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| A visual metaphor for the 'unfavourable condition' of the Ardvar woodland SAC - Dec 2015 |
A trip to the NW Highlands in December and whilst there were some positive indications of woodland conservation at Loch a' Mhuilinn SAC/National Nature Reserve and the community native woodlands around Scourie and Lochinver. An excursion to Gleann Ardbhair and there were some not so positive signs of woodland conservation at the Ardvar woodland Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and instead a degenerating woodland environment, with very little sign of natural regeneration.
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| The Alt Ardbhair and derelict coppice. Dec 2015 |
The table below illustrates the increase in the deer population.
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| https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/assets/000/000/383/swt_joint_briefing_deer_original.pdf?1434379962 |
Subsequently to the meeting John Muir Trust submitted a letter to the Scottish Parliament, Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee on Deer Management at Ardvar
As the John Muir Trust were not invited to give evidence, we would be most grateful for the chance to respond to some of the points made, and for our response to be circulated to committee members.
The key point (not mentioned in your committees discussion of the issue) is that the Ardvar woodlands are a national (SSSI) and international (SAC) designated site – one of the most protected pieces of land in Scotland. They have been determined by SNH as being in ‘unfavourable condition’ due to deer damage since 2004. The recently reviewed Wild Deer a National Approach published in 2015 by the Scottish Government clearly states (p 7): ‘Where resolving tensions between priorities at a local level is not possible and Government involvement is needed, this intervention will prioritise maintaining healthy ecosystems.’ The crux of the issue, therefore, is not about ‘competing land management objectives’ as was stated by some of those giving evidence, but is about the importance Scotland places on its internationally protected nature conservation sites.
Eleven years on and the damage to the woodlands is still continuing. It is highly likely to continue this winter unless SNH reverse their refusal to issue close season authorisations to prevent deer damage. Close season culling is standard deer management practice in most woodlands (e.g. those managed by the state in the form of Forest Enterprise) and designated woodland sites throughout Scotland.
Robbie Kernahan gave evidence about the success of the Breadalbane and Caenlochan Section 7s where deer populations have been reduced “…from twelve / thirteen thousand to eight…” and “…from just over twelve thousand to five thousand…” respectively without the use of fencing. By contrast, at Ardvar, SNH’s current proposals for a Section 7 is for the deer density to stay at the same damaging level and for hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money to be spent on deer fences to protect sporting interests.
More specifically you stated that the John Muir Trust was not prepared to consider a Land Management Order that includes fencing. For the record, in our letter to you and your committee of 19th June we stated that the previous Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse had agreed that ‘JMT could only consider fencing proposals on the designated site if these were presented alongside a deer management plan and a Section 7 agreement’. This remains our view. We have indicated to SNH that we are willing to attempt to negotiate a Section 7 agreement.
Yours sincerely
Stuart Brooks, Chief Executive
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee Ardvar SAC citation reads
Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site
91A0 Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles
This complex of woods represents old sessile oak woods at the extreme north of its range in Scotland. The site includes the extensive and diverse Ardvar Woodlands, which are mainly birch-dominated with oak throughout, and the woodland at Loch a’Mhuilinn, the other component of this complex, to the north, which has small areas dominated by oak. The area of woodland at Loch a’Mhuilinn lies on the north-west coast of Sutherland near sea level where the effects of exposure on the growth form of some of the oaks are particularly well-demonstrated. The oaks are of special interest because they are the most northern remnant of native oak woodland in the British Isles. Both sites are very important rich oceanic bryophyte sites with good examples of the macrolichen Lobarion community.
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| Natura 2000 Ardvar woods map - Special Area of Conservation |
Taking a lead from Oliver Rackham's study of ancient woodland and the National Library of Scotland was consulted for historical maps of the area. The 1774 plans of farms, indicate woodland where the existing SAC covers and distinguishes 'natural birch wood', 'wood with pasture' and 'natural wood'.
