Red Deer Habitat Management in the Highlands: Consequences For
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Red deer habitat management in the Highlands: Consequences for invertebrates Paul James Tinsley-Marshall Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Imperial College London 2010 Department of Biology, Imperial College London Silwood Park Ascot, Berkshire 1 Abstract In Scotland, the well documented increase in the red deer population is widely regarded as a cause for concern, due to potentially detrimental impacts of grazing. This has lead to conflicting objectives between conservation and deer managers, despite the extent of the increase and the resulting impact both being hotly debated issues. Upland heather moorland is of international conservation importance while woodland habitats are some of the most stable ecosystems in anthropogenic landscapes. In the UK oak woodland plays a crucial role in the maintenance of biodiversity, and both heather moorland and oak woodland may be subject to degradation or decline due to grazing. This study is based in north-west Scotland, and investigates the consequences of two deer management strategies, in two habitat types, for invertebrates. An observational study of heather moorland under two extremes of grazing pressure provided little evidence for negative impacts of grazing on invertebrates on the more heavily grazed Letterewe Estate, suggesting that the deer population is not a cause for concern in terms of invertebrate biodiversity. An experimental study of grazed and un-grazed oak woodland found some positive effects, and no instances of negative grazing impacts on invertebrate biodiversity, and no effect on guild structure. This work highlights the need for science to inform land management policy that must often seek to balance conservation objectives with economic interests, and supports the notion that a red deer herd of a size consistent with viable stalking interests can be integral to the maintenance of biodiversity and the natural heritage. 2 Declaration of originality I conducted various pilot studies for Chapters Three, Four and Five, but the bulk of the data for Chapter Three was collected by an MSc. student working under my supervision. Donald Quicke identified parasitoids, Roger Morris identified hoverflies, and Richard Adu- Acheampong carried out the initial sorting of the malaise trap samples. The Letterewe oak woodland grazing exclosures used in Chapters Four and Five are a joint venture between the estate and Scottish Natural Heritage. All other work is my own, or referenced appropriately. Paul James Tinsley-Marshall 3 Contents Chapter 1...........................................................................................................................................................15 1.1 Red deer in the Highlands ...............................................................................................................15 1.1.1 Red deer management: consequences for invertebrates ...........................................................15 1.1.2 The ecology of grazing and browsing ......................................................................................16 1.1.3 The red deer diet.......................................................................................................................17 1.1.4 Grazing, browsing and plants...................................................................................................17 1.1.5 Grazing as a driver of diversity ................................................................................................19 1.1.6 Grazing, browsing and invertebrates........................................................................................20 1.1.7 Grazing, browsing and birds.....................................................................................................23 1.1.8 Grazing, browsing and mammals.............................................................................................25 1.2 Rationale for this study....................................................................................................................25 1.3 Thesis layout....................................................................................................................................26 Chapter 2...........................................................................................................................................................27 2.1 Study site.........................................................................................................................................27 2.1.1 The Letterewe oak woodland ...................................................................................................29 2.1.2 Heather moorland invertebrate sampling .................................................................................30 2.1.3 Woodland epigeal invertebrate sampling .................................................................................31 2.1.4 Parasitoid and syrphid sampling...............................................................................................33 2.1.5 Species richness and diversity indices......................................................................................36 2.1.6 Habitat survey: Heather moorland............................................................................................37 2.1.7 Heather moorland explanatory variables..................................................................................37 2.1.8 Habitat survey: oak woodland..................................................................................................38 2.1.9 Woodland habitat explanatory variables ..................................................................................39 Chapter 3...........................................................................................................................................................44 3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................44 3.1.1 Grazing on heather moorland...................................................................................................46 3.1.2 Grazing effects on moorland invertebrates...............................................................................47 3.2 Aims ................................................................................................................................................51 3.3 Methods...........................................................................................................................................51 3.1.3 Statistical analysis ....................................................................................................................51 3.4 Results.............................................................................................................................................54 3.4.1 Grazing effects .........................................................................................................................54 3.4.2 Effects of other habitat variables..............................................................................................54 3.5 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................72 3.5.1 Synthesis and applications........................................................................................................74 3.5.2 Limitations ...............................................................................................................................75 3.6 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................................76 Chapter 4...........................................................................................................................................................77 4.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................77 4.1.1 The role of herbivory in woodlands .........................................................................................78 4.1.2 Mechanisms of impact and the response of invertebrates ........................................................79 4.1.3 Detrimental effects of grazing..................................................................................................80 4.1.4 Beneficial effects of grazing.....................................................................................................81 4 4.1.5 Grazing, invertebrates and the herb layer.................................................................................83 4.2 Rationale for this study....................................................................................................................85 4.3 Aims ................................................................................................................................................88 4.4 Materials and methods.....................................................................................................................88 4.4.1 Statistical analysis ....................................................................................................................88 4.5 Results.............................................................................................................................................91 4.5.1 Pitfall traps ...............................................................................................................................91