SNH Archive Report 055: Site Dossier for Bryological Interest – Shieldaig Woods SSSI

Scottish Natural Heritage Archive Report No. 055

Site dossier for bryological interest – Shieldaig Woods SSSI

ARCHIVE REPORT

Archive Report No. 055 Site dossier for bryological interest – Shieldaig Woods SSSI

For further information on this report please contact:

David Genney Scottish Natural Heritage Great Glen House Leachkin Road INVERNESS IV3 8NW Telephone: 01463 725253 E-mail: [email protected]

This report should be quoted as:

Headley, A.D. 2005. Site dossier for bryological interest – Shieldaig Woods SSSI. Scottish Natural Heritage Archive Report No. 055.

This report, or any part of it, should not be reproduced without the permission of Scottish Natural Heritage. This permission will not be withheld unreasonably. The views expressed by the author(s) of this report should not be taken as the views and policies of Scottish Natural Heritage.

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This report was commissioned by SNH as part of the Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) programme to assess the condition of special features (habitats, species populations or earth science interests) on protected areas in Scotland (Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar). Site Condition Monitoring is SNH’s rolling programme to monitor the condition of special features on protected areas, their management and wider environmental factors which contribute to their condition.

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ARCHIVE REPORT

Summary

Site dossier for bryological interest – Shieldaig Woods SSSI

Archive Report No. 055 Contractor: Alistair Headley Year of publication: 2019

Background Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are designated on the basis of notified features of interest. The moss and liverwort communities are one of the notified features of interest at Shieldaig Woods SSSI in the West Highland region. This report describes the results of a survey of the site for the mosses and liverworts present at the site.

Main findings  The site supports a total of 50 different species of liverwort and 93 different species of moss.  There is a small population of the nationally rare moss Daltonia splachnoides (Irish Daltonia) consisting of only 17 small cushions, mostly less than 1cm x 1cm, which is considered to be nationally to be in a vulnerable condition.  The site also has a population of another nationally rare moss, Hymenostylium insigne, but this species is considered to be only near threatened.  There are two nationally scarce species of moss (Dicranodontium uncinatum and Sematophyllum micans) and two nationally scarce species of liverwort (Kurzia sylvatica and Leptoschyphus cuneifolius).  A total of 15 target notes were taken of the site on 4th October 2004 as part of a survey of the condition of the bryophyte interest within Shieldaig Woods SSSI.  The birch wood on the northern slopes of Ben Shieldaig supports the vast majority of the bryophyte interest within the SSSI, whilst some base-rich flushes within the pine wood on the south-western slopes of the same hill add interest to a flora indicative of the acid rocks and peats of the area.  The bryophyte flora on the birch trees and rocks is particularly luxuriant and is considered to be in favourable nature conservation condition.  The bryophyte flora within the pine wood is also in favourable condition, but it is not possible to say whether the bryophyte flora within the heathland and peatland habitats above the woodland is in favourable or unfavourable condition.

For further information on this project contact: David Genney, Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW. Tel: 01463 725253 or [email protected] For further information on the SNH Research & Technical Support Programme contact: Research Coordinator, Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW. Tel: 01463 725000 or [email protected]

SCM DOSSIER FOR BRYOLOGICAL INTERESTS SHIELDAIG WOODS SSSI

1 SITE DETAILS

1.1 Name: Shieldaig Woods

1.2 National Grid Reference: NG 825 535

1.3 District: West Highland

2 INTRODUCTION

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are designated on the basis of notified features of interest. These include habitats, species or geological features. Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) is a six year programme of assessment of the state of all notified features of interest on designated sites. Reporting is based on feature types and will be to common standards across the four UK country conservation agencies.

This project addresses bryophyte monitoring on sites in Scotland, and covers all Scottish SSSIs where bryophytes are a notified feature. Shieldaig Woods SSSI covers 223.8 ha of the northern and south-western slopes of Ben Shieldaig on the south side of Upper Loch Torridon between 10 and 430m asl. The site is located within the oceanic climate zone of western Scotland with mean annual rainfall typically between 1600 and 2000 mm. There is birch woodland (c. 25 ha) on the lower parts of the steep north facing slopes of the hill and a pinewood (c. 60 ha) on the lower parts of the south- west facing slopes of the same hill. Heathland and bog cover the upper slopes with considerable exposures of bedrock throughout the SSSI.

