More than just some forest
The restoration of the Caledonian Pine Forest
Location: Beinne Eighe NNR
The Assignment Phototeam
What will 2020VISION be doing?
The main aspect of this assignment is to photograph examples of the ancient pinewoods in context with the grand surroundings of the Torridonian mountains.
When will 2020VISION be there?
- 16th to 20th October 2011
Where is it?
The Reserve lies in the Torridon Mountains, close to the village of Kinlochewe in Wester Ross.The Reserve covers nearly 4,800 hectares, bounded by Loch Maree to the north-east and Glen Torridon to the south.
Why is it important?
Beinn Eighe is home to the largest remnant of ancient Caledonian forest in Wester Ross containing Scots pine trees that are nearly 400 years old. A distinctive mix of plants and animals thrive on the reserve and it supports a rich and internationally important number of plants as well as rare lichens, liverworts and mosses. The montane areas contain some of the UK and Europe’s best examples of western upland habitats, with their lower slopes supporting very large areas of heathland.
What's the project's aim?
Since establishing the reserve in 1951, the focus for management has been on the natural regeneration of the ancient woodland at Coille na Glas Leitir, and the restoration of woodland on other parts of the Reserve.
Who's involved?
Scottish Natural Heritage own most of Beinn Eighe and have managed it as a National Nature Reserve since 1951. The National Trust for Scotland also owns a small part of the reserve.
What's happening there?
The focus for restoration work focuses on woodland regeneration and the often pioneering work that spans almost 60 years is evident, with younger trees and natural regeneration extending the woodland habitat and resulting in a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Well over 400,000 trees have been planted with around 15,000 additional trees per year. Many planted areas have been ring fenced to protect them from grazing damage from deer, which themselves have been reduced to around 150-200 to allow regeneration to take place.
Find out more
http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=15
