There are few areas of Scotland which
offer the range and variety of the woodlands found in Tayside.
They range in type from the wet woodlands on the banks of the
River Tay to the ancient Scots pine woodlands in the Black
Wood of Rannoch. Many of these woodlands are steeped in a rich
historical and cultural background which has led famous poets
and songwriters to such works as Robert Burns’ “The
Birks o’ Aberfeldy”. One needs look no further
than the renowned Fortingall Yew - reputedly Europe’s
oldest tree at around 3,000 years old - which might be reviewed
as the outstanding icon of Tayside’s tree and woodland
heritage.
Click the blue links below for the particular section
of interest
Perthshire has been titled “the cradle of Scottish forestry” partly
in recognition of the Planting Dukes of Atholl in the late 18th Century. Many
of the original introductions of larch, spruce and Douglas fir were undertaken
in Perthshire. As a result, the area’s planted forests are perhaps older
and more diverse than anywhere else in Scotland with important biodiversity gains
as a consequence.
The total area presently occupied by
trees in Tayside totals approximately 103 thousand hectares,
which is around 13% land coverage. Around a fifth is of ancient
or semi-natural origin and comprises an amazing 13 different
categories of woodland (or National Vegetation Classification
types as classified by woodland ecologists). Whilst the outlook
for Tayside’s native woodland habitats and the habitat
value of the region’s other woodlands is undoubtedly
better than it has been for a very long time, there still remains
a number of threats to individual woods and species (such as
the Capercaillie) which represent a real challenge. The other
80% of woodlands comprise chiefly of introduced conifer woodlands
(although planted Scots pine often of Caledonian origin is
an important component). Some of these are amongst the longest
established in the British Isles. In the past forest management
practice had, of necessity, to be predominantly influenced
by the need to maximise timber production. In recent times,
however, biodiversity benefits arising out of different management
practices such as greater species diversity, long-term retentions
and continuous cover silvicultural systems have been widely
recognised. The challenge now is to optimise those benefits.
The Habitat Action Plans seek to recognise the steps required to assess the status
of each woodland type and address the action required to
protect and enhance their biodiversity value. The diverse nature of all of these
woodlands has been categorised and further Action Plans will
follow in the next Tranche.