2.1 Habitats with bryophyte interest

The birch woodland is mainly composed of the Isothecium myosuroides-Diplophyllum albicans sub-community of the Quercus petraea-Betula pubescens-Dicranum majus woodland (W17a), whilst the pinewood is a mixture of the Sphagnum capillifolium/S.quinquefarium-Erica tetralix (W18d) and Scapania gracilis (W18e) sub- communities of the Pinus sylvestris-Hylocomium splendens woodland community (Rodwell 1990). Most of the heathland and bog is a mixture of the Calluna vulgaris- Erica cinerea heath (H10), Scirpus cespitosus-Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mire (M17) and Molinia caerulea-Potentilla erecta mire (M25) (Rodwell 1991).

3 CURRENT SITE CITATION AND MANAGEMENT STATEMENTS

As a consequence of this site being located within the oceanic climate zone of western Scotland it hosts a rich lower plant assemblage. The site management statement suggests that 94 species of moss and 58 species of liverwort have been recorded, of which four species of moss and three species of liverwort are nationally scarce. The nationally rare and scarce species of moss and liverwort are noted below, of which the populations of Daltonia splachnoides and Kurzia sylvatica are respectively of regional and local importance. The two red data book species at Shieldaig Woods are Daltonia splachnoides and Hymenostylium insigne. The population of Daltonia at Shieldaig Woods was the first site in Scotland where this moss was recorded from in 1949 by P.R. Bell (Rothero 1997).

The outline of the non-vascular plant interests at Shieldaig Woods includes the following list of species: Daltonia splachnoides (NR), Campylopus atrovirens, Kurzia

1 sylvatica (NS), Aphanolejeunea microscopica (NS), Douinia ovata, Scorpiurium circinatum (NS), Harpanthus scutatus (NS), Hygrohypnum dilitatum (NS) (in rocks in waterfall), Hymenostylium insigne (NR) (on wet, calcareous retaining wall). Aphanolejeunea microscopica, Harpanthus scutatus, Hygrohypnum dilitatum and Scorpiurium circinatum, are not listed as being nationally scarce on the JNCC website. Campylopus atrovirens is listed as the site within the area of search with the largest population of this oceanic species, however it is a very common bryophyte in the Torridon area and probably has a much larger population at nearby sites, such as within the Torridon Forest SSSI. Douinia and Hygrohypnum dilatatum are mis-spelt. Another error is probably in the undated BRC record card for Scorpiurium circinatum (see below).

Vulnerable Nationally Scarce Daltonia splachnoides Kurzia sylvatica Leptoscyphus cuneifolius Near Threatened Dicranodontium uncinatum Sematophyllum micans Hymenostylium insigne

4 PREVIOUS SURVEYS

A British Bryological Society visit to the site on the 3rd August 1986 produced a list of 43 species of moss and 35 species of liverwort. There is an undated Biological Records Centre card filled in for the site with an un-named author who has a list of an additional 11 species of liverwort and 41 species of moss. However, the record for Scorpiurium circinatum is probably an error as the atlas (Hill et al. 1994) indicates that this species is not found any further north than Anglesey or central Ireland. The habitat at Shieldaig Woods is also unlike its usual habitat elsewhere in Britain.

Dr Gordon Rothero visited the site on the 30th and 31st July 1996 to survey the population of Daltonia splachnoides within the birch woodland. He does not produce a species list for the site, but mentions two other notable species, Hymenostylium insigne and Hygrohypnum dilatatum that he found in a covering letter. However it is not absolutely clear whether he is referring to Shieldaig Woods or not. The undated woodland survey gives the relative abundance of the bryophyte species using the DAFOR scale and adds one species of liverwort and six species of bryophyte. Therefore the total list for Shieldaig Woods before this survey amounts to probably 91 species of moss and 47 species of liverwort, of which only two species of moss are nationally rare (Daltonia splachnoides and Hymenostylium insigne), and two mosses (Dicranodontium uncinatum and Sematophyllum micans) and two liverworts (Kurzia sylvatica and Leptoscyphus cuneifolius) are nationally scarce.

