A5064208401- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Forest Management and Policy
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Livestock Management and Performance Improvement
- Mobile Agent-Based Network Management
- Agricultural Systems and Practices
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Plant and animal studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
James Hutton Institute
2015-2025
Abstract Climate change is expected to have an impact on plant communities as increased temperatures are drive individual species' distributions polewards. The results of a revisitation study after c. 34 years 89 coastal sites in Scotland, UK, were examined assess the degree shifts species composition that could be accounted for by climate change. There was little evidence either retreat northwards or plots become more dominated with southern distribution. At few where significant occurred,...
Abstract Marginal agricultural land, which in the UK refers to upland grazings particular, is going see changes management driven by markets, subsidies, grants and environmental change with implications for biodiversity. Using a large‐scale, long‐term grazing experiment uplands we assessed impact of intensification (tripling sheep numbers), abandonment (removal sheep) grazer diversification (partial replacement cattle) on vegetation composition heterogenous area grassland. Species benefiting...
Ground nesting birds are sensitive to habitat structure, so understanding this relationship is fundamental managing maintain or enhance bird populations. We used an existing long‐term, large‐scale experiment with routine monitoring of meadow pipit territories assess the capability drone‐based remote sensing as a means capturing relevant information. Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) captured differences in stocking density between treatments, and autumn‐measured NDVI was well...
The protection of biodiversity is a key national and international policy objective. While protected areas provide one approach, major challenge lies in understanding how the conservation can be achieved context multiple land management objectives wider countryside. Here we analyse metrics bird diversity Scottish uplands relation to types explore species composition varies managed for grazing, hunting conservation. Birds were surveyed on heather moorland 26 different landholdings Scotland....
Prescribed burning of vegetation is a land management approach that can be used to prevent or reduce the risk wildfires yet burns escape and an ignition source for wildfires. In Scotland, muirburn form prescribed encourage new growth heather grouse livestock. Future regulation aims mitigate potential negative impacts on biodiversity, peat carbon stocks wildfire risk. this study, we assessed spatial co-occurrence across Scotland. Evidence was quantified using high-resolution aerial imagery...
Abstract Questions How do changes in grazing impact functional traits habitat mosaics? Which habitats are sensitive to management changes? Location Mosaic of open upland habitats, including Agrostis–Festuca and Nardus grasslands, Carex Molinia mires, bracken wet heath, southern Highlands Scotland, UK. Methods Four treatments were started 2002: (a) Continued at 0.9 ewe/ha (control); (2) High — 2.7 ewe/ha; (c) Mixed partial substitution sheep by cattle; (d) None. Vegetation was sampled 25...
Abstract Many ecosystems are grazed by livestock or large, wild herbivores and exist as mosaics of different vegetation communities. Changing grazing could have an impact on heterogeneity well composition. A long-term, large-scale experiment that maintained existing low-intensity sheep grazing, tripled it, removed it partially substituted cattle was set up a mosaic upland types. The changing regimes assessed in terms changes temporal spatial species functional beta diversity. Removal had the...
There is an urgent need for woodland expansion to help mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. However, the process of natural regeneration forest ecosystems often slow, requiring active reforestation approaches. Factors limiting are complex, but there increasing evidence that woodlands onto sites have been treeless a long period time may be limited by loss microbial woodland-soil properties. This study explored potential role mycorrhizal associations in facilitating obligate...
There is an urgent need for woodland expansion to help enhance and restore vital forest ecosystem services. However, the process of natural regeneration woodlands often slow, requiring active reforestation approaches. Factors limiting are complex, but there increasing evidence that onto sites have been treeless a long period time may be limited by loss microbial woodland‐soil properties. This study explored potential role mycorrhizal associations in facilitating obligate ectomycorrhizal...