Current status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of which actions in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030 are specifically targeted to restore and manage species-rich grasslands.
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) notes that “Scotland’s uplands (above the limits of enclosed farmland) comprise a range of habitats including … species-rich grasslands” and that there has been a substantial long term decline in species-rich grasslands. The SBS Delivery Plan is intended to drive the restoration and improvement of habitats across Scotland, many of which are not mentioned explicitly.
Objective 1 of the Delivery Plan: Accelerate Restoration and Regeneration includes as a Priority Action: Introduce a programme of ecosystem restoration. There are five species-rich grassland habitats on the current Scottish Biodiversity List, and action 20.1 - revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List - is also therefore relevant. Other actions relevant to species-rich grasslands, include:
Ref: | Action |
2.5 | Develop upland-specific, best practice guidance on measures for upland restoration to regenerate peatlands, increase nature woodland cover, manage grazing, protect certain target species and priority habitats and increase habitat heterogeneity |
2.9 | Marine & coastal ecosystem restoration – machair and other grasslands |
5.3 | Explore how best to support optimal herbivore densities to enhance biodiversity outcomes in the uplands. |
11 | Actions to implement Nature Networks |
21.1 | Species on the Edge – great yellow and moss carder bumblebees, marsh fritillary, Scottish primrose, etc.. |
21.3 | Species with identifiable human pressures (especially specialists and arctic alpines) |
21.4 | Genetic diversity mapping – as Scotland is on the edge of the range of habitats it is likely to host unique genetic variants and the potential for useful traits in wild relatives of utilised species. |
21.6 | Better biodiversity data – will help with understanding the condition of species-rich grassland In areas outside designated sites. |
21.7 | Publish Plant biodiversity strategy - grasslands are specifically mentioned |
28 | Public Awareness and engagement to improve public awareness of climate-biodiversity issues and our connectedness to nature |