5 METHODS

Shieldaig Woods SSSI was visited by B. O’Hanrahan and A.D. Headley on 4th October 2004. An attempt was made to re-locate the populations of Daltonia splachnoides found by Rothero in 1996 within the birch woodland. Although during the visit to the birch woodland in the morning the weather was largely dry and reasonably clear, the steep north-facing nature of the slope and the cover of the birch woodland made it difficult to take adequate photographs of the birch woodland. An area of pinewood was visited in the afternoon, but torrential rain meant that the work had to be halted early. A Garmin 12 GPS was used to take grid references to the nearest 10 metres as it was considered inappropriate to quote them to any greater degree of precision given the terrain and tree cover.

2 6 RESULTS

A total of 29 different species of liverwort and 68 species of moss were found during the survey. Three of the species of liverwort, Frullania teneriffae, Scapania aspera and S. nemorea, and one of the mosses, Bryum pallens, are new to the site. It was not possible to re-find the three small colonies of Daltonia splachnoides from the six-figure grid references. The locations were presumed to be just below the cliff that runs along the upper part of the birch wood on the northern slopes of the site. Despite some reasonably detailed descriptions of the locations it was not possible to find the trees upon which the cushions of this tiny moss were found. This is in part due to the poor GPS reception that one receives on a steep slope below trees with a nearby cliff. The shaded north-facing slope also makes it difficult to obtain good quality photographs as illustrated by the rather dark photographs taken by Gordon Rothero of the Daltonia splachnoides colonies.

Figure 1. View looking westwards of a stand of birch within Shieldaig Woods SSSI on the northern slopes of Beinn Shieldaig.

6.1 Site Condition Assessment of Bryophyte Interest

6.1.1 Birch Wood - Favourable

The birch wood supports the majority of the bryophyte interest in this site, as it is one of the few area larger areas of deciduous broad-leaved woodland in the Torridon area. The birch trees support extensive growths of epiphytic bryophytes, including Plagiochila spinulosa, Scapania gracilis, Dicranum scoparium, Diplophyllum albicans, Isothecium myosuroides, Mnium hornum, Hypnum cupressiforme, H. andoi, Frullania tamarisci, and F. dilatata.

3 Although many of the epiphytic bryophyte species were not found in the limited search available, there are no indications that the bryophyte interest in the site has been lost. Fallen trunks and stumps of trees were found with luxuriant growths of bryophytes and these supported many different species of bryophyte. There is little point in establishing permanent monitoring points on these logs as they are ephemeral habitats where the epiphytic communities will change over time as the tree rots.

6.1.2 Pine Wood - Favourable

There is a reasonably diverse array of understorey species of bryophyte within the pine woodland at Shieldaig, but it is inevitably poorer than that in the birch wood. This is mainly due to its aspect as well as the nature of the leaf litter and there having been a fire in the recent past. However a base-rich flush was found underneath a powerline wayleave.

6.1.3 Heathland and Mire

There was insufficient time to examine the heathland above the woodland on the site.

6.2 General Observations

Although birch trees do not support a particularly diverse array of epiphytic bryophytes due to its chemistry and texture the birch woodland has a healthy population of epiphytic bryophytes. There are luxuriant growths of various bryophytes in the understorey vegetation on the rocks and rotting stumps and trunks of the birch trees. There are very few broad-leaved deciduous trees other than birch, within the wood and an increase in the range of other species would certainly enhance the epiphytic flora.

6.3 Management

There were no obvious signs of grazing by deer, but the dung of probably roe deer were seen in the birch wood. There is a wire fence part way up the hill in the birch wood which is presumably used to keep sheep out of the upper parts of the wood. This will not keep deer out, which is useful as some grazing by deer will help to keep some of the field layer in the wood suppressed and avoid excessive shading by larger vascular plants.

7 DISCUSSION

The birch and pine woods had healthy and vigorous growths of bryophytes within them and that no detrimental management activities were observed to be occurring within the site. Although the red data book species and some of the scarce species of bryophyte were not re-found it is highly unlikely that any of them will have been lost from the site. As long as standing dead and fallen trees allowed to remain the rich epiphytic bryophyte community will remain in the birch wood. Birch trees rarely support a high diversity of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens and therefore increasing the proportion of other species of broad-leaved deciduous tree within the birch wood would help increase the diversity of the epiphytic flora.

