An old Scots Pine. tree now dead after being scorched by a carless moor fire.
Caledonian pinewoods – which link us to the vast boreal forests elsewhere around the world – occur on thin, infertile, mineral soils across Scotland. ... An ancient, wide-crowned 'granny' pine, standing alone in heather moorland, is an iconic feature of the Scottish landscape. review of the native pinewoods of Scotland Steven & Carlisle (1959)highlighted the plight of the remaining 35 ancient pinewood sites, many of which had been damaged by felling, fire and intensive grazing from sheep and deer. A later review in the 1980s showed that further damage had occurred through ploughing and planting with non-native conifers with less than 12,000 ha of the ancient habitat remaining. A subsequent guide to the ancient pinewoods reviews the conservation story and provides a summary of the management in each site as well as a guide on how to reach all the woods using public transport, walking, and cycling. Much of remaining Caledonian pine forest is fully protected, and much of the forest now lies within the Cairngorms National Park. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Forestry and Land Scotland also own several areas of pinewood on their reserves. One of the largest remaining areas is Ballochbuie Forest on the Balmoral Estate, which is protected as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Union Habitats Directive.
Size: 4288px × 2626px
Location: Rothiemurchus Estate Aviemore Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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