Lecture 7GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments1 7. Wild Futures Lecture outline: n Re-wilding n Re-introductions of native species n Workshop:

Lecture 7 GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments 1

7. Wild Futures

Lecture outline:

Re-wilding Re-introductions of native species Workshop: Developing a wilderness

inventory for Britain

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"Ability to see the cultural value of wilderness boils down, in the last analysis, to a

question of intellectual humility. The shallow-minded modern who has lost his

footage in the land assumes that he has already discovered what is important...."Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

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1. Re-wilding

Emerging wild land policy in the UK- background of historical, environmental, social,

political and economic drivers

Benchmark projects- The Carrifran Wildwood Project

- Trees for Life

- Wild Ennerdale

- Hafod y Llan

- Wicken Fen

Multiple benefits and environmental resilience

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Question:

What is re-wilding?

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1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

Multiple viewpoints as to what is ‘wild’ History of attrition

- from prehistory to present- recent revival in interest in ‘wild nature’

Emerging policy- Scotland (SNH, NTS, JMT)- England (English Nature, Wildlife Trusts)- Wales (Coed Eryri, CCW)

Opportunities for (re)wilding- economic climate- policy climate- public interest

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Two basic approaches:- "letting go“

• if a landscape is left unmanaged for a long enough period, nature will take over and produce its own entirely natural landscape

• may not necessarily be the same landscape that existed before human settlement, but it will be natural

- "wild by design“• we may need to actively 'design' wild

landscapes by assisting the regeneration of native species to recreate a more natural looking landscape

• limited economic activity in the form of low intensity grazing and recreation is still possible and indeed desirable

• E.g. Council for National Parks (1998)

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Developing new wild lands where opportunities arise- Edwards Review (1991)

- CNP “Wild By Design” (1998)

Aspects of re-wilding- promotion of wilderness qualities

- enhancing and recreating semi-natural habitats

- promotion of ecological process in near-natural areas

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Edwards Review (1991)

“a number of experimental schemes on a limited scale should be set up in National Parks where farming is withdrawn entirely and the natural succession of vegetation is allowed to take its course” (Recommendation 6.3, Edwards, 1991)

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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“Wild By Design”

Semi-natural areas, which appear natural but are in fact influenced by management for agriculture or forestry.

Near-natural areas, where the land is totally divorced from agricultural or forestry use – in which natural processes are encouraged to maintain the diversity of habitats, and vegetation is free to vary naturally with variations in the physical environment. (After CNP, 1998, p.3)

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Promotion of the wilderness qualities- while maintaining productive use which

may best be applied to semi-natural areas

- in accordance with the aims of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) to conserve and enhance biological diversity

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Enhancing and recreating semi-natural habitats and recreating others

For example:- reducing grazing pressure to allow vegetation to

develop more naturally

- enhancing and restoring natural features such as river restoration schemes

- restructuring specific landscape elements such as conifer plantations to give a more natural outline

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Promotion of areas where ecological processes can be paramount- especially in near-natural areas where relatively

large areas of land can be left without management for long periods of time

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Question:

What is the current basis for re-wilding in Britain?

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Environmental resilience- how does (re)wilding fit with this

approach/view?

- drivers for change• social, environmental, economic

- factors influencing environmental degradation and landscape response

• robust nature vs delicate balance• landscape and public perceptions

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Environmental drivers- climate change and ecological response

• shifting patterns of migration and range• N-S movements and altitudinal shifts

- changing geographies of nature

- humanistic barriers to adaptability• lack of space/continuity between wild areas• pollution (critical loads) and environmental

stress

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Policy drivers- CAP reform and changes in agricultural

subsidies paid to farmers• over-production/over-grazing• environmental stewardship• agri-environment schemes (fitting in)

- habitat Directive• Natura 2000• Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs)• Water Framework Directive

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Economic drivers- CAP reform and the single farm payment

- agricultural ‘disasters’• FMD• BSE

- falling prices and the power of the big supermarkets

- increasing proportion of rural economy based on tourism and recreation

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Social drivers- rise in outdoor recreation and leisure time

- greater mobility and disposable income

- rural migration:• in migration of retirees and commuters• out migration of farm workers, etc.