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Screen shot 1774 Plan of the Farms of Unapool and Reintraid [Rientraid]. source National Library of Scotland Survey of Assynt by John Home or Hume in 1774 http://maps.nls.uk/view/74424927
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Screen shot 1774 Plan of the Farms of Glenlirag and Ardvare (Ardvar). source National Library of Scotland Survey of Assynt by John Home or Hume in 1774 http://maps.nls.uk/view/74424926
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| From the SNH website on the Ardvar Woodland |
In 2009 Scottish Natural Heritage published a Commissioned report no 330 Ardvar woodlands : Assessment of Current Herbivore Impacts and Woodland Profile Survey some selected passages from the report
FINDINGS
The majority of the woodland was found to be within the mature reproductive life class with over mature and senescent woodland found locally. The ‘over maturity’ of woodland and absence of large seedlings, saplings and young trees within the south-east section of Glen Ardvar was considered to pose the most immediate threat to the continuity of woodland habitat. The absence of regeneration in these areas was attributed to red deer.
Fragmentation of habitat and loss of woodland extent was considered to be likely under current herbivore pressures in a further two areas of woodland west of Glen Leireag and Torr na Caillich. Within these areas there was an absence of large seedlings and young trees, and a high proportion of open ground relative to woodland habitat. A reduction in deer browsing within these areas is also considered necessary, but less urgent than Glen Ardvar as the existing seed source is predominantly within the mature reproductive life class. However, regeneration is needed to ensure the continuity of trees in terms of life-classes and their function for associated species in these areas, which are dominated by birch, a relatively short lived-species.
No recent loss of woodland extent was evident from the distribution or abundance of deadwood.
Bracken was found to represent 75% or more of the field layer at 21% of all plots. A dense field layer of bracken was associated with an open or fragmented canopy. Dense bracken was the most frequently recorded cause of both a poor seed bed and vegetation competition. Twelve per cent of plots were dominated by rushes, sedges, tussock forming or other mixed grasses which may indicate long term browsing in upland oakwoods (Rodwell, 1991). Species normally associated with the field layer in lightly grazed upland oakwoods, such as bramble or honeysuckle, were rare.
The proportion of large seedlings throughout the woodland was low when compared to the prolific regeneration of small seedlings present. On average 58% of all stems per hectare were composed of small seedlings as opposed to 7% for large seedlings. Browsing by red deer was considered to be a major factor preventing seedling establishment, with 81% of small seedlings showing recent browsing damage.
Within the young reproductive and mature reproductive life classes, 57% of stems were derived from the vegetative re-growth of a much older stem, mainly following coppicing, suggesting this has been the most successful method of regeneration in the woodland’s recent history.
Birch had a greater proportion of its life class profile as large seedlings (9%) than other species, followed by willow (5%). Only two large hazel seedlings and no hazel saplings, were recorded. Stands of hazel were found to be approaching over maturity. Under current environmental conditions and management, the species composition of the woodland is likely to change with the proportion of birch and willow increasing and that of hazel decreasing. This may result in a deterioration in the woodland’s current assemblage of lichens.
1. SITE DETAILS
1.1 Survey Area
The area surveyed is located between Eddrachillis Bay and the Quinag range (NC 150 310). Woodland within the survey area extends to 308 hectares and includes both designated and adjacent undesignated native woodland (Map 1, Appendix I). The results of the woodland profile survey are considered for all areas together in this report, although the area around Loch Meallard falls outwith the designated site for which the Conservation Objectives apply.
1.2 Designations
A gross area of 710 hectares of woodland and associated open ground is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This area also forms part of the Ardvar and Loch a' Mhuilinn Woodlands Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which qualifies as an SAC for the Western acidic oak woodland, otters and freshwater pearl mussel.
1.3 Woodland Type
The native woodlands within the survey area are dominated by birch, often in association with rowan, hazel and willow (Salix cinerea, aurita and caprea). Aspen, holly and oak are also present but are scarce. Oak (Quercus petraea) is approaching the northern limit of its range.
Most of the woodlands may be categorised under the National Vegetation Classification as either W11 (oak and birch wood with a ground layer dominated by ferns, mixed grasses or wood sorrel) or W17 (oak and birch wood with heather and rich in brypophtyes). Small areas of wet woodland dominated by birch and willow are also present; National Vegetation Classification (NVC) types W4 and W7.