The pine woodland appears not to have suffered significantly from the former fire and the diversity of bryophytes on the floor of the woodland is reasonably high and luxuriant.

4 Table 1. List of species of liverwort and moss found at Shieldaig Woods SSSI found by various people/organisations. BBS 1986 = British Bryological Survey 3rd August 1986, Rothero 1997 = 30th and 31st July 1997, BRC card = undated British Records Centre record card, woodland survey is undated, ADH & BO’H 2004 = A.D. Headley and B. O’Hanrahan 4th October 2004. NR = nationally rare, NS = nationally scarce, NT = near threatened and VU = vulnerable.

ADH & BRC woodland BBS Rothero BO’H Liverwort Status card survey 1986 1997 2004 Adelanthus decipiens X Anastrepta orcadensis X O X X Aneura pinguis R X Aphanolejeunea microscopica X X X Bazzania tricrenata X R X X Bazzania trilobata O X X Calypogeia fissa X X X Calypogeia muelleriana X X X Cephalozia bicuspidate X X X Cephalozia lunulifolia X X Diplophyllum albicans X F X X X Douinia ovata X X Frullania dilatata X X Frullania tamarisci X F X X Frullania teneriffae X Harpalejeunea ovata X X Harpanthus scutatus X Jungermannia obovata X X Kurzia sylvatica NS X X Lejeunea patens X X X Lepidozia cupressina X O X X Lepidozia reptans X O X X Leptoscyphus cuneifolius NS X Lophocolea bidentata X X Lophozia incise X X Lophozia ventricosa X X X Marsupella emarginata X X X Mylia taylorii X O X X Nardia scalaris X Nowellia curvifolia X X Odontoschisma sphagnii X Pellia endiviifolia X X Pellia epiphylla X O X X Plagiochila asplenioides X X X Plagiochila exigua X Plagiochila killarniensis X X Plagiochila porelloides X Plagiochila punctata X X Plagiochila spinulosa X O X X Pleurozea purpurea X O X Radula aquilegia X Riccardia multifida X X X Riccardia palmate X X

5 ADH & BRC woodland BBS Rothero BO’H Liverwort Status card survey 1986 1997 2004 Saccogyna viticulosa X R X X Scapania aspera X Scapania gracilis X F X X Scapania nemorea X Scapania umbrosa X X X Scapania undulate X X X Tritomaria quinquedentata X X

ADH & BRC woodland BBS Rothero BO’H Mosses Status card survey 1986 1997 2004 Amphidium mougeotii X X X Atrichum undulatum X R X Aulacomnium palustre X X Blindia acuta X X X Brachythecium plumosum X X X Brachythecium rivulare X X X Brachythecium rutabulum X O X X Breutelia chrysocoma X F X X Bryum alpinum X X X Bryum capillare X X Bryum pallens X Bryum pseudotriquetrum X X X Calliergon sarmentosum X X X Calliergonella cuspidata X O X X Campylium stellatum X R X Campylopus atrovirens X O X Campylopus flexuosus X X Campylopus introflexus X Ceratodon purpureus X Ctenidium molluscum X R X X 828536, Daltonia splachnoides VU X 830535, 833534 Dicranella heteromalla X X X Dicranella palustris X X X Dicranodontium denudatum X X Dicranodontium uncinatum NS X Dicranum fuscescens X O X X Dicranum majus X F X X Dicranum scoparium X F X X Dicranum scottianum X Drepanocladus revolvens X X Eurhynchium praelongum X X X Eurhynchium striatum X R X X Fissidens adianthoides X X X Fissidens taxifolius X R Funaria hygrometrica X X Funaria obtuse X Heterocladium heteropterum X Hookeria lucens X R X Hygrohypnum dilatatum X Hygrohypnum ochraceum X Hylocomium brevirostre X R Hylocomium splendens X A X X Hylocomium umbratum X R X Hymenostylium insigne NT Hyocomium armoricum X O X X Hypnum andoi X X

