Projects

Evaluation of vegetation change in relation to agri-environment initiatives

The James Hutton Institute has been involved in the assessment of agri-environment schemes and the effectiveness of prescriptions adopted for the conservation and enhancement of features of interest since 1989. Considerable expertise has been gained in the design and establishment of monitoring schemes, in relation to statistical issues of sampling and site variability, and in liaising with farmers and landowners over access and management recommendations based on the outcome of monitoring.

Examples of recent and on-going projects:

Monitoring of Environmentally Sensitive Areas, 1989-2003.
A project to monitor the effectiveness of the first round of ESAs in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Office in 1989. This included the Breadalbane, Loch Lomond, Stewartry, Uists and Whitlaw-Eildon Hills ESAs. Features of interest ranged from woodland regeneration and heather moorland to wetlands, herb-rich and machair grasslands. Results indicated that the Scheme was largely successful in its aims of maintaining habitats under threat, but that enhancement of features of interest depended more upon site-specific management (e.g. deer-fencing or appropriate grazing regimes) rather than blanket prescriptions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the ESA Scheme in Scotland - Recording of land cover and vegetation changes in relation to Environmentally Sensitive Areas, 1994-2005.
Commissioned in 1994, this second phase of monitoring was expanded to include all ten ESAs in Scotland (Argyll Islands, Breadalbane, Cairngorm Straths, Central Borders, Eastern and Western Southern Uplands, Loch Lomond, Shetland, Stewartry, Uists). Data on changes in land cover, vegetation, archaeology and farmland birds is being recorded to assess the effectiveness of Tier 1 (background) and Tier 2 (prescription) measures to protect and enhance features of conservation interest. Land cover data is currently being analysed and all prescription monitoring sites will be recorded in 2004 for comparison with the 1997 baseline. The project will be reported on in full in 2005.