With the forthcoming publication of a research paper on the relative grazing impacts of different species in Scotland, the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen is holding a meeting on Friday 16 February 2007 to which interested parties have been invited to discuss both the findings of this research, and the possible directions for future research.

Soon to be published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the research paper looks at the grazing and trampling impact of herbivores such as sheep, cattle, red deer, rabbits, mountain hares and red grouse on open-hill habitats in eleven areas of upland Scotland.

Professor Steve Albon, who led the study said: ?Overall the presence of sheep was associated with the largest increase in grazing and trampling impact of all herbivores. Cattle had the second largest impact, whilst the impacts of wild herbivores tended to be smaller and only significant on a local scale.

“Red deer have significantly lower impact than sheep in most types of habitat and in most parts of upland Scotland that we have studied. There are, however, a few localised exceptions where this is not the case. These are mostly likely associated with locally high densities of deer.”

The results have important implications for land managers in Scotland, and will help them anticipate the possible effects of changing grazing pressure on our natural heritage as the relative numbers of sheep and red deer change in relation to both European agricultural reform and climate change.

At the meeting, Professor Albon will present a summary of the findings of the research on behalf of the project team, following which representatives from some of the key interest groups will give their views on how the results fit within the wider body of evidence on grazing impacts on the open hill in Scotland.

Invitees include the Deer Commission for Scotland, the National Farmers Union Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.

The Macaulay Institute is the premier land use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk.

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