7 ADH & BRC woodland BBS Rothero BO’H Mosses Status card survey 1986 1997 2004 Hypnum callichroum X X Hypnum cupressiforme X A X X Hypnum jutlandicum X X X Isothecium myosuroides X O X X X Leucobryum glaucum X O X Mnium hornum X O X X Palustriella commutata X R/LA X Philonotis Fontana X X X Plagiomnium undulatum X X X Plagiothecium undulatum X F X X Pleurozium schreberi X A X X Pogonatum urnigerum X Polytrichum commune X X Polytrichum formosum X O X X Polytrichum juniperinum X X Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans X X X Ptilium crista-castrensis X O X X Racomitrium aciculare X X X Racomitrium aquaticum X Racomitrium fasciculare X R X X Racomitrium heterostichum X X X Racomitrium lanuginosum X O X X Rhizomnium punctatum X X X Rhytidiadelphus loreus X F X X Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus X X X Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus R X Scleropodium purum X F X X Scorpidium scorpioides X X Scorpiurium circinatum X Sematophyllum micans NS X Sphagnum capillifolium/rubellum X O X Sphagnum contortum X Sphagnum cuspidatum O Sphagnum fallax X O X Sphagnum palustre X O X X Sphagnum papillosum O Sphagnum subnitens R X Sphagnum warnstorfii X Splachnum ampullaceum X Tetraphis pellucida X X Thuidium delicatulum X R Thuidium tamariscinum X F X X Tortella tortuosa R X Trichostomum tenuirostre X Ulota crispa O X X Ulota hutchinsiae X Ulota phyllantha X X

8 8 TARGET NOTES

8.1 Birchwood Target Note 1 NG 8296 5372 Hylocomium splendens, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum denticulatum, Polytrichum commune, Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum palustre, Plagiochila spinulosa, Scapania undulata, Thuidium tamariscinum, Dicranum majus, Breutelia chrysocoma and Sphagnum fimbriatum.

Target Note 2 NG 8296,5371 Scapania gracilis, Dicranum scoparium, Ulota crispa, Diplophyllum albicans, Rhytridiadelphus loreus, Isothecium myosuroides, Mnium hornum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Frullania tamarisci, Frullania dilatata, Racomitrium heterostichum, Sphagnum subnitens, Campylopus flexuosus, Plagiothecium undulatum and Dicranodontium denudatum.

Target Note 3 NG 8292 5369 Sphagnum quinquefarium

Target Note 4 NG 8291 5369 Anastrepta orcadensis, Bazzania tricrenata, Hypnum callichroum, Ptilium crista- castrensis, Sphagnum subnitens

Target Note 5 NG 8288 5365 Saccogyna viticulosa, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus

Target Note 6 NG 8287 5363 Lepidozia cupressina, Pellia epiphylla, Diplophyllum albicans, Riccardia chamaedryfolia

Target Note 7 NG 8287 5360 Mylia taylorii

Target Note 8 NG 8289 5359 Bartramia pomiformis,

Target Note 9 NG 8290 5359 Wet rocks with Pellia endiviifolia, Riccardia chamaedryfolia, Aneura pinguis, Rhizomnium punctatum

Target Note 10 NG 8293 5363 Plagiomnium undulatum, Fissidens adianthoides

Target Note 11 NG 8303 5361 Dicranella palustris, Philinotis fontana

8.2 Pinewood Target Note 12 NG 8182 5287 Hylocomium umbratum, Sphagnum papillosum

Target Note 13 NG 8184 5290 Bazzania trilobata, Racomitrium canescens, Campylopus fragilis

Target Note 14 NG 8185 5292 Base-rich flush with Campylium stellatum, Scorpidium scorpioides, Blindia acuta and Pleurozia purpurea

Target Note 15 NG 8187 5294 Sphagnum subsecundum, Amhidium mougeotii, Scapania gracilis, Plagiochila asplenioides, Kurzia pauciflora.

9 REFERENCES

Rodwell, J.S. (1990) British Plant Communities. Volume 1 Woodlands and Scrub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rodwell, J.S. (1991) British Plant Communities. Volume 2 Mires and heaths. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rothero, G.P. 1997. Action Plans for lower plants in Scotland project. Bryophytes. Daltonia splachnoides species dossier. Edinburgh: Scottish Natural Heritage and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

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