EAST HIGHLAND AREA GLEN STRATHFARRAR Fodderty Way Dingwall Business Park Site of Special Scientific Interest Dingwall IV15 9XB SITE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT Tel: 01349 865333 Site code: 723 Fax: 01349 865609 Email: [email protected] Purpose This is a public statement prepared by SNH for owners and occupiers of the SSSI. It outlines the reasons it is designated as an SSSI and provides guidance on how its special natural features should be conserved or enhanced. This Statement does not affect or form part of the statutory notification and does not remove the need to apply for consent for operations requiring consent. We welcome your views on this statement. Description of the site Glen Strathfarrar SSSI lies in a 20 km long glen running westwards from Strathglass, approximately 37km south west of Inverness. It has been designated for its extensive native pinewood habitats which are important for assemblages of associated lichens, breeding birds, dragonflies and vascular plants. Scots pine is dominant throughout much of the site but birch is also common, especially at the eastern end. Alder, willow, rowan and holly are present throughout with smaller amounts of oak, aspen, juniper and wych elm in the east. Pockets of wet and dry heaths occur throughout the woodland, and higher up the hill above the trees, along with areas of blanket bog and lochans. The pinewood’s location means it experiences both oceanic and continental climatic influences and it shows characteristics of western and more central pinewoods. It supports typical pinewood birds such as golden eagle, Scottish crossbill and crested tit. The Glen Strathfarrar pinewoods support several ground flora species associated with ancient pinewoods including one-flowered wintergreen, lesser twayblade and creeping lady’s tresses. The variety of open habitats supports other notable plants such as small cranberry on the boggy ground and dwarf birch higher up the hill. The site also has a very rich and internationally important lichen community, with over 300 species recorded, reflecting the size of the native pinewood, significant broadleaved component and the substantial oceanic influence. Several of these species are rare - including the forked hair-lichen, Bryoria furcellata. Many are also indicative of a long period of continuous woodland cover. 1 Pools and lochans support a large number of dragonfly species, with 14 recorded here, though not all confirmed as breeding. They include the brilliant emerald, Somatochlora metallica, the downy emerald Cordulia aenea and the white-faced darter Leucorrhinia dubia. These species have important strongholds in the Inverness-shire area. Glen Strathfarrar is part of Strathglass Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC) designated for a range of European habitats and species. Caledonian forest, bog woodland, wet and dry heaths and nutrient poor standing waters are the most relevant to this SSSI. It is also of European importance for otters. The SSSI is also part of the foraging range of breeding golden eagles and is part of Glen Affric to Strathconon Special Protection Area (SPA). When monitored between 2003 and 2009, the breeding bird, lichen and dragonfly assemblages and most of the habitats of European importance were considered to be in favourable condition. However, the native pinewood habitat was considered to be in unfavourable condition due to the scarcity of tree regeneration and imbalanced age structure, particularly towards the west of the site. Browsing by herbivores is suppressing regeneration outside exclosures and, with trampling, is also affecting the condition of wet and dry heaths. The vascular plant assemblage was also considered to be in unfavourable condition, because the populations of some scarce plants have declined (possibly due to browsing) and some were not found when last monitored in 2003. White-faced darter One flowered wintergreen Natural features of Condition of feature Other relevant Glen Strathfarrar SSSI (and date monitored) designations Native pinewood Unfavourable, no change SAC (June 2009) (Caledonian forest) Lichen assemblage Favourable, maintained (May 2003) Vascular plant assemblage Unfavourable, no change (July 2003) Breeding bird assemblage Favourable, maintained (July 2006) Dragonfly assemblage Favourable, maintained (August 2002) Features of overlapping Natura Condition of feature SPA or SAC sites that are not notified as SSSI (date monitored) natural features Acidic scree Favourable, maintained SAC (July 2009) Alpine and subalpine heaths Unfavourable, no change SAC (July 2009) Blanket bog Unfavourable, no change SAC (June 2009) 2 Bog woodland Favourable, maintained SAC (June 2003) Caledonian forest Unfavourable, no change SAC (May 2003) Clear-water lakes or lochs with Favourable, maintained SAC aquatic vegetation and poor to (July 2004) moderate nutrient levels Dry heaths Unfavourable, no change SAC (July 2009) Montane acid grasslands Favourable, maintained SAC (July 2009) Mountain willow