Wildlife and forest operations

Many bird and mammal species are very apparent in plantations. And, for some species plantations are important.

Bird species that use plantations

For example, the Scottish crossbill (Loxia scotica) exhibits a preference for lodgepole plantations over native pinewoods. The bird is probably Scotland’s only endemic bird species. 

Populations of this species would be much smaller without plantations. 

The coarse-scale mosaic of forest patches with different-aged trees found within plantations supports a wide range of other birds. 

For some of these species, their population viability in Scotland would be significantly lower without these productive woodlands. Especially given the limited extent of native woodlands. 

For example, commercially mature conifer plantations in Scotland are important for:

• goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
• crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
• capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)

Younger stands within plantations hold significant proportions of the populations of other birds, to name but a few:

• song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
• siskin (Carduelis spinus)
• tree pipit (Anthus trivialis)

Some of these species even perform better in plantations in some years. 

For example, Capercaillie often produce more chicks per hen in Scots pine plantations than in nearby Caledonian pinewoods.

For mammals, the picture is similar. 

Many species relying to a greater or lesser extent on plantation habitats. 

Pine martens 

The ongoing recovery of pine martens has been attributed to the expansion of woodland in Scotland. And much of this is conifer plantation. 

It is no surprise that plantations are attractive to martens. Clear-felling creates a mosaic of grassy, open areas. This provides them with:

• populations of their favoured prey, field voles
• unthinned stands that give them with cover

Scottish wildcats 

Scottish wildcats found their last refuge in Scotland in plantations. Recent GPS tagging work found that clear-fells and restocks were important hunting grounds for this endangered felid. 

Other mammal species

Two other mammal species that occur in large numbers in plantations are:

• badger (Meles meles)
• red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

The creation and management of conifer plantations in Scotland is overwhelmingly beneficial for all of these birds and mammals. 

Crucially: 

• all of these species are protected from disturbance when they are breeding
• their resting places and breeding sites are protected when in use

The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) specifies this legal protection. And the forestry sector expends significant effort complying with the law. 

The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) (legislation.gov.uk)

On a routine basis, forest managers deploy mitigation to consider wildlife protection with timber production.

Typically, this involves either:

• delaying operations until the breeding season is completed
• setting up protective buffers around nests or setts or dens (and avoiding work within these areas)