The woodland supports a good assemblage of lichens, including a number of “old forest” indicators such as Lobaria pulmonaria and L. scrobiculata. Throughout the survey area woodland forms an intimate mosaic with open habitats. Grazing by stock appears to have been an established practice until recently, as indicated by the remains of redundant fences and stone dykes. Coppice regrowth of birch, hazel and rowan suggests woodland has been partially cleared at some point in the last century.
5.4 Review of existing conservation measures
Two Woodland Grant Schemes (WGS) with a total area of 10.09 ha were established in 2000 by fencing, planting and natural regeneration of native broadleaves (Map 1, Appendix 1). One of these is within the SAC/SSSI (1.8 ha at Dubh Letir) and one is outwith. A detailed assessment of the condition of planted trees within the WGS scheme was not within the remit of this survey, however exclosures were walked and a visual assessment on the success of tree establishment made. Data on vegetation and tree height was collected from one plot within an exclosure to aid this assessment. Both fence lines were found to be in good condition and functional. Tree species within exclosures included ash and sessile oak, which perhaps should be better represented within Ardvar woodlands although on the northern limit of the range for oak. Planted trees had rapidly become established. Plot data collected from a total of 15 individuals showed 6% were small seedlings, 27% large seedlings and 67% saplings. Hence the fence appeared to be serving its intended purpose in protecting the planted trees and more recent natural regeneration.
6. CONCLUSIONS
There is a risk to the extent and continuity of woodland habitat within areas A, B and C shown on Map 5, Appendix I. Within these areas there is an absence of large seedlings, saplings and young trees thought to be as a result of long term suppression by red deer. Area B, the north-east section of Glen Ardvar, has the highest proportion of over mature woodland, therefore action to secure established saplings within this area is the most urgent. A reduction in deer numbers, or exclusion by fencing, is considered to be necessary to secure the survival of young seedlings in areas A, B and C. The current density of young trees is not sufficient to maintain the existing canopy density of mature woodland.
Dense bracken is inhibiting tree seedling regeneration, and is associated with an open canopy and woodland margins. A future decline in canopy density or woodland extent is likely to increase the proportion of dense bracken within the field layer and further restrict tree seedling regeneration.
Vegetative growth from coppiced or collapsed stems has been the most successful form of regeneration in the woodland’s recent history. A decline of species less successful at producing vigorous vegetative shoots in this manner may have occurred. Over the last century browsing by red deer will also have influenced the species composition and diversity of the woodland if current levels of browsing reflect the past patterns. Species palatable to deer such as holly and rowan may have declined. Similarly the proportion of rushes, sedges and grasses within the field layer is likely to have increased as a response to historic browsing by herbivores.
Under current environmental conditions and management practices the species composition of the woodland is likely to alter, with an increase in the proportion of birch and willow and a decrease in the proportion of hazel. This may be detrimental to the assemblage of lichens present within the woodland. A high proportion of existing mature hazel stands appear to be derived from coppice regrowth. Coppicing could be a means of improving the age structure within hazel stands but would need to be carefully considered due to the over maturity and senescence of existing individuals.The existing conservation measures in place and the condition of the site in 2004 and the report in 2009 does not suggest a great deal of enthusiasm by the landowner for conservation of the woodland to the requirements of an SAC. The majority of the Ardvar woodland SAC is owned by the Ardvar Estate, with the Quinag Estate and the Assynt Crofters Trust owning minority areas.
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In 2005 the John Muir Trust purchased the Quinag estate and the Quinag estate reportedly covers 7% of the Ardvar woodland SAC.. The John Muir Trust in its own words
'is a conservation charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places'The Quinag estate appears to be surrounded by a number of sporting estates whose owners have a great enthusiasm for high deer populations and not quite so much enthusiasm for maintaining National Nature Reserve status or reversing the decline of woodland designated a Special Areas of Conservation. The Inchnadamph National Nature Reserve was delisted by Scottish National Heritage in 2009, The Scotsman published an article . Management of the deer population for environmental conservation was at odds with the ideal deer numbers of the sporting estate that owns the land. There is some previous form for delisting National Nature Reserves in the Assynt region, the Inverpolly NNR was delisted in 2004, although a fragment of the former Inverpolly NNR at Knockan Crag was instead listed as an NNR.
