Ative Pinewoods of Scotland

ativePinewoods of Scotland Instituteof Terrestrial Ecology Natural EnvironmentResearch Council á INS i ITUTE TEMESTRIAL E-COLC. SE:WO/ An `:-ATO21.L.:3 ru EOTATE„ ENICU i I( MIDLOTHIAN EH26 OQB • á NaturalEnvironment Research Council Instituteof TerrestrialEcology NativePinewoods of Scotland Proceedingsof Aviemore - Symposium,1975 INSTITUTEOF TEr:FIESTRIALECOLOGY La1A11Y SERVICE LABC;71:11:47.$. BUC.", Editedby Dr.R.G.H. Bunce and Mr.J.N.R. Jeffers Printed in England by Graphic Art (Cambridge) Ltd. ©Copyright 1977 Published by Institute of Terrestrial Ecology 68 Hills Road Cambridge CB2 1LA ISBN 0 904282 082 First published 1977 Dr. R.G.H. Bunce Institute of Terrestrial Ecology Merlewood Research Station Grange-over-Sands Cumbria LA11 6JU Telephone Grange-over-Sands 2264 INSTITUTE OF TERRESTRIAL I ECOLOGY LIE RA RY S V: :T. I 7 SEP 1980 532,17s- - RUSH (40 The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) was established in 1973, from the former Nature Conservancy's research stations and staff, joined later by the Institute of Tree Biology and the Culture Centre of Algae and Protozoa. ITE contributes to and draws upon the collective knowledge of the fourteen sister institutes which make up the Natural Environment Research Council, spanning all the environmental sciences. The Institute studies the factors determining the structure, composition and processes of land and freshwater systems, and of individual plant and animal species. It is developing a sounder scientific basis for predicting and modelling environmental trends arising from natural or man-made change. The results of this research are available to those responsible for the protection, management and wise use of our natural resources. Nearly half of ITE's work is research commissioned by customers, such as the Nature Conservancy Council who require information for wildlife conservation, the Forestry Commission and the Department of the Environment. The remainder is fundamental research supported by NERC. ITE's expertise is widely used by international organisations in overseas projects and programmes of research. III Preface The native pinewoods of Scotland have long been the subject of scientific research and the significance of their component ecosystem was emphasised in 1959 in the publishing of the book by Steven and Carlisle. Desp- ite the extensive knowledge of the forests and their ac- knowledged significance in scientific and amenity terms, the resource continued to be under threat because of its high commercial value. The objective of the Symposium was to discuss the ecology of the native pinewoods and the measures needed to promote their conservation. The evidence since the Symposium took place is that both objectives were achieved. There has been considerable acitivity recently in the extension of areas under conservation agreements and at least one was a direct result of the Symposium. It is hoped that this report will further consolidate the progress already made. The programme was developed by the editors in co- operation with David Morris and Rawdon Goodier of the Nature Conservancy Council. The Aviemore staff of NCC supervised the local arrangements and organised the Symposium exhibition, with the assistance of Basil Dunlop of the Strathspey estates and the staff of the Macaulay Institute for Soil Science and the Coylum- bridge Hotel.. The discussions that followed the papers were record- ed, but transcripts have not been included in these pro- ceedings because of lack of space. Copies of the transcripts are available on application to the editors. R.G.H. Bunce Merlewood February 1976. iv Contents III Preface VII Introduction (Jean Balfour, Countryside Commission for Scotland) 1 Status of pinewoods in British ecosystems (C.H. Gimingham, University of Aberdeen) 5 Scandinavian pine forests and their relationship to the Scottish Pinewoods (E.I. Aune, University of Trondheim 10 The range of variation within the pinewoods (R.G.H. Bunce, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology) 26 Breeding birds of Scottish pinewoods (I. Newton and D. Moss, ITE and Edinburgh University) 35 Soils of the native pinewoods of Scotland (E.A. Fitzpatrick, University of Aberdeen) 42 Ecology of pinewood beetles (F.A. Hunter, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Et Food) 56 Some gaps in our knowledge of the Scottish pinewood ecosystem (C. Millar, University of Aberdeen) 60 Vegetation history and the native pinewoods (P.E. O'Sullivan, Plymouth Polytechnic) 70 The impact of man on the native pinewoods of Scotland (A. Carlisle, Petawawa Forest Experiment Station) 78 The native pinewoods of Scotland: the current state of the resource (R. Goodier and R.G.H. Bunce, Nature Conservancy Council and ITE) 88 The structure and conservation of native pinewoods in Northern Fenoscandia (Y. Vasari, University of Oulu, Finland) 96 The gene-pool of Caledonian Scots pine — its conservation and uses (R. Faulkner, Forestry Commission) . 