Scotland has committed to peatland restoration as part of its array of policies to tackle climate change. Peatland restoration can make a significant difference for Scotland and the UK, as a substantial sink of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to enhance an internationally important habitat for biodiversity and water aspects, and a culturally significant place for the public.
The work carried out by SEFARI which relates to natural capital is varied and detailed, and encompasses soil, fresh water and biodiversity, together with the ecosystem services (including cultural services such as recreation, heritage, spiritual, amenity, and health) which they support. The vision for this work, and those carrying it out, is for recognition worldwide as leading authorities in the understanding and management of natural resources, and in the sustainable use of these resources in a manner that is resilient to future pressures.
You may be wondering what we can do to help? Well, at the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC) near Dundee, we’re aiming to develop a cropping system that can produce high quality food, whilst still maintaining a healthy environment. This means using what we understand about ecology to work with the environment to improve the health and physical structure of the soil, minimise the losses of nutrients and chemicals from cultivated fields, and support a rich variety of farmland wildlife.
Leaving the European Union could have major repercussions on a wide range of environmental and land use concerns within Scotland, and across the whole of the UK. Whilst some of these issues may seem complex, it is increasingly recognised that SEFARI contains a wealth of expertise which can contribute to such discussions. Of course our place is not to delve into the politics, but to use our research and expertise to provide an evidence-led platform for discussion.
Why are health and wellbeing values important?
The UK is made up of stocks of elements of nature that have a value to society. This natural capital provides ecosystem services that contribute to the health and wellbeing of users, staff, and wider communities.
Laura is an environmental social scientist in the SEGs department at the James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen. Her main research interests are in how a person’s environment impacts their quality of life and wellbeing. She is a Part II architect, and her research centres on the relationship between people and their built and natural environments.
The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK
Combining local, contextualised knowledge with generalised, scientific knowledge is seen as best practice in decision making for biodiversity management. However, there is the potential for conflict if these two knowledges do not concur. We compared people’s predictions for biodiversity change under different woodland management scenarios with those from a simple ecological model. We found general agreement, but stakeholders were more optimistic about the benefits of some scenarios compared to the models.
Improving the management of Scotland’s natural assets at a landscape-level for ecological, economic, and social outcomes is a priority for the Scottish Government and its partners. Adaptive management is one way to achieve this objective and is about connecting the ‘doing’ of natural resource management with ‘learning’ about the context of the management situation, and the responses and effects of the management actions. We provide a series of lessons learned from five studies that cover a range of landscape-level management situations, including upland and lowland areas.
I am a research assistant with 20 years experience at the Institute. Originally trained in farm animal reproduction and nutrition, I made the leap into Social Research in 2013.
The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK
To meet many local, national and international policy and business requirements there is a need to monitor the state of Scotland’s natural resources. These commitments span from day to day monitoring of Scotland’s freshwater bodies, so ensuring enough water of the right quality is available for a range of individuals, communities and wildlife; to longer-term monitoring of legally protected and iconic terrestrial and marine habitats and species e.g. Caledonian pinewoods and Capercaillie. A range of policy and management commitments e.g.