The management and conservation of machair vegetation

Abstract

Summary The nature and distribution of the machair sand dune plant communities of the north and west of Scotland are reviewed, emphasising their botanical interest for conservation. Recent conservation initiatives are discussed, particularly the Machair Habitat Action Plan (HAP) and the existing Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme. Research into phytosociology and habitat inventory has revealed significant new machair vegetation types and the relevance of the results to provision of information for conservation planning and decision-making is evaluated. Successful conservation depends on three important issues: current crofting practices and trends, past machair management, and the dynamic interactions between ecology and geomorphology. Research into the functioning and dynamics of machair communities is very limited. Research into post-disturbance vegetation recolonisation following cultivation is described, along with information on seed banks/seed rain and the effects of repeated burial on the vegetation. Modern agricultural trends which threaten machair condition are identified, including the change from cattle to sheep grazing, use of artificial fertilisers/pesticides, deep ploughing and drainage improvements. Finally, the possible impacts of future climate change are introduced and the need for further research into the ecological effects of medium-term management under the Environmentally Sensitive Area prescriptions and the Habitat Action Plan is raised.