Scotland's ancient Caledonian pinewoods could vanish - study

Scotland's past pinewoods are successful information of disappearing forever, a conservation foundation has warned.

Fragments of the erstwhile immense Caledonian wood are dotted crossed parts of Argyll, Highlands and Aberdeenshire.

It is location to descendants of trees that appeared astatine the extremity of the past crystal property successful Scotland astir 11,000 years ago.

However probe by foundation Trees for Life suggested the dispersed of non-native trees and grazing by cervid has threatened the woods' survival.

It said rising temperatures owed to clime alteration besides airs a risk.

The Scottish authorities said it was investing heavy successful projects to support "irreplaceable" Caledonian pinewoods.

Trees for Life said its four-year investigation was the archetypal large survey into the wellness of the pinewoods successful much than 60 years.

It estimates that astir a full of 42,000 acres (16,998ha) of archetypal woodland survives.

Trees for Life has called for urgent enactment to tackle precocious cervid numbers, non-native conifers and besides improvements successful absorption of the pinewoods.

Chief enforcement Steve Micklewright said: "Our findings are an alarm doorbell for Scotland's Caledonian pinewoods, which are specified an important portion of the country's civilization and environment.

"The bulk of the surviving fragments are present connected a knife-edge, and bold enactment is needed to prevention them from being mislaid forever."

He added: "A landscape-scale attack backed by the Scottish authorities is urgently needed to save, grow and link up these precious woodlands earlier it is excessively late."

More than 80 fragments of Caledonian wood tin beryllium recovered crossed Scotland from adjacent Loch Lomond successful the southbound to adjacent Ullapool successful the north.

Areas of pinewood inactive past astir Torridon successful the westbound and eastwards towards Aberdeen. Some of the largest areas are successful the Cairngorms.

They supply situation for reddish squirrels and birds specified arsenic capercaillie, crested tits and crossbills.

The pinewoods' histrion taxon see Scots conifer - Scotland's nationalist histrion - arsenic good arsenic birch and juniper.

Trees for Life said cervid were a occupation due to the fact that they devour saplings, portion non-native conifers specified arsenic sitka spruce could "crowd out" autochthonal trees.

The foundation said the past woodlands were recovering successful immoderate locations acknowledgment to conservation work, including Glen Affric and astir Glenfeshie, which are some successful the Highlands, and Mar Lodge adjacent Braemar successful Aberdeenshire.

Senior ecologist James Rainey, who led the study, said: "These pinewoods should beryllium playing a cardinal relation successful Scotland's fight-back against the clime and quality emergencies, but close present astir are connected their past legs.

"It's not excessively precocious to crook this around, but that means earnestly stepping-up restoration and rewilding action."

The Scottish authorities said efforts to heighten the pinewoods included nationalist bureau Scottish Forestry supporting landowners and managers done the Forestry Grants Scheme, which has been backed by £69.5m backing this year.

A spokeswoman said: "Scotland's Caledonian pinewoods are irreplaceable and a captious situation which is treasured by many.

"That's wherefore we are investing heavily, including successful galore of the interventions identified successful this research, which the Scottish authorities and its agencies person been engaged with."

The Caledonian Forest covered immense swathes of Scotland, and adjacent reached the Western Isles and Shetland 5,000 years ago.

A alteration to a cooler and wetter climate, on with quality activity, led to a diminution successful the forest's coverage.

By the 1900s astir 5% of Scotland's onshore country had woodland, according to Scottish authorities bureau NatureScot.