna Lawrence, University of the Highlands and Islands... Two targets showing ‘insufficient progress’ are: • Increase the amount of n

Woodland Achieving the Biodiversity Strategy targets

Anna Lawrence, University of the Highlands and Islands

The woodland targets:

One is ‘on track’

• 3,000 to 5,000 ha new native woodland created per year

Two targets showing ‘insufficient progress’ are:

• Increase the amount of native woodland in good condition (upwards

of 46% as identified in the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland)

• Restore approximately 10,000 ha of native woodland into satisfactory condition in partnership with private woodland owners through deer management plans

New native woodland

Good condition

Deer management

Public cost of deer fencing:

> £10 million / yr

Some comments

“In Scotland deer densities are 10-100 higher than Europe and so trees can only grow behind 6 foot high deer fences.”

”The system is broken … I can’t think of a single example of a

functioning Deer Management Group”

“Making deer management statutory rather than voluntary and setting cull targets in the public rather than private interest would reduce

grazing and increase woodland on a massive scale.”

• A specific target deer density has not been set Instead culls will be adjusted in line with monitoring information to achieve the above objectives [JMT management plan for L&CD]

• How do we get more genuine

commitment to new native

woodland?

• What would make a step change difference in implementing deer management plans?

Questions

• Money for control of invasives

• Motivated and inspired volunteers

• Regulation, grants, advice

Images from (via the internet in many cases):

• Alec Dauncey

• Alan Watson Featherstone

• Cameron McNeish – from his blog

• Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com

• SNH

• Myself