Angus Glens project lauded as an important ‘living laboratory’

Forestry and Land Scotland earlier this month (9 Sept) hosted over 30 scientists from across the UK at Glen Prosen, to showcase how the organisation’s Angus Glens project will facilitate landscape-scale efforts to tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.  

The FLS project team co-hosted the event with colleagues from the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division (RESAS).  

The visiting scientists heard how the Angus Glens project, which will take place across 7,500ha of FLS managed land, is the perfect opportunity to test a variety of land management interventions to find the best balance of actions that will deliver the greatest benefit.  

In opening the day, Mat Williams, Scottish Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture said;  

“Glen Prosen could provide a living laboratory to help address key research challenges and needs.

“Our biggest challenge is understanding systems – how ecology, economy and people work together – a site-based approach like Glen Prosen could help make connections to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We need to work together to share data and theories and build support and good relations from the ground up.” 

Christine Reid, the Angus Glens Programme Manager for FLS said; 

“It was a well-received event that gave us an opportunity to outline to key players in the scientific community the many challenges, decisions and trade-offs that we need to address. It was great to hear how Glen Prosen could add to existing scientific studies and evidence and provide fertile ground for future research to help address the pressing challenges we all face.    

“We hope to accumulate a body of knowledge over years, to help demonstrate the benefits of integrated landscape scale land management for people, nature and climate.  

“Themes of particular interest to the scientists were around the impacts and benefits of habitat restoration and large-scale creation of native woodland, and in seeking evidence on how effective land management can be in flood mitigation downstream.” 

FLS’ purchase of the 3,454ha Glen Prosen estate in 2022 increased the land under its management in the glens to 7,500ha. The scope of the Angus Glens project could cover over 10,000 ha with the participation of neighbouring landowners.  

FLS intends that people and nature will be at the heart of the Angus Glens project. As well as helping local people to develop businesses that will draw visitors to the area and increase the level of economic benefit, longer-term work includes:  the creation of new native woodland and montane scrub in a mosaic of restored habitats such as  open heaths, grassland and pasture, peatland, rivers, and ponds. Working to create a more balanced and resilient ecosystem which will increase biodiversity. 

One of the scientists attending was Davy McCracken, a Professor of Agricultural Ecology at SRUC and Head of both SRUC’s Hill and Mountain Research Centre and the Integrated Land Management Department.   

Davy Said; 

“This is a unique opportunity that will deliver a lot of useful information for everyone who is engaged in responding to the climate and biodiversity emergencies.  

“The creation of what is effectively a ‘living laboratory’ on such a scale has the potential to show other land managers how their combined efforts can effect valuable and positive change and deliver public benefits– such as flood mitigation. 

“The decisions that the FLS team takes with regards to how and where best to restructure existing woodlands or create new ones will provide important evidence for  biodiversity and carbon storage in this and other landscapes. 

“Any action to increase the project area’s biodiversity value must be grounded in an understanding of the starting point and what went before, FLS – and others – have carried out 2 years of ecological surveys to underpin that work. 

“It is a quite unique opportunity and the outcomes and the results that FLS achieves over time will be a valuable contribution to our collective knowledge and will help to shape decision making elsewhere in years to come.  

“The recent workshop was just the start of the process. I look forward to continuing to discuss with FLS and others how Glen Prosen can be used to further open the debate about how our uplands could or should be used in the future.” 

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land. Home - Forestry and Land Scotland.
   
   
2. Media enquiries to media@forestryandland.gov.scot