Suchergebnisse

The effect of grouse moor management intensity on the distribution of selected upland species was assessed. The species used in this study were chosen through consultation with the project Research Advisory Group and the Scottish Government to reflect a small selection of species that are likely to be negatively or positively affected by grouse moor management, and for which there was suitable occurrence data available for analyses within the time frame and resources available. Some obvious species of interest such as mountain hare Lepus timidus, red deer Cervus elaphus, and high conservation priority species such as lapwing Vanellus vanellus, were not included in the final list of species assessed because there is already a substantial body of evidence indicating that these species benefit from and are positively associated with moorland managed for grouse shooting. Rather the aim of this work was to assess the effects of the intensity of grouse moor management on species where the association between species distribution and grouse moor management is less well understood or unknown. The species assessed were: Birch, Green hairstreak butterfly, Curlew, Merlin, Lesser redpoll, Bilberry / blaeberry, Adder, Golden plover, Kestrel, Whinchat. It was difficult to draw any firm conclusions and for all species care is needed in interpreting the relationship between species occurrence and the high levels of muirburn as the sample size of both the number of assessed squares within each burn category, and the number of species records are low for these high intensity burn categories. Species may be responding to aspects of moorland management other than Muirburn and for the bird species occurrence was likely influenced by the wider landscape.

This report provides a summary of the findings from the distinct pieces of research commissioned by the Scottish Government to Assess the Socioeconomic and Biodiversity Impacts of Driven Grouse Moors and to Understand the Rights of Gamekeepers (CR/2019/01). This project was led by Scotland's Rural College and was undertaken by an experienced team of interdisciplinary researchers from SRUC and the James Hutton Institute.

In May 2017, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced commissioning of "research into the costs and benefits of large shooting estates to Scotland's economy and biodiversity". A related Programme for Government (2017-2018) commitment published in September 2017 also stated that a research project will be commissioned to "examine the impact of large shooting estates on Scotland's economy and biodiversity." The focus of the Cabinet Secretary's announcement concerns 'driven grouse shooting' estates. This report addresses the commission. The main objective of this work was to bring together the best-available and new evidence to consider the socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland. Three detailed reports have been produced on the following topic areas: Socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland: Part 1: Socioeconomic impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland - an evidence review of the impacts of driven grouse moors on estate employment, wages, capital assets, etc. as well as on the wider rural business base and on local communities. The socio-economics of a selection of alternative land management models was also considered. Socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland: Part 2: Biodiversity impacts of driven grouse shooting in Scotland – an evidence review of impacts from a range of management activities associated with driven grouse moors, including: muirburn; grazing (sheep and deer); legal predator control; mountain hare management; and a review of ecosystem service delivery by driven grouse moors. Socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland: Part 3: Use of GIS/remote sensing to identify areas of grouse moors, and to assess potential for alternative land uses – using GIS and remote sensing to estimate the extent, intensity and characteristics of grouse moors in Scotland, including opportunities and constraints for alternative uses.

The paper presents insights from carrying out a pan-EU sustainability assessment using Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data (the old wine) with societal metabolism accounting (SMA) processes (the new bottles). The SMA was deployed as part of a transdisciplinary study with EU policy stakeholders of how EU policy may need to change to deliver sustainability commitments, particularly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The paper outlines the concepts underlying SMA and its specific implementation using the FADN data. A key focus was on the interactions between crop and livestock systems and how this determines imported feedstuffs requirements, with environmental and other footprints beyond the EU. Examples of agricultural production systems performance are presented in terms of financial/efficiency, resource use (particularly the water footprint) and quantifies potential pressures on the environment. Benefits and limitations of the FADN dataset and the SMA outputs are discussed, highlighting the challenges of linking quantified pressures with environmental impacts. The paper concludes that the complexity of agriculture's interactions with economy and society means there is great need for conceptual frameworks, such as SMA, that can take multiple, non-equivalent, perspectives and that can be deployed with policy stakeholders despite generating uncomfortable knowledge. ; This project was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 689669. The James Hutton Institute is supported by the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS). Authors AR, JC-B and MG acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), through the "María de Maeztu" program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000940-M).