In 2012 the John Muir Trust decided to terminate the arrangement with the Ardvar Estate to control deer on the JMT Quinag estate and implement a sustainable deer management policy on the Quinag estate. Up until this point, coverage in the media had been virtually non existent, that was about to change.
The Northern Times 4.10.2012 Trust's stag cull plan causes fury
PLANS by the John Muir Trust (JMT) to almost double the stag cull on its north-west Sutherland estate have enraged neighbouring landowners.
The move is a bid to protect the ancient Ardvar Woodland, part of which lies on Quinag, from being damaged by foraging deer. The woodland, which contains birch trees, has been designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Andy Hibbert runs a sporting enterprise on the 2000-acre Loch Assynt Lodge which borders Quinag. Other landowners which share boundaries in the area are Ardvar Estate and Assynt Crofters Trust.
Mr Hibbert said: “This level of culling will just devastate the deer population here. The pressure this kind of cull will put on all of us is going to end it as a business for people.
“I really don’t get the reasoning behind birch trees being of such great importance. Tourists aren’t going to pull over to see trees.”
Mr Hibbert’s suggestion that the woodland should be protected by deer fencing had been opposed by JMT.
He said alarm bells started ringing at the start of the stag culling season two months ago when it became clear that the trust had changed the goalposts.
“Normally the deer stalker on Ardvar Estate, Michael Ross, undertakes the cull on behalf of the trust. That’s been the case since the trust bought Quinag,” said Mr Hibbert. “But this year they have dispensed with his services without informing him and brought in a contract stalker instead.”
11.10.2012 The Northern Times published a letter from the owner of the Ardvar Estate and reference may need to be made to the 2004 and 2009 SNH condition report on the Ardvar Woodland and the deer population figures of the Ardvar and Quinag that were subsequently produced in a Scottish Wildlife Trust/JMT briefing that included a case study on the Ardvar woodland SAC.
Ardvar agree to cull of 15-20 stags
Sir – I refer to the article in your edition last week (Trust’s stag cull plan causes fury). It might be helpful to all concerned to state some facts:
* Ardvar and Quinag share a common deer herd with a number of other Estates including the Assynt Crofters Trust.
* Quinag was purchased by the John Muir Trust (JMT) in 2005.
* From 2005 until May 2012 the Quinag/Ardvar shared deer herd was managed by Ardvar.
* The number of stags on the two estates has been regularly winter counted by DCS/SNH, and in 2006 there were 292 stags and in 2011 there were 210 stags.
* The summer counts were in 2008 = 101 stags, 2009 = 74 stags, 2010 = 64 stags.
* The average number of stags culled in the last three years has been 25 in each year on the two estates, not the 45 stags mentioned in your article last week.
* SNH has proposed a cull for this year of 20 stags off Ardvar and 25 stags off Quinag. Ardvar agree 15/20 stags and Quinag/JMT do not agree their cull should be capped at 25 stags and wish to go on culling out of season and have proposed up to 100 stags off both estates.
* Ardvar do not cull out of season.
Both estates have a need to address the degradation of the woodlands in the Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Ardvar plan to, in agreement with SNH, fence off approximately five per cent of the estate for regeneration.
We are also tackling the bracken problem on an ongoing basis as this greatly suppresses seedling regeneration and woodland expansion. This plan is in addition to the enclosures already established on Ardvar over the last 20 years.
JMT as a matter of policy are opposed to fencing and intend to increase their deer culls to reduce browsing impacts in the SAC and this will affect deer numbers on all the neighbouring estates.
This unfortunate situation needs to be resolved by the Assynt community in conjunction with the Assynt Peninsular Deer Group where all the neighbouring estates are represented.
Jim Payne, Ardvar Estate24.10.2012 BBC Scotland Assynt red deer cull defended by John Muir Trust
12.2.2013 The Scotsman reported Deer Cull rejected on Quinag estate
The charity claimed it needed to increase the cull in order to protect the ancient Ardvar woodlands, which are a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special and Scientific Interest.
