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Chamber and committees

Question reference: S6W-33380

  • Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Date lodged: 16 January 2025
  • Current status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 January 2025

Question

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.


Answer

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