Trees for Life, rewilding and hope for the future

I have previously blogged about 'rewilding'. 'Rewilding' is the large scale restoration of ecosystems and natural processes driven in part by the reintroduction of missing species. It takes a holistic view of ecosystem management and an appreciation that for ecosystems to thrive natural processes such as predation and grazing must be allowed to occur without interference. Think of it as re-establishing what was lost and then leaving nature to get on with things, essentially hitting the reset button on habitats that have been degraded and fragmented by human processes. Rewilding as a paradigm has been gaining support in Europe for the past 7 years or so (http://www.rewildingeurope.com/).

The largest rewilding effort in the UK is fronted by the Trees for Life charity, co-ordinated by Alan Watson Featherstone (it is well worth following his blog). Following the last glacial maximum at the beginning of the Holocene and the cooler climate that followed Scots Pine was the most dominant species to recolonise the land left by the retreating glaciers, well adapted to the cool, dry conditions of the time.

This formed the foundation of the Caledonian forest, a complex, multi layered habitat of Pine, Rowan, Juniper, Aspen and Oak. Growing on and beneath these majestic species are a multitude of lichens and mosses. The Caledonian forest supported boar, wolves, lynx, pine marten, red squirrels, deer, wildcats and a multitude of bird and insect species. It is sometimes referred to as Britain's rain forest. Through the Holocene the climate continued to warm and Oak woodland became the climax habitat of much of the UK. The Caledonian forest retreated north occupying the glens of the Scottish Highlands. 2000 years BP the Caledonian forest of the Highlands was the Western most bastion of the mighty Boreal forest. Since then continued warming, deforestation and overgrazing has reduced the Caledonian forest to a shadow of its former self.

The Scottish Crossbill - Just one of the amazing species supported by Caledonian Forest

In 2008 Trees for Life purchased the Dundreggan estate, a 10'000 acre site of wilderness. However since the early 90s volunteers have worked towards their mission statement of restoring the Caledonian forest to the Scottish Highlands.

The core area of Trees for Life's work

The principle is that by creating a corridor of suitable habitat between the fragmented remnants of Caledonian forest and reintroducing lost species the ecosystem's natural processes will then begin to dominate and self regulate. This presentation contains good information on some of the methods involved and also the very real impacts. I will continue to blog about the ecology and progress of Trees for life. To finish I will leave you with a vision for the future of the Highlands.