scrub Unfavourable, no change SAC (September 2004) Plants in crevices on acid rocks Favourable, maintained SAC (August 2009) Plants in crevices on base-rich rocks Favourable, maintained SAC (July 2009) Tall herb communities Unfavourable, no change SAC (July 2009) Wet heathland with cross-leaved Unfavourable, no change SAC heath (June 2009) Otter Favourable, maintained SAC (September 2004) Golden eagle, breeding Not yet assessed SPA Past and present management Glen Strathfarrar is known to have been an early hunting ground for the nobility, but permanent settlement occurred from at least the 16th C, when cattle became an important source of income. Culligran, with its mill, was the oldest and most important of the settlements. In the late 1700s commercial felling was taking place and large sheep flocks introduced. However, by around 1850 most of the sheep had been cleared and a deer forest established. Some further fellings took place in the woods in the World Wars followed by the construction of an extensive hydro-electric generation system. Scottish and Southern Energy now manage important wayleaves and infrastructure in the glen and water levels in the River Farrar are managed as a result of the hydro-electric generation. The river supports salmon and trout fishing and sporting use (largely deer stalking) occurs throughout the site. There is also some sheep grazing and a small deer farm at the eastern end of the site. A large part of the site was managed as a National Nature Reserve until recently. A number of exclosures have been erected within the site to promote woodland regeneration. There has also been some diversionary feeding of deer to influence the time deer spend in the woodland and hence the level of browsing on tree regeneration. A collaborative approach to managing the impacts of deer across the whole site (and the wider SAC) is now being progressed with land managers. The glen is a popular area for informal recreation and quiet enjoyment of the countryside but it is less frequented than nearby Glen Affric. A number of Munros are approached along the glen, much of which is also a National Scenic Area The great majority of access within the site uses the surfaced road and recognised hill paths, with very little access into areas off the “beaten track”. During the stalking season a Hillphone system operates in the glen to advise walkers where stalking is occurring to try to minimise disruption to estate activities. Vehicular public access on the private road in the glen is managed and a gatekeeper monitors the number of cars that enter the glen each day between April and the end of October. A car park has been provided beside the gate for those who wish to walk or cycle up the glen. 3 Objectives for Management (and key factors influencing the condition of natural features) We wish to work with the owners to protect the site and to maintain and where necessary enhance its features of special interest. SNH aims carry out site survey, monitoring and research as appropriate to increase our knowledge and understanding of the site and its natural features and to monitor the effectiveness of the management agreements. The EU Habitats and Birds Directives oblige Government to avoid, in SACs and SPAs, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species, as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of these Directives. The objectives below have been assessed against these requirements. All authorities proposing to carry out or permit to be carried out operations likely to have a significant effect on the European interests of this SSSI must assess those operations against the relevant Natura conservation objectives (which are listed on our website through the SNHi - SiteLink facility). 1. To maintain the extent and improve the condition of the pinewood and important upland habitats by, for example: • managing the herbivore impacts (mainly deer) • sensitive use of ATVs to avoid damage to ground vegetation 2. To maintain the conditions required to support otters, golden eagles and important assemblages of lichens, breeding birds, dragonflies and vascular plants by, for example: • managing woodland exclosures to avoid large, dense areas of new tree growth (as lichens require open woodland with a varying age structure). • ensuring that a mix of broadleaved tree species occur within the pinewood (including old rowan and aspen which are important for lichens). • avoiding disturbance to sensitive species. • ensuring that lochans and pools used by dragonflies are not polluted or drained • preventing the dense shading of water bodies by trees • targeted management of small populations of rare vascular plants Other factors affecting the natural features of the site Climate change could affect several features. A move towards a wetter climate is likely to increase the presence of bryophytes in the ground flora which may influence the composition of vascular plants and the level of regeneration of tree species. Date last reviewed: 23 March 2011 4 .