Woodland biodiversity, palaeo‐human ecology and some implications for conservation management

Abstract

This paper appraises the role of prehistoric human societies in modifying the natural woodland biodiversity of several regions throughout Scotland. It draws attention to the likelihood that, contrary to popular belief, biodiversity was enhanced by interactions between agricultural communities and woodlands. The possible purposefulness of such interactions is discussed. Mindful of the present concern to re-establish 'native' woodlands in many parts of northern Britain, we then review three approaches to the identification of native tree types in Scotland, and conclude that insufficient attention in reafforestation schemes is being paid to (a) the palaeoecological record as a record of native woodland or (b) the likely former high taxonomic diversity of woodlands. Both these failings will lead to the creation of new woodlands lacking in species diversity.

Scottish upland forests: History lessons for the future

“…There should, therefore be no specific historical point of reference for ecological restoration in the uplands (Tipping et al, 1999), but rather we should aspire towards the development of ecologically functioning landscapes. In these, key ecological processes across the range of representative habitats, communities and species at all scales from regional (e.g.…”

Demything “wilderness”: implications for protected area designation and management

“…Furthermore, many areas of apparently pristine wilderness have been shown to bear the legacy of previous human occupation, or in some cases to actively depend on human management (Foster and Motzkin 2003;Motzkin and Foster 2002;Tipping et al 1999). Thus, Sarkar (1999) has suggested that biodiversity conservation and wilderness conservation are distinct goals, which should be stated explicitly and pursued separately.…”

Response of epiphytic lichens to 21st Century climate change and tree disease scenarios

“…This compensatory effect of tree diversity in generating resilience for tree-associated species such as epiphytes may have been weakened by the progressive simplification of woodland habitats in Britain. A simplification in tree species composition is evident when woodland stand diversity during the midHolocene (Tipping et al, 1999) is contrasted with the effects of more recent intensive management such as occurred during the 19th Century (cf. Sansum, 2005;Smout, 2005) in which a single or relatively few tree species appear to have become increasingly dominant.…”