PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Upland sites in Scotland support a wide selection of habitat types included in the Habitats Directive. These range from Caledonian forests, raised and active blanket bogs, to species rich Nardus grassland, alpine and subalpine heaths and sub Arctic willow scrub. Their nature conservation importance has been reflected in the large number of upland sites proposed as candidate SACs for Scotland. However, the majority of these sites are threatened by overgrazing from domestic sheep and wild herbivores. While both domestic stock and wild deer are acknowledged as being of vital importance to the local economy in these upland areas, the impact of overgrazing and of grazing abandonment has serious consequences for the conservation of these important areas. Considerable research on upland grazing ecology has already highlighted this problem but, until now, little attempt has been made to develop grazing management plans for sites of conservation importance in order to promote balanced and ecologically sustainable use of such upland areas in Scotland. .
OBJECTIVES
The principal aims of this project are to develop grazing management plans for four candidate Special Areas of Conservation (Ben Lawers, Glencoe, Torridon and Grey Hill) covering a range of grazing regimes, from intensive sheep grazing in south-west Scotland to areas dominated by deer grazing in the north-west. The objective of the grazing plans will be to ensure that herbivores are managed at a level which will protect and maintain the important habitat types (i.e. the habitats listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive) that occur at each site.
The lessons learned from this experience will be used to assist in the development of a general methodology for upland grazing management. Towards the end of the project an international workshop will promote and refine the methodology and this will be published as guidelines to assist upland site managers both in Scotland and elsewhere in the Community.
RESULTS
The project did the following -
Drew up a draft methodology for the development of grazing management plans at the 4 specified sites;
Assessed the representativeness of the four sites in relation to the proposed network of Natura 2000 upland sites in Scotland;
Promoted the project and its methodology to a wide audience through an international workshop in October 1997;
Validated and further refined the grazing methodology through peer review;
Prepared and published (in May 1998) an upland grazing methodology manual; and
Produced detailed grazing management plans for the four Natura 2000 sites as case studies.
The project did not implement the grazing plans within the duration of the project (the project was about developing the plans) but gave a commitment that the grazing management plans would be used. It put in place information that would be useful for resolving conflict between farmers, conservationists and those involved in field sports (shooting). The information on the appropriate stocking rates and seasonality of grazing for different habitat types has broad applicability across Member States with those habitat types, and would for example be of use to those establishing agri-enviroment schemes for uplands. The project did the following -
Drew up a draft methodology for the development of grazing management plans at the 4 specified sites;
Assessed the representativeness of the four sites in relation to the proposed network of Natura 2000 upland sites in Scotland;
Promoted the project and its methodology to a wide audience through an international workshop in October 1997;
Validated and further refined the grazing methodology through peer review;
Prepared and published (in May 1998) an upland grazing methodology manual; and
Produced detailed grazing management plans for the four Natura 2000 sites as case studies.
The project did not implement the grazing plans within the duration of the project (the project was about developing the plans) but gave a commitment that the grazing management plans would be used. It put in place information that would be useful for resolving conflict between farmers, conservationists and those involved in field sports (shooting). The information on the appropriate stocking rates and seasonality of grazing for different habitat types has broad applicability across Member States with those habitat types, and would for example be of use to those establishing agri-enviroment schemes for uplands.