But the proposal was opposed by neighbouring landowners who feared a continuing cull would reduce numbers to a level that would impact on nearby sporting estates and the region’s fragile economy.
The Government agency SNH has now turned down JMT’s plan, a decision which “disappointed and surprised” the charity.
A spokesman said the outcome would be welcomed by those estate who wish to “maintain high deer populations purely for sport”.
And Mike Daniel’s, JMT’s head of land management, said: “It’s a tragedy that people have eradicated the natural predators, such as lynx and wolf, which would have kept the populations of deer at sustainable levels.
“Instead, deer management is now in the hands of humans. In Scotland, given the soaring deer population, we’re clearly failing.”2.3.2013 BBC Scotland reported that Deer culls are aggressive in some parts of Sutherland.
In August 2013 the Scottish Wildlife Trust/John Muir Trust published a briefing paper on Sustainable deer management that made for insightful reading, some pertinent sections I have quoted below
Deer management
Deer are a public resource - they belong to no one - but the right to take them is restricted to the owners of the land on which they occur. Privately owned sporting estates make up the majority of upland land-use and are traditionally valued in part by their annual sporting take of red deer (with £40-50,000 added to the value of an estate by estate agents for each ‘sporting’ stag shot. 6 This encourages estates to maintain high deer populations, often above that which the land can support in ecological terms, in order to boost the capital value of the land.
Therefore, conflicts arise in agreeing acceptable and sustainable deer numbers when private interests (maintaining high stag numbers for shooting interests) come up against public interests (protecting natural assets /restoring degraded habitats and ecosystems /native woodland regeneration /forest estate/ carbon sequestration). The costs incurred from high deer numbers are borne by the Scottish public, but the economic benefits from this sort of ‘traditional’ deer management mainly flow to private individuals.The briefing highlighted the following in RED text for emphasis
Deer management in terms of setting and achieving cull targets remains entirely voluntary.The briefing article continued to list some figures and make some statements on the effects of an unsustainable deer population.
'damage to protected sites - 248 (out of 957) SSSIs are in unfavourable condition because of overgrazing (which includes deer)'
'locally severe physical poaching of peatlands/ increased rates of soil erosion on blanket mires'
'over the last 10 years, erection of deer fencing across Scotland – to keep deer out of protected sites and forests has cost the tax payer £20 m'
'the disproportionate burden of culling efforts by FCS (Forestry Commission Scotland) - despite managing only 8% of the land area, FSC delivers 36% of Scotland’s annual cull'
The briefing paper then presented a case study that of the Ardvar woodland SAC
Example of how a Section 7 is failing to protect the degraded Ardvar and Loch a' Mhuilinn Woodlands SAC
When the owner of Ardvar Estate purchased the property from Lord Buxton in 1977 (five years after the SSSI was designated), in his own words: ‘The Estate was not purchased as a deer forest, but over the years we have been able to improve the habitat with various fenced enclosures and at the same time by selective culling improve the deer herd to give an annual sporting cull of about 15 stags per annum’. This is borne out by long term count data which shows an increasing population on the designated site as well as in the wider Sutherland area: on Ardvar, the 1976 annual deer count was below 20 deer – since then there has been a dramatic increase in numbers and the 2013 count recorded 189 deer; the 1976 Quinag count recorded 180 deer and again deer numbers have increased so that the 2013 count recoded 335 deer (table of counts is shown in Appendix 1). So Sutherland has seen nearly a three-fold increase in deer numbers over the last 50 years.
SNH’s site conditioning monitoring in 2004 indicated that the Ardvar and Loch a' Mhuilinn Woodlands SAC was ‘unfavourable and declining’ due to years of overgrazing and damage to the woodlands by deer. The unfavourable condition of the site prompted the then DCS (now subsumed into SNH) to invoke a Section 7 agreement. To date this has failed to produce any habitat improvement on the designated site, in fact browsing by deer has got worse. The key reasons for this failure are: a) the agreement did not include all of the landowners (the Assynt Crofters Trust refused to sign) or neighbours; b) the Ardvar estate vetoed the use of any close season authorisations; c) SNH did not adjust cull targets sufficiently in response to habitat data.
