Folowing on from their research into aspen flowering behaviours in 2018, we funded Coille Alba‘s project which sought to establish two new aspen seed stands in partnership with two tree nurseries: Trees for Life’s Dundreggan and the National Trust Scotland at Inverewe Gaardens. Due to the sporadic production of aspen seeds, obtaining local-origin planting material […]
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A grant was awarded to University of Stirling’s Biological and Environmental Sciences Department to research the biodiversity impacts of upland native woodland creation. The aim was to quantify the diversity and activity of mammalian predators using new native woodlands. The objectives included understanding how mammal behaviour changed depending on woodland maturity, edge characteristics and proximity […]
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While woodland creation and restoration are generally believed to enhance biodiversity, the slow rates of habitat succession and delayed species responses have led to a scarcity of empirical studies evaluating the long-term benefits of these activities.
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This grant was awarded to Coille Alba for an Aspen Flowering study to explore the factors which affect the reproductive performance of Scottish aspen. Expanding aspen woodlands has been challenging in the Scottish Highlands as aspen only infrequently flowers and sets seed. Consequently, nurseries have primarily relied on vegetative propagation to produce planting material, which […]
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Native Scottish Crab Apple is a Red data book species and this project, devised and undertaken by Rick Worrell, provided the first account of the distribution of wild apple in northern Britain. The project compared DNA markers in 342 wild-grown apples; and showed that 27% of apparent crab apples are actually hybrids between wild and […]
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This project investigated the occurrence and ecological significance of phoenix trees, trees that have blown over and continued to grow in recumbent positions, forming unusual structures through the ability to coppice.
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Woodland creation often occurs on former agricultural land and the development of accompanying woodland flora is generally overlooked. The likelihood of ground flora developing is minimal as the plants are missing from the nearby habitats. This project, devised and undertaken by Rick Worrell, comprised a series of small trials aimed at investigating ways of establishing […]
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