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Wilder Futures? Where do we go from here?

- change is inevitable… work with it

- inclusive debate and decision-making

- plan, respond and initiate

Possible scenarios?- status quo

- abandonment

- rewilding

- diversification

- urbanisation

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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Various strategic projects:- LUPG’s “New Wildwoods Project”- RSPB’s “Futurescapes”

The Wildland Network- new umbrella organisation- objectives:

• To promote the recognition and appreciation of wild land

• To protect and conserve the qualities of wildness • To promote the establishment of complete

ecosystems on a large scale, through research, advice, encouragement and education

- http://www.wildland-network.org.uk/

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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The next steps?- “Wild by Design” highlights the

challenge…“the commitment to leave minimal intervention areas on a much larger scale (landscapes of thousands of hectares) and over much longer periods (hundreds of years)” (CNP, 1998)

- integrating re-wilding with farming• “Wilderness and Plenty” Fraser Darling

- packaging and marketing• selling idea to public and politicians

- developing a workable and realistic strategy

1. Re-wilding (cont’d)

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2. Re-introductions of native species

Nature management in UK?- maintaining habitats and species

- remnants of former farming/forestry systems

- management using past practice

- i.e. “nature gardening”

Alternative systems?- less human intervention

- role of large herbivores and predators?

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2. Re-introductions of native species (cont’d)

Herbivores as a management tool?- NOT a unit of production (e.g. farm

animals)

- Vector of ecological maintenance• “shaggy gardeners” or “woolly mowers”• prevent tree regeneration on heaths• Maintain short grass sward on chalk down

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Question:

What are the key issues when considering use of large

herbivores as a tool in re-wilding projects?

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What are appropriate populations?- carrying capacity?

- relationship between animal numbers and pattern and structure of vegetation?

- species type?• grazers vs browsers vs foragers• preferred fodder• niche habitats (e.g. beaver in riparian zone)

- predation and demographics?

- The “herbivore guild”

2. Re-introductions of native species (cont’d)

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Question:

What is an appropriate “herbivore guild” for

Britain?

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Question:

What about carnivores?

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US Wildlands Project:- “Cores, Corridors and Carnivores”

- large mammalian carnivores seen as essential to wildland

• bear• wolf• lynx

- re-introductions in mainland Europe• bear and lynx (France, Spain, Switzerland,

Austria, Itlay and Poland) • wolf (Norway, Germany, Poland and wider

Alps)

2. Re-introductions of native species (cont’d)

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Lynx as a possible starting point- adaptable

• variation in prey• range of suitable habitats (mountain scrub

to dense forest)• cold adapted

- mountains of Scotland, northern England, Wales

• sufficient prey and habitat

2. Re-introductions of native species (cont’d)

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Question:

What about wolf and bear?

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Reading

Council for National Parks (1998) Wild by Design in the National Parks of England and Wales: a guide to the issues. CNP, London.

Edwards, R. (1991) Fit for the Future. Report of the National Parks Review Panel. Countryside Commission, Cheltenham, CCP 334.

Fenton, J. (1996) Wild land or wildereness – is there a difference? ECOS 17(2), 12-18.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2001) Futurescapes: the large scale habitat restoration for wildlife and people. RSPB, Sandy.

Taylor, P. (2005) Beyond Conservation. Chapters 6, 7 and 8.

Vera, F.W.M. (2000) Grazing ecology and forest history. CABI Publishing, Waltingford.

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Workshop

Developing a wildland inventory for Britain

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Task

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Next week...

8. Case studies 1: Wild Britain The Cairngorms Plynlimon The North Pennines Workshop: guest lecture – Toby

Aykroyd on “Wild Britain”