100 The appreciation of pinewoods in the countryside (Miss V.M. Thom, Countryside Commission for Scotland) 103 Pinewoods as habitats for mammals (V.P.W. Lowe, ITE) 112 Pinewoods managed by the Forestry Commission (T.C. Booth, Forestry Commission) 116 The conservation of the native Scots pinewoods (J.A. Forster and D. Morris, NCC) vi vii Introduction to the symposium on Scottish native pinewoods Jean Balfour Countryside Commission for Scotland In 1972, the Verney Committee wrote in their report 2. They are spectacular. 'Sinews for Survival': "Trees are beautiful as well as 3. They have a wide range of wildlife and vegeta- useful, they are one of our country's renewable natural resources, too often they are taken for granted". tion interest, more so than most of the Scottish mixed deciduous woodlands. Unlike agricultural land, where man at least in northern Europe and certainly in Scotland soon learned to 4. They are capable of producing saleable timber husband this resource by caring for the land and foster- and therefore have an economic value. ing and improving its crop, forests have been steadily Let us look then at these reasons which attract exploited until the alth century, (and, of course, in interest in the Scottish native pinewoods: much of the world, exploitation continues at an ever First, they are the largest component of continuous faster rate). Efforts by the Scots Parliament, from as woodland in Scotland and also in the UK. This means early as the 12th century onwards by law and charter, that, even allowing for the variety of types within the to encourage planting and punish over-cutting, failed to native pine forests, and recognising them as relicts, prevail against the needs of fuel, building, destruction there are still areas which are large enough to fill of wolves and bandits and the English attempts at one's horizon. Consider Glen Affric or the vista looking conquest, with its attendant destruction. Only the com- out over Abernethy. Look across Loch Maree from parative inaccessibility of the Highlands, and the late Letterewe or stand in the Black Wood of Rannoch. discovery of the forests of the north have saved these In these places, there is still the knowledge and aware- relict woodlands which we see today, and even they ness of being within a forest with its lively silence. This have not escaped entirely the hand of man. awareness, I believe, applies to foresters, scientists, land Let us at least be encouraged that today we are no managers, conservationists and countryside spectator longer taking them for granted. alike, a seemingly natural forest, something which Before continuing, I would like to make clear what I has always been. mean by natural forest or other terms. By natural forest, Second, pine forests are spectacular. Even Thomas I mean forest unmodified by man. Such places, if they Pennant, travelling in Scotland over 200 years ago, exist at all in Scotland, are rare, but perhaps the tree-line remarked on the magnificence of the pine forest in area on Craig Fhiaclach may be one. Rather, I prefer Mar and described Glen Tanar as second to none. to use the term continuous forest which means, to me, Today, visitors to Speyside or Deeside are still impress- an area continuously under woodland since boreal ed by the native pines and the information centres at times, whether subjected to the effects of man to a Loch an Eilan and Glen More both concentrate on greater or lesser degree over a longer or shorter period aspects of the forest in interpreting the area for of time. This definition includes a changing pattern of visitors. open ground both within, and peripheral to, the forest. Third, they have a very wide range of wildlife and Practically all Scottish woodland belongs to this cate- vegetation interest, a good deal of which is peculiar gory. to the pine forest. It is unnecessary for me, in this company, to try to elaborate on this fact or to quote The role of native pinewoods from McVean and Ratcliffe or Steven and Carlisle. The discussions this week centre on the Scottish native Suffice to say that the long term inter-relationship be- pinewoods, their future, their vegetation, their patterns tween the ground flora and the pine is an aspect of of change and their management, and, in two of the particular interest to biological scientists, as are the papers, it is sought to set them in context with the associated ornithological and other aspects, while the Scandinavian countries. We should remember, how- more casual visitor can enjoy the caper or meet the ever, that they'are a part, a large and important part all-pervading deer, and even look with interest at indeed, of Scottish continuous woodlands and that all Goodyera repens! such woodlands are decreasing and are in need of care Last, (the one to which I referred as having important and protection. They are all-important elements in the future implications) the pine forests can produce rev- Scottish countryside, part of our heritage if you will, enue in the form of valuable timber.

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