Biodiversity in productive forests

For example, the Scottish crossbill (Loxia scotica) exhibits a preference for lodgepole forests over native pinewoods. The bird is probably Scotland’s only endemic bird species.

Populations of this species would be much smaller without productive forests.

A coarse-scale mosaic of forest patches with different-aged trees can be especially beneficial to a wide range of birds.

For some of these species, their population viability in Scotland would be significantly lower without productive woodlands. 

For example, commercially mature conifer forests in Scotland are important for:

• goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
• crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
• capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)

Younger stands within productive forests hold significant proportions of the populations of other birds, to name but a few:

• song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
• siskin (Carduelis spinus)
• tree pipit (Anthus trivialis)

Capercaillie often produce more chicks per hen in Scots pine forests than in nearby Caledonian pinewoods.

For mammals, the picture is similar. 

Many species relying to a greater or lesser extent on forest habitats. 

Pine martens 

The ongoing recovery of pine martens has been attributed to the expansion of woodland in Scotland. And much of this is conifer forest. 

It is no surprise that forests are attractive to martens. Clear-felling creates a mosaic of grassy, open areas. This provides them with:

• populations of their favoured prey, field voles
• unthinned stands that give them with cover

Scottish wildcats 

Scottish wildcats found their last refuge in Scotland in forests. Recent GPS tagging work found that clear-fells and restocks were important hunting grounds for this endangered felid.

Other mammal species

Two other mammal species that occur in large numbers in forests are:

• badger (Meles meles)
• red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

The creation and management of productive conifer forests in Scotland is hugely beneficial for all of these birds and mammals.