1.1 The purpose of this note is to make this multi-disciplinary project more
widely known.
1.2 The moorlands of the British Isles support many habitats of European
significance. Considerable regional variation exists and the moorlands of the
Northern Isles are outstanding for their range of arctic and northern vegetation
types, unusually combining both oceanic and continental characteristics, and
rich bird populations. Their sustainable management systems has been a major
concern of local NCC/SNH staff for many years.
1.3 On Orkney large areas of moorland were lost in the 19th century, to
agricultural reclamation, with the trend continuing into recent decades. By the
late 1980s much of the remaining moorland had been designated as SSSI and
management agreements had been established for many areas. There was a need to
determine if agreement prescriptions were likely to achieve their aims.
1.4 On Shetland there had been trends towards keeping larger sheep breeds,
substantial increases in sheep numbers, and replacement of cattle by sheep.
Extensive peat erosion on some parts of Shetland had been identified in
published reports as a possible consequence of such changes. The launch of the
Shetland Environmentally Sensitive Area on 14 February 1994 offered an
opportunity to influence agricultural management.
1.5 Incidents of unusually extensive heather
dieback on both Orkney and Shetland were
also a cause for concern. On Orkney population explosions of Winter moth were
known to be responsible but on Shetland the cause was uncertain.
1.6 More generally, the Orkney and Shetland situations serve as approximate
models for impacts in the eastern and western uplands of Scotland respectively.
A project was commissioned in late 1992
assess present moorland extent and features
of natural heritage interest
report on past loss from moorland and its
causes
assess, and indicatively map, the present state
of the moorland with respect to
(a) the economic and operational importance of heather moorland areas within the
existing farming and crofting systems;
(b) grazing intensities and stocking rates;
(c) burning intensities and frequencies;
(d) peat extraction practices;
(e) structural and landscape pattern characteristics of the vegetation;
(f) growth rates of Calluna ;
(g) the potential for regeneration of Calluna
after peat extraction, burning, heavy grazing,
and dieback
assess likely impacts of changes in moorland
management practices and to suggest optimal
management scenarios
undertake a pilot study of the arthropod fauna
of the moorlands
undertake a pilot study of the composition and
activity of moorland soil decomposer
organisms.
2.2 The work was carried out by Land Resource Consultants (Department of
Environmental Science, University of Stirling)
under the overall leadership of Dr. A.H. Kirkpatrick, with substantial input
from Dr. I.Simpson. The socio-economic work was led by Dr. N. Hanley of the
Department of Economics, University of Stirling. The invertebrate study was
sub-contracted to Professor D.J. Curtis of the University of Paisley. The RSPB
made an important contribution by making available information on fires and
moorland breeding birds, and local SNH staff provided much valuable information
and assistance.
3.1 Mostly, existing data sources were used
as follows.
Published geological accounts.
Published palaeoecological and historical accounts.
Published accounts of the ecology and natural heritage.
Land Cover of Scotland 88 data.
Maps of moorland changes on Orkney from 1932 to 1985.
RSPB Moorland edge maps for Orkney 1981 and 1985.
NCC Upland Survey vegetation maps for North Hoy, West Mainland, Orphir &
Stenness Hills, Ronas Hill & North Roe, Hermaness and North Fetlar SSSIs.
RSPB information on distribution of red-throated diver, merlin, hen harrier,
golden plover, whimbrel, and short-eared owl.
Records of botanical features of interest in site files and published sources.
NCC/SNH National Countryside Monitoring Scheme sample square data (plus a 1994
field update).
SSSI & SPA boundaries.
3.2 New data were collected by field survey and aerial photograph interpretation
for the
following.
Calluna growth rates.
Calluna dieback characteristics.
Muirburn characteristics and post-fire vegetation recovery.
The extent and characteristics of peat cutting, and subsequent vegetation
recovery .
Grazing intensities, vegetation characteristics, and farm management and
economics on a stratified random sample of farms/grazing units (20 in Orkney, 19
in Shetland).
4.1 Large amounts of map data were input to a Geographical Information System to
allow spatial analyses. The MLURI Hill Sheep
Grazing Model (V1.01) was used to explore potential impacts of grazing. Model
results, extrapolated using land type and management unit type, were used to
provide an indicative map of likely grazing pressures for both Orkney and
Shetland. The economics analyses used a linear programming model, in conjunction
with the results from the grazing model, to study the possible consequences of
changing pastoral management and future economic scenarios.