On the 26/8/2013 The Association of Deer Management Groups posted a verbose response to the Scottish Wildlife Trusts/John Muir Trust, briefing paper. It didn't disagree with any of the figures presented and the response opened with
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT)/John Muir Trust (JMT) statement, following hard on the heels of Rob Gibson’s call for statutory Deer Management Groups (DMGs) after his visit to the JMT property at Assynt, amounts to a coordinated campaign to put this old chestnut back on the agenda. One could also mention the Forest Policy Group’s proposal for a licensing system.and near the end
What is particularly disappointing about this latest divisive statement is that in many DMGs environmental owners, including JMT, have been working well with other deer management interests and there has been an increasing focus on common interest and shared objectives. ADMG acknowledges that the JMT land management objectives are as legitimate as those of its neighbours and should be respected as such.The Association of Deer Management Groups appears to represent a broad spectrum of members from those who actually practise a high level of responsible conservation management to those members who seem reluctant to. I note that the Association of Deer Management Groups website does present an idealised image of deer stalking, the images are of traditional stalking activities with hill ponies, good to see images from the Letterewe estate, perhaps unsurprisingly no images whatsoever of Argocats and ATV's, nor the ugly scars of bulldozed access tracks or churned up moorland where the vehicles ferry the punters across the land. In my limited experience the sporting estates that practice traditional stalking with hill ponies, although few in number, are generally those with high standards of environmental stewardship and friendlier staff.
11.10.2013 the Northern Times carried a news item John Muir Trust attacked in Assynt Deer cull row
Last week’s open letter was issued by Jim Payne of Ardvar Estate; George Vestey of Inchnadamph Estate; Andy Hibbert of Loch Assynt Lodge Estate; Assynt Crofters Trust; and David Walker-Smith of Middle Inver Estate.
In it they state: “You might be a voluntary supporter of JMT. You might even be a small or large financial supporter of JMT. Are you happy to continue to support JMT whilst they continue with their existing policies which bring them into conflict with their Assynt neighbours?”
Speaking to the Northern Times this week, Mr Payne said JMT had not disclosed its stag cull numbers for this season, which ends on 20th October.
“There is only one body that can make them and that is Scottish Natural Heritage,” he said.
Mr Payne added that although JMT had not attended recent meetings of the West Sutherland Deer Management Group it was hoped a representative would be present at the next meeting on 12th November.
Andy Hibbert, owner of Loch Assynt Lodge Estate, said: “The number of stags is definitely way down this year. I am heartbroken about it and it makes me want to turn the trees on my ground into firewood, which is childish, I know.”
The five estate owners have received email responses from Denis Mollison, who helped found JMT 30 years ago, and from the group’s chief executive Stuart Brooks.
Mr Mollison stated: “The dissension you are trying to stir up in the local community has the potential to do much more damage to the fragile local economy than any land management mistakes that either you or the John Muir Trust are likely to make. This is neither wise nor public-spirited.”
Meanwhile Mr Brooks accused the four landowners of “attacking and threatening” JMT. He wrote: “Our objective is to see a healthy deer herd capable of existing sustainably within a healthy environment. I don’t think we disagree on that. “All the biological evidence clearly demonstrates that this is currently not the case – grazing pressure from deer is too high. Reducing the deer population (not eradicating it) and controlling it through stalking is not incompatible with your objectives.” Mr Brooks claimed that the deer management group was not “functioning” properly. He concluded: “The Scottish Government’s rural affairs committee is so concerned about the failure of the current deer management system to protect designated sites that it is looking at the issue of deer damage to the natural heritage across Scotland. Your actions continue to draw attention to these issues.”3.2.2014 BBC Scotland Deer 'pose biggest threat' to Scotland's native woodlands
22.6.2015 John Muir Trust announced it had won woodland awards for its work in the Knoydart peninsula.
23.9.2015 BBC Scotland New row over fencing to protect ancient Assynt woodlands
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| Ardvar woodland SAC in Gleann Ardbhair - Dec 2015 |
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