Almost 100 new Scottish sites identified to safeguard trees from climate change - NatureScot
Efforts to preserve the highly-threated genetic diversity of Scotland’s native trees have taken a significant step forward with the identification of 98 potential new sites for gene conservation.
A new report published by NatureScot, and written in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, looked at the climatic range of native trees, in terms of rainfall and temperature, to identify the best places to protect their genetic diversity.
The key objective of genetic conservation is to ensure trees have the potential to adapt as conditions change, by maintaining their genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is the range of different inherited traits within a species. These traits are essential for resilience to pressures such as climate change and tree diseases.
A gene conservation unit (GCU) is a clearly mapped area of forest or woodland where dynamic gene conservation is one of the main management priorities for one or more tree species. This includes managing the trees to allow and encourage production of new seedlings and saplings.
There are currently five GCUs in Scotland, representing four species of tree: Scots pine, silver birch, sessile oak and rowan. NatureScot’s report identifies a further 98 locations, adding seven species: alder, downy birch, hazel, ash, juniper, aspen and English oak.
The proposed GCUs are on areas owned and managed by a range of public, private and non-governmental organisations including 41 sites in the Highlands, and 21 in Argyll & Bute and 15 in Aberdeenshire. Among the potential new gene conservation sites are NatureScot’s Ariundle, Glasdrum and Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserves.
The recent UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CoP15) in Montreal highlighted genetic diversity as an urgent global priority. Goals and targets were agreed to maintain and restore the genetic diversity of native, wild and domesticated species.
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Posted On: 26/01/2023