Scotland’s Atlantic coast provides habitat for some of the rich-est plant and fungi communities in the country. This results from a happy coincidence of climate, landscape, geology, geog-raphy and management. The west coast of Scotland has an ideal climate for mosses, liver-worts and lichens, with few dry spells and few frosts giving gener-ally humid and mild conditions. This equable climate is enhanced by the nature of the landscape with its steep, often precipitous slopes, waterfalls and jumbles of large boulders, all features of a recently glaciated landscape. Atlantic woodlands here include oak woodland, as well as ash and hazel. Although the latter woodland types until recently have gen-erally received less attention, many ecologists would rate them at least as important as oak woodlands. Within these long established, semi-natural woodlands on the At-lantic coast, the ferns, lush carpets of bryophytes (mosses and liv-erworts), and colourful assemblages of lichens that develop can give these woodlands the character of a rainforest. This temper-ate or ‘Celtic’ rainforest supports many lichen and bryophyte spe-cies that are largely confined to this habitat. Many of these species are absent in other parts of Britain and Europe, and some are globally rare. Some species have their most significant strongholds in Britain, while others have irregular distribution patterns with a few sites widely scattered across the globe.

Scotland’s Atlantic woodland

Habitat management briefing sheet

Threats Invasive non native species, especially Rhodo-

dendron ponticum. This is the major threat to many Atlantic woodlands in Britain. In some lo-cations, beech is also becoming a problem.

Forestry operations: including clearfelling and

rotational cutting, which result in lower hu-midity levels. Hazel, in particular, should not be harvested where there is a rich lichen com-munity.

Long term overgrazing: this prevents woodland

regeneration and results in fragmentation of woodland habitats

Stock exclusion and under grazing: low levels

of grazing and fencing for woodland regenera-tion can result in dense regrowth and thicket development.

Hydropower developments: impact on humidity

levels which need to remain high (WHY?)

Management

Eradicate Rhododendron ponticum where at all possible, using suitable techniques for the site

Take beech seriously - beech can threaten oceanic

ravines and action should be taken to mitigate this threat.

Manage woodlands to encourage a range of tree

species and habitats, including dead and dying trees

Protect old and veteran trees to ensure that trees with high lichen and/or bryophyte interest are not felled

Leave all deadwood on site

Strictly limit coppicing, especially of hazel stands, to ensure that the associated lichens and bryophytes remain as part of the habitat

Avoid long term exclusion of all grazing from woodland, using a var-ied level of grazing as a habitat management tool where appropriate Control growth of dense thickets of tree regeneration in areas with high lichen interest

Monitor all exclosures and remove fencing / protection once trees are established

Use small, temporary exclosures to ensure variation in the size and age of stands of regeneration

Continue woodland expansion and the development of wood-land habitat networks

Site developments carefully to ensure minimal disturbance to mossy boulders, wayside trees, old or veteran trees, stands of wet and riparian woodland

Conduct sensitive woodland thinning

Minimise the impact of the felling of commercial conifer plantations adjacent to valuable lichen and bryophyte habitats, including ravines

Ideally establish a broadleaf buffer zone between planta-tion and ravine

Avoid disturbance to areas of wet or riparian woodland

Avoid connecting ditches into ravines

Assess proposed hydro-schemes in the west of Scotland on watercourses with ravine sections that will result in a reduced flow for bryophytes and lichens

Adopt the precautionary principle: if in doubt, assume that the lichen and bryophyte interest in an Atlantic woodland with mature and old trees and hazel stools, particularly in ra-vines or rocky areas, is likely to be high so such sites should be managed sensitively.

Seek specialist advice and surveys prior to any operations or developments in high conservation value Atlantic woods

Speaking up for wild plants

Plantlife Scotland Balallan House, Allan Park, Stirling FK8 2QG

www.plantlife.org.uk

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales

Plantlife International – The Wild Plant Conservation Charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered address: 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 1DX

Registered Charity Number: 1059559. Registered Company Number: 3166339. Registered in England. Charity registered in Scotland no. SC038951

ISBN: 978-1-907141-56-0 © October 2011

Further information can be found in the following leaflet, available at www.plantlife.org.uk/publications or from Plantlife Scotland:

Lichens and bryophytes of Atlantic woodland in Scotland: an introduction to their ecology and management (2010)

Looking after bryophytes and lichens of Scotland’s oceanic ravines (2009) by Gordon Rothero and John Douglass

Management of woodland plants in Atlantic broadleaved woodland (2010) by Rick Worrell and Deborah Long

Typical species

Scotland@plantlife.org.uk

Tel. 01786 478509

Regularly occurring species Rare species

Tree lungwort Lobaria pulmonaria Norwegian specklebelly Pseudocyphellaria norvegica

Frilly fruited jelly skin lichen

Leptogium burgessii Golden specklebelly

A Cudbear lichen Orchrolehia tartarea Smokey Joe Opegrapha fumosa

Bloody heart lichen Mycoblastus sanguinarius

Floury Sticta Sticta limbata

Little shaggy moss Rhytidiadelphus loreus Western featherwort Plagiochila heterophylla

Greater fork moss Dicranum majus Deceptive featherwort Adelanthus decipiens

Prickly featherwort Plaigiochila spinulosa Wedge flapwort Leptoscyphus cuneifolius

Wilson’s filmy fern Hymenopyhllum wilsonii