Management of the Natural Environment and Landscape

Question 1

What a Special Protection Areas?

Answer 1

SPAs are an international designation (European sites). It is a bird directive which protects all wild birds, their nests, eggs and habitats within the EU.

Aims to protect birds which are rare or vulnerable.

Question 2

What are Special Areas of Conservation?

Answer 2

SACs are an international designation (European sites). Designated under the habitat directive for protecting habitats and non-bird species.

Question 3

RAMSAR

Answer 3

International Designation - Sites designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance - In 1971 in Ramsar Iran.

Question 4

World Heritage Sites

Answer 4

International Designation - UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) - Non-statutory designation - Sites recognised for its national heritage.

Question 5

Biosphere Reserves

Answer 5

International Designation. Non-statutory designation.- UNESCO 0 promote the integrated and sustainable management of an area.

Question 6

National Parks

Answer 6

National designation to help provide positive management and extra resources to safeguard and enhance the special qualities of these areas for the long term. National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000.

Question 7

National Scenic Area

Answer 7

National Designation - 40 NSAs in Scotland

Outstanding Scenery - mountain ranges, picturesque richly diverse scenery.

Protected from inappropriate development.

Question 8

National Nature Reserves

Answer 8

Exceptional places managed for wildlife and promote conservation and enjoyment.

Question 9

Site of Specific Scientific Interest

Answer 9

National designation Brough in by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. Areas of land and water which best represent Scotland’s National Heritage. Flora, fauna, geology and geomorphology. Nature Scot provide site management statements and Operations requiring consent list.

Question 10

Marine Protected Areas

Answer 10

Areas of sea designated to conserve a selection of marine biodiversity and geo-diversity (sites such as shipwrecks) - promote sustainable management of the sea. Designated under Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Question 11

What is AECS, what are the eligibility requirements and what does it include?

Answer 11

The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.

Designed to promote good land management practices.

Promote and enhance scotlands national heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Eligibility:

• Farmers, groups of farmers and other land managers
• Registered with rural payments
• BRN

Legal rights to carry out project for the length of the contract and any associated monitoring period.

Made up of management items (wader grazed grassland and summer hill grazing of cattle) and capital items (rhododendron control and livestock crossings).

Question 12

Improving Public Access

Answer 12

Made separately to other AECS applications - own assessment process.

Create or upgrade existing paths.

Menu of path infrastructure capital items - fixed payment rate.

Context map and capital map required for application.

Question 13

Forest and Land Scotland - History

Answer 13

Outbreak of WW1 in Britain resulted in devastating losses of timber. Prevent future shortages the forestry commission, fast growing conifer species were planted (mono-culture). Since has been a shift in focus from economic demands to include social and environmental demands.

Question 14

Forestry Diseases

Answer 14

Ash dieback and photophora ramorum

Question 15

Origin and provenance

Answer 15

Origin: geographic locality within the natural range of a species where the parent seed source or ancestors grew.

Provenance: geographic locality of a stand of trees where the seed was located.

Question 16

Ecosystem services

Answer 16

Benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living

Question 17

Biodiversity

Answer 17

The biological variety and variability of life on earth.

Question 18

Ecosystem services - classification

Answer 18

Regulating - climate, disease and water
Provisioning - timber, food, fresh water
Cultural - spiritual, recreation, educational
Supporting - soil formation, nutrient cycling.

Question 19

Biodiversity and ecosystem service relationship

Answer 19

Biodiversity levels do affect ES provision and it is important levels of biodiversity do not decline below certain thresholds or ES will decline.

Question 20

Natural Capital

Answer 20

The worlds stock of natural resources including geology, soil, water and living organisms.

This gives rise to ecosystem services - providing goods to humans.

Question 21

Nature Scot

Answer 21

Scotlands nature agency - responsible for working to improve the natural environment.

Question 22

Scottish environmental protection agency

Answer 22

Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, protecting and improving Scotland’s environment.

