Secret seed sources sought for Scotland’s wee trees
PR & communications officer - Scotland
Woodland conservationists are seeking to flush out secret seed sources for some of the country's rarest and smallest mountain tree species.
Mountain (or montane) woodland consists of short, hardy trees that grow from around 450m above sea level in tough upland conditions where tall upright trees cannot establish. Most have been lost to overgrazing and burning.
These wee trees are important for high-altitude biodiversity, and valuable for protecting steep slopes and reducing flooding as the country faces more extreme weather.
A seed stand is a small group of individual trees planted and maintained in an accessible spot to provide a genetically predictable source of seed to be grown in nurseries or directly sown on mountainsides. They are necessary because remaining montane species in the wild are often in very inaccessible places.
The Scottish Seed Stand Project aims to create a network of sites to support restoration efforts, establishing a dependable supply over the next five to ten years.
Organisers believe individual landowners and enthusiasts may have already established valuable stands which are not currently on anyone else's radar.
Innes Manders of Catkin Ecology said:
"We want to make full use of existing stands as well as establishing stands in some new locations. There are stands we already know of, but we have a suspicion there might be others known only to the people who created them. These could give us a tremendous head start in bringing back the habitat.
"They could be on private estates expanding their own montane woodland, or they could be the work of individual enthusiasts.
"We want to hear from anyone operating seed stands already, particularly for montane willows, rock whitebeam and juniper."
The project also wants to hear from land managers about the species and provenances (areas of origin) they find difficult to obtain saplings from, so that these gaps in supply can be filled.
The Scottish Seed Stand Project is being delivered for Woodland Trust Scotland by Innes Manders and Julia Stewart of Catkin Ecology, and Sarah Watts who is chair of the Mountain Woodland Action Group and a PhD researcher at the University of Stirling.
"Mountain woodland is vital in Scotland for combatting the climate crisis and biodiversity loss," said Sarah.
"Mountain woodland stabilises steep slopes and gives protection from the natural hazards of avalanches, rockfalls and landslides. It slows the flow of water over and within upland soils, decreasing flooding downstream. These nature-based solutions reduce threats from escalating climate change including more extreme weather.
"We really need more of our wee trees back. Having been degraded by centuries of overgrazing, burning and exploitation, these fragmented, remnant habitats are some of the rarest and most threatened in the country. Promoting the availability of tree seeds for certain species and provenances is a significant challenge to expanding the habitat, particularly for montane and upland species on the islands, in the north and west of Scotland."
How can land managers help?
- Provide feedback on your experience of which species and provenances have been particularly difficult and/or expensive to obtain.
- Share information about existing and/or planned seed stands, including which species are present, where these individuals originated and how many individuals are present in the stand.
- Share information and experiences about lessons learned and difficulties encountered in the creation of seed stands.
If you can contribute in any of these areas, please contact innes@catkinecology.co.uk.
Notes to editors
For further information, contact George Anderson at Woodland Trust Scotland on 07900 891691.
About the Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK with more than 500,000 supporters.
With a vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, today the Trust owns and cares for more than 1,000 woodland sites, covering around 33,000 hectares.
The Woodland Trust has three key aims:
- protecting the UK's rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland
- restoring damaged ancient woodland, nurturing precious pieces of our natural heritage back to life
- establishing new native trees and woods to create healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
Access to all Woodland Trust woods is free so everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of trees.