ΉGrowth rates were comparable with those found at about 800 m in the
Cairngorms. The highest points on Orkney and Shetland are 479 m and 450 m
respectively.
Figure 1. Indicative map of predicted grazing pressure on heather on Orkney
moorlands: an aid to prioritising moorland conservation initiatives.
6.1 Outputs include: two substantial reports with accompanying A0 size maps; GIS data tape with collated information; two SNH Research, Survey and Monitoring reports edited by the SNH nominated officer; summarised information for Area staff to use as a basis for popular leaflets on moorland and their management; 12 papers and posters presented to conferences; nine papers published in refereed journals; and five complementary MSc/BSc dissertations.
Simpson, I.A., Kirkpatrick, A.H., Scott, L, Gill, J.P., Hanley, N. & MacDonald,
A.J. (1998). Application of a grazing model to predict heather moorland
utilization and implications for nature conservation. Journal of Environmental
Management 54, 215-231.
Hanley, N., Kirkpatrick, H., Simpson, I. & Oglethorpe, D. (1998). Principles for
the provision of public goods from agriculture: modelling moorland conservation
in Scotland. Land Economics 74 (1), 102-113.
Kirkpatrick, A.H. & MacDonald, A.J. (1997). Calluna vulgaris (L) Hull dieback in
Orkney, Scotland. Watsonia 21,277-281.
Whitelaw, C. & Kirkpatrick, A.H. (1997). Heather moorland loss on the Northern
Islands of Orkney. Botanical Journal of Scotland A9 (1), 57-65.
Hanley, N., Kirkpatrick, H., Oglethorpe, D. & Simpson, I. (1996). Paying for
public goods from agriculture: an application of the Provider Gets Principle
to moorland conservation in Shetland. Discussion papers in Ecological Economics
96/4, University of Stirling.
Hanley, N., Kirkpatrick, H., Simpson, I., Oglethorpe, D. & MacDonald, A. (1996).
Ecological-economic modelling of the conservation of threatened habitats:
heather moorland in the Northern Isles of Scotland. Biodiversity and
Conservation 5,1207-1219.
Hanley, N., Kirkpatrick, H., Oglethorpe, D. & Simpson, I. (1995).
Ecological-economic modelling of the conservation of threatened habitats:
heather moorland in the Northern Isles. Discussion papers in Ecological
Economics 95/4, University of Stirling.
Kirkpatrick, A.H., Scott, L. & MacDonald, A.J. (1995). Moorlands of Orkney:
cultural landscapes. In Thompson, D.B.A., Hester, A.J. & Usher, M.B. (Eds.),
Heaths and Moorland: Cultural Landscapes, HMSO.
Simpson, I.A., Scott, L, Kirkpatrick, A.H. & MacDonald, A.J. (1995). Sheep
grazing on the moorland landscapes of Orkney and its implications for nature
conservation. In Griffiths, G.H. (Ed.) Landscape Ecology: Theory and
Application, pp40-48. Proceedings of the 4th Annual Conference of the
International Association of Landscape Ecologists.
Adam, M. (1996). The effect of the 1984 fire on Hoy on the moorland vegetation.
B.Sc. Dissertation, University of Stirling.
Gayfer, J. (1996). The regeneration ofpeatland vegetation after traditional peat
cutting on Shetland. B.Sc. Dissertation, University of Stirling.
Whitelaw, C. (1995). An assessment of heather moorland loss in the Orkney
islands ofEday, Rousay, Westray and Papa Westray and implications for
management. M.Sc. Dissertation, University of Stirling.
Alvin, S. (1994). The effect of the 1984 fire on Hoy on the vegetation, with
particular reference to the bryophyte community. M.Sc. Dissertation, University
of Stirling.
Knox, A. (1994). An investigation of the short term recovery and subsequent
medium term development of blanket bog vegetation after traditional peat cutting
operations on the West Mainland moorlands of Orkney. M.Sc. Dissertation,
University of Stirling.
Angus MacDonald
Uplands Group, Advisory Services
Scottish Natural Heritage
2 Anderson Place, EDINBURGH
EH6 5NP
Tel: 0131-446 2474, Fax: 0131-446 2405