Studies of grazing impacts on biodiversity at Glen Finglas

The character of the Scottish upland landscape is shaped by domestic livestock grazing. The James Hutton Institute and collaborators have been conducting a grazing experiment at the Woodland Trust’s Glen Finglas estate, in the southern Highlands, since 2002. Here we study the varied impacts of sheep and cattle grazing on upland grassland biodiversity within a series of enclosures in which sheep and cow numbers are carefully controlled.

Detailed monitoring of plants, invertebrates and birds is carried out regularly. We investigate how species and communities respond to different grazing treatments and how responses at lower levels of the food chain affect those higher up. This experimental platform provides an invaluable resource for a wide range of scientists.  As well as the core monitoring carried out, further biological and environmental processes studied have ranged from population cycling in voles through carbon storage properties of vegetation under different grazing regimes to determinants of the sex ratio of pipit chicks.

We have summarised the results as syntheses for policy and for stakeholders. A more general summary is available on the SEFARI website.

For further details of this project, see a description of the experimental design, view the publications that have arisen from this work or contact Robin Pakeman.

Publications

Visit the Glen Finglas publications page. Recent additions include results from research into impacts of grazing intensity on fox activity and on carbon storage.