Local pollution control - flood warning

Question 23

Forest and land Scotland

Answer 23

Responsible for managing and promoting Scotland’s natural forest - owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation.

Question 24

Marine Scotland

Answer 24

Manage Scotland’s seas and freshwater alongside nature Scot and SEPA.

Question 25

DEFRA

Answer 25

Improving and protecting the environment. Aim to grow green economy and sustain thriving rural communities.

Welfare standards
Reduce GHG

Question 26

Crofting Commission

Answer 26

Created by the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

Regulate crofting, re-organise crofting and promote the interests of crofting.

Protect it for future generations.

Question 27

Deer management - how is this regulated and what population controls are in place?

Answer 27

Natur Scot are in charge of regulating the conservation, control and sustainable management of wild deer species.

Collect and maintain national data on deer management

Wildlife and Natural environment (Scotland) Act 2011.

Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

Last 50 years deer numbers have soared from 500,000 to 2 million.

Question 28

Deer Shooting Seasons

Answer 28

Red hinds - 21st October - 15th February
Red stags - 1st July - 20th October
Roe does - 21st October - 31st March
Roe bucks - 1st April - 20th October
Sika hinds - 21st October - 15th February
Sika stags - 1st July - 20th October

Question 29

Catch Returns - Marine Scotland

Answer 29

Rod effort - time spent fishing
Grilse 1-sea winter
Multi sea winter

Determine the conservation status of river systems under the salmon conservation regulations.

Question 30

Core paths

Answer 30

Land reform (Scotland) Act 2003

Land designated as a core path, the public will have greater rights of access over it.

Local authorities - drew up a plan for a system of paths.

Public to have sufficient access throughout their local area.

Core paths must be kept free of obstruction and encroachment.

Question 31

Peatland Restoration - Scotland goals and investment

Answer 31

Peatland Action

Multi-annual investment - £250 million up to 2030.

250,000 Ha by 2030

Year end 2022 - 8,000 Ha

Nature based solution to climate crisis and biodiversity loss

Question 32

Woodland carbon code

Answer 32

Quality assurance standard for woodland creation projects.

Recognised for its high standards of sustainable management.

Social and environmental benefits. Local employment, improvements to health and well-being.

Question 33

SEPA

Answer 33

Water environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011

Details activities which are regulated by SEPA.

Three levels of control:

General binding rules - low risk activities, do not need to notify SEPA

Registration - notify SPEA, medium risk activities. SEPA can then monitor cumulative impacts.

License (simple and complex) - required for higher risk activities. Will contain specific relating to the activity.

Responsible person identified. Responsible for ensuring compliance.

Practical guide - used to identify the type of authorisation which is required.

Question 34

Riparian Planting

Answer 34

Woodlands found in the regions of water bodies. Along river banks or flood plains.

Prevent poaching or erosion and loss of valuable land.

Maximise environmental benefits - native broadleaf species.

Provides shade to maintain suitable water temperatures. Mixed leaf litter provides a good source for invertebrates.

FGS - planting grants available and capital grants - stock fencing and tree shelters.

Question 35

Land reform act 2016

Answer 35

Community right to buy - Scottish ministers can force the sale of private land to community bodies

Scottish land commission established - review the effectiveness and impact of current and potential future laws and policies relating to land.

Introduced MLDTs and repairing tenancies

Re-introduction of the valuation of shooting rights and deer forests - less than £15,000 eligible for SBRR

ROS - complete the land registry for more transparency in land ownership.

Powers to Scottish ministers to compel the disclosure of information about controlling interests in land and establish a public register of Controlling Interests in Land. Opened 1st April 2022. 1 year period to register.

Question 36

Land reform in a Net Zero Nation

Answer 36

Consultation opened 4th July 2022.

Increase diversity of land ownership.
Bring changes in land use.

Increase conditions applicable to large scale holdings (over 3,000 ha)

• Strengthen the land rights and responsibilities statement - compulsory to comply
• Reviewed every 5 years
• compulsory management plans
• public interest test in large-scale landholding transfers.
• new land use tenancy