Scotland's Wildlife – an assessment of biodiversity in 20

Six habitats assessed in the 2005 reporting round were re-assessed in 2008 (Table
8.1): lowland mixed deciduous woodland; native pine woodlands; upland mixed
ashwoods; upland oakwood; wet woodland; and wood-pasture & parkland.
Assessments are based on systematic survey where possible, but sometimes rely on
expert judgement.
One of the habitats (wood-pasture & parkland) had been declining in 2005 but by 2008
all were stable or increasing.
Table 8.1
Trends in woodland priority habitat status between 2005 and 2008
Source: Biodiversity Action Reporting System
Woodland habitats 2005 2008
Assessed in both years count % count %
Declining (slowing) 1 17
Fluctuating - probably declining
No clear trend
Fluctuating - probably stable 1 17
Stable 1 17
Fluctuating - probably increasing 1 17
Increasing 4 67 4 67
The overall trend for woodland priority habitats is better.
Priority species
Some 170 biodiversity priority species (e.g. mosses, liverworts, fungi and flowering
plants; bees and butterflies; mammals and birds) occur in woodland ecosystems in
Scotland.
Twenty-four species which were assessed in 2005 were re-assessed in 2008 (Table
8.2): a lichen, Rothothelium dictyosporum; a lichen, Arthothelium macounii; a lichen,
Bacidia incompta; a lichen, Biatoridium monasteriense; tree catapyrenium lichen,
Catapyrenium psoromoides; a lichen, Pseudocyphellaria norvegica; a lichen,
Schismatomma graphidioides; elm gyalecta lichen, Gyalecta ulmi; stump lichen,
Cladonia botrytis; slender thread-moss, Orthodontium gracile; blunt-leaved bristle-moss,
Orthotrichum obtusifolium; green shield moss, Buxbaumia viridis; twinflower, Linnaea
borealis; juniper, Juniperus communis; narrow-headed ant, Formica exsecta; pine
hoverfly, Blera fallax; aspen hoverfly, Hammerschmidtia ferruginea; barred tooth-striped
moth, Trichopteryx polycommata; dark-bordered beauty moth, Epione vespertaria;
chequered skipper butterfly, Carterocephalus palaemon; red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris;
European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus; Eurasian wryneck, Jynx torquilla; western
capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus.
In 2005, 30% were declining compared with 32% in 2008. One species was thought to
be no longer present in Scotland (Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla). The proportion of
species that were stable or increasing rose from 41% in 2005 to 49% in 2008.
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