ESK RIVERS & FISHERY TRUST

FORESTRY PROJECT 2014

FORESTRY PROPOSALS GLEN CLOVA SOUTH ESK

INTEGRATION OF FORESTRY AND LANDUSE TO BENEFIT RIVER ECOLOGY

CONCEPT

APPLIES THE PRINCIPLES ESTABLISHED BY THE “PONTBREN PROJECT”

THIS STARTED AS:

• AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH USING WOODLAND MANAGEMENT AND TREEPLANTING TO

IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF UPLAND FARMING

• ENGENDERS A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH BETWEEN LANDOWNERS AND FARMERS

The key was the planting of wind-permable contour shelter belts of broadleaf shrubs and trees

Scientific evidence confirmed major advantages for:

• Upland hill farming

• Water management

• Wildlife management

• Biodiversity

This type of planting provided:

• A supply of woody material – could be chipped for fuel or converted to replace straw bedding

which was reuseable (unlike straw) and eventually converted to compost

• Integration of woodland management “future – proofed” their farms through

• Improved capital value

• Land more resilient to climate change

• Improved water quality

• Enhanced opportunities for game shooting

• Reduced peak flows

THE ROLE OF WOODLAND IN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

• Unexpected benefits in reducing water run-off – confirmed by independent research and led to a major

hydrological investigation –

• Over the last 30 years

• Increased intense rainfall has increased Q med flows by approximately 30% on average in in Scottish

Rivers

• Strategically planted narrow, fenced contour shelter belts capture surface run-off and allow it to soak

more rapidly into the soil

• Different tree species improve water absorption

• CEH investigation showed that infiltration rates inside woodland (excluded to sheep) were 60

times that on pasture 10m away

• Contour belts of trees rapidly improve;

• soil structure with roots penetrating deeper into the soil allowing more water to be absorbed

– effects evident 2 years after planting

• Mitigate sediment loss by reducing peak flows

• Water pathways strongly influenced by tree species e.g

• Birch have a spherical root structure – water was channelled into a bulb like area;

• Ash trees have horizontal surface roots from which vertical roots extend downwards –

water channelled into these vertical roots in finger-shaped patterns to a greater depth

THE ROLE OF WOODLAND IN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

The multi-scaled nature of field experiments allowed water flow models to be scaled up to catchment

level with substantial accuracy

• Subcatchments dominated by agriculturally improved land have higher flood peaks than those with a

more natural landscape –

• If tree shelter belts are located in the right places reductions in peak flows of 40% are possible

• Polyscape geographical mapping tool assists prioritisation of tree planting to have a beneficial

impact on different ecosystems

• Outputs in GIS include

• Tree species in terms of Soil Moisture Content and Soil Nutrient Regime

• Wind hazard class

• The project is deigned to evaluate the opportunity to reduce peak flows by action in the upper

catchment of the river South Esk

JBA priority catchment study of the South Esk Q med data

The potential for peak flow reduction in the Upper Catchment

APPLICATION OF RESEARCH TO GLEN CLOVA:

(i) SET UP A STEERING GROUP

• Landowners, Forestry Commission, SNH, SEPA, CNPA, Angus Council, ERFT, RSPB Tilhill Forestry

(ii) Apply the Ecological Site Condition (ESC) Tool to different contour levels within the Glen

The survey utilised ESC to gather site data, GIS recorded and analysed the data. The data gathering

element of the survey has been laid out in the following way:

12 transects running East to West using the OS 1km grid lines

Each transect is situated 1km apart

7 samples taken on each transect

1 sample taken from the glen floor, equal distance between the two roads or equal distance between

the river and road where there is only one road

2 samples, one from each side of the glen taken at the point where the transect intersects the contours

at 250m, 350m and 450m

Only the altitudes that appear on the transect will be surveyed

The survey has been limited to the watershed of Glen Clova so as to maintain the focus of the survey

Medium Dry and Poor

Only one site type has registered as Medium Dry and Poor, this site is situated at 450m and is likely

to be on free draining skeletal soils. This site type is only suitable for species suited to dry, nutrient

poor soils. This site type is unsuitable for productive forestry. No specific woodland type is indicated

for this site type, however there is potential for native pinewood species to grow on the site.

Conifer species Yield Class Broadleaf species Yield class

Scots pine 8 Silver birch 6

Hybrid larch 6 Norway maple 4

European larch 4 Beech 4

Fresh and Medium

Conifer species Yield Class Broadleaf species Yield class

Japanese larch 10 Downy birch 8-10

Scots pine 8 Silver birch 8

Hybrid larch 8 Grey Alder 6

Western Hemlock 10 Rowan 4

PILOT SCALE INVESTIGATIONS INCLUDE:

• Development of a hydrological model for the Glen Clova to demonstrate the effects of contour

planting on peak flows

• Undertaking a study for best practice to ensure the habitat for populations of wading birds are

supported

• Investigation into the medium term economics of upland sheep farming and land use policy

• Initiating approximately 8-10 ha of contour planting in the spring of 2014 to be used as a

demonstration site(s)

• Planning a major contour planting programme for 2015/16