An assessment of long-term forest management policy options for red squirrel conservation in Scotland

Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy

article

Andrew Slade¹  Andy White¹  Kenny Kortland²  Peter W.W. Lurz³ 

[1] Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Department of Mathematics, Heriot-Watt University;Forestry and Land Scotland;Royal ,(Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh

关键词: mathematical modelling;    conservation;    forest management;    red squirrels;   

DOI  :  10.4404/hystrix-00351-2020

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Associazione Teriologica Italiana

【 摘 要 】

A spatially explicit mathematical model was developed to assess the population viability of redsquirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in designated forest strongholds in Scotland under the implementationof two forest management policies: a specific Stronghold Management for red squirrel conservation(SM) compared to the multi-purpose UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) for sustainable forest management. The study showed that, in the presence of grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), the SMpolicy provides an advantage to red squirrels over grey squirrels when compared to the UKFS, andits implementation supports red squirrel conservation efforts. When grey squirrels are not present,there is no discernible benefit in the SM policy compared to the UKFS. The model results therefore indicate that species-specific forest management for red squirrel conservation in the absence ofsympatric grey squirrels would not be required. This would allow less prescriptive forest management options that maintain viable red squirrel populations to be explored. The study also identifiedforest regions that, due to their composition, are capable of sustaining a viable red squirrel population, in the presence of grey squirrels, without the application of specific forest managementpolicy. They can be considered ‘natural strongholds’. Selecting such natural strongholds may afford more flexibility to conserve red squirrel populations whilst simultaneously delivering othermulti-species conservation and forest management objectives. We review our findings in terms ofcriteria that were used in the original stronghold designation in Scotland and discuss how our workcan be used to inform a forthcoming review of stronghold management policy by Scottish Forestry.Furthermore, the findings can inform red squirrel conservation strategies in other regions and themodelling techniques can be adapted to a wide range of conservation settings.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC