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Wise Use
One of the founding fathers of modern conservation was the American, Aldo Leopold, who said in 1933:
“There are those who shy at the prospect of a man made crop as something artificial and therefore repugnant. Their attitude shows good taste but poor insight. Every head of wildlife still alive in this country is already artificialised, in that its existence is conditioned by economic forces. Game management merely proposes that their impact shall not remain entirely fortuitous. The hope for the future lies not in curbing the influence of human occupancy – it is already too late for that – but in creating a better understanding of the extent of that influence and a new ethic for its governance”
If that was true of the vast expanses of the United States seventy five years ago, how much more applicable is it to our crowded little island in the 21st century?
Moorland Birds
The conservation of the Red grouse for shooting is one of the most important drivers of moorland management in Scotland, and it benefits a wide range of other birds as well. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust have led research in this field for many years and their motto is “conservation through wise use”
The most accessible summary of the way in which “conservation through wise use” is applied to UK moorlands is the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s bookletNature's Gain (pages 8 – 21)
Much research has been done into the impact of management, not only on the Red grouse itself, but also on other moorland birds. Perhaps the most authoritative study was led by Andy Tharme of the RSPB in 1996 which found that grouse moors typically have five times as many golden plover and lapwing and about twice as many curlews as other nearby moors. Further information on this and other research is given in theNature’s Gain booklet (page 16/17)
Sheep and Cattle
The post war intensification of sheep grazing in the uplands has contributed to the loss of heather. As a result, there has been a lot of focus on overgrazing problems but this has taken attention away from the vital role played by grazing animals at the correct level, particularly hill sheep and hardy breeds of cattle, and the role of farmers and shepherds in looking after our moorlands.
There is a practical synergy between grazing and bird conservation which works at many different levels, but little explanation of it in writing. For instance, the keeper and shepherd help each other out at busy times. Animal droppings encourage insects for birds to feed on. When there is snow, the movement of sheep exposes heather shoots to the grouse. Small things perhaps, but vitally important for bird survival in a harsh environment.
The Heather Trust can provide further information on integrated grazing management.
The National Sheep Association (Scotland) covers the whole sheep industry. An assessment of the future of hill sheep farming was made in a speech by its Policy Advisor, John Thorley in April 2008 -Upland Realities
Deer
In the Highlands, Red deer are an important grazing animal which generates income through stalking and venison sales, and control of their numbers at the right level is an important part of integrated moorland management. The Association of Deer Management Groups represents stalking practitioners and coordinates deer culling across Scotland. The supervisory body for deer management is the Deer Commission for Scotland.