New study reveals 23 tree species needed to support more than 40% of biodiversity associated with Scots pine - The James Hutton Institute

A new study led by The James Hutton Institute has highlighted the importance of protecting the UK’s Scots pine woodland by showing that 23 separate tree species would be needed to support even 41% of the biodiversity which is supported by Scots pine.

The study, which brought together experts from the Hutton, the RSPB, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the Woodland Trust, assessed whether increased tree species diversity would improve the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Scots pine forests.

Scots pine is the most widespread and commercially important of the UK’s three native conifers, providing a keystone for biodiversity and a softwood timber which is widely used in construction and joinery. However, diseases and the changes brought by climate change present a threat to this invaluable species and the woodlands it creates.

To discover if any other trees could provide increased resilience for the biodiversity associated with Scots pine, and to better understand how any diversification would impact their ecosystems, researchers created a first-of-its kind list cataloguing every species which is supported by Scots pine.

They found that 1,589 species within the UK use Scots pine for either living or feeding on – 17 birds, 130 bryophytes, 539 fungi, 420 invertebrates, 468 lichens and 15 mammals. Of these, 199 fungi, 16 invertebrates and 12 lichens are obligates, meaning they depend exclusively on Scots pine for survival. The researchers then compared the list of non-obligate species against 47 other tree species to see what percentage of the Scots pine-associated biodiversity they could support.