Caledonian Forest

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Caledonian Forest above the Allt Ruadh

The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of Scotland. Today, however, only 1% of the original forest survives, covering 180 square kilometres (44,000 acres) in 84 locations.[1] The forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is not found elsewhere in the British Isles.

Contents

History [edit]

The Caledonian Forests were formed at the end of the last ice age. Trees began to recolonise what is now the British Isles over a land bridge which is now beneath the English Channel. Forests of this type were found all over what is now the island of Great Britain for a short period, before the climate began to slowly warm and the pinewoods retreated north into the Scottish Highlands, the last remaining climatic region suitable for them in the British Isles (see Climate of Scotland).

Caledonian Pinewoods near Loch an Eilein

The native pinewoods which formed this westernmost outpost of the boreal forest of Europe are estimated to have covered 15,000 km2 (3,700,000 acres) as a vast wilderness of Scots pine, birch, rowan, aspen, juniper, oak and a few other species. On the west coast, oak and birch predominated in a temperate rainforest ecosystem rich in ferns, mosses and lichens.

The forest takes its name from the Romans, who called Scotland Caledonia, deriving from the early Celtic word '*caleto-' meaning 'hard, strong'. A name recorded as being used by a local tribe or tribal confederation of native Picts or Britons called the Caledonii who were first recorded in a panegyric by the Roman poet Eumenius in AD 297.

Today less than 1% of the original native pinewood forest survives, in isolated remnants.

Legend and folklore [edit]

In Arthurian lore and early literature, the forest is the site of one of King Arthur's Twelve Battles, according to the Historia Brittonum, in which the battle is called Cat Coit Celidon. Scholars Rachel Bromwich and Marged Haycock suggest that the army of trees animated by sorcerers in the Old Welsh poem Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees) are intended to be the Caledonian Forest.[2]

In related Merlin literature, the figure of Myrddin Wyllt retreated to these woods in his madness after the battle of Arfderydd in the year 573. He fled from the alleged wrath of the king of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael, after the slaying of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio. This is written in the two Merlinic poems in Middle Welsh Yr Oinau and Yr Afallenau in the Black Book of Carmarthen. The forest is also the retreat of another character named Lailoken from the Vita Kentigerni, who also fled into the woods in a fit of madness and who may be the original model for Myrddin Wyllt.

In the Middle Welsh story Culhwch ac Olwen, the main character Culhwch is the son of a king named Celyddon Wledig who may or may not be related to the forest in name. Another figure from the same story, Cyledyr Wyllt hints at a close relationship of the forest being a retreat for people who suffered from a special kind of madness or Gwyllt (Geilt in Irish). In line 994 to 996 of the story, it is briefly explained, "...a Chyledyr Wyllt y uab, a llad Nwython a oruc a diot y gallon, a chymhell yssu callon y dat, ac am hynny yd aeth Kyledyr yg gwyllt" ("...and his son Kyledyr the Wild. Gwynn killed Nwython and cut out his heart, and forced Kyledyr to eat his father's heart, and that is how Kyledyr went mad"). Though not named directly, the very name Kyledyr Wyllt is close to the two related notions of the forest of Celyddon being where people suffering madness or Gwyllt hide.

Wildlife [edit]

Capercaillie - a species which depends on the Caledonian Forest

Being a unique ecosystem in the British Isles, the Caledonian Pinewoods are home to some of the country's rarest wildlife. It is considered to be one of the last remaining wildernesses in the British Isles.

Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests found breeding nowhere else in the British Isles:

Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests rare elsewhere in the British Isles:

Mammal species present in Caledonian pine forests:

Red Deer in Caledonian pinewood

Mammal species extinct in Caledonian pine forests:

Conservation [edit]

Replanted Scots pine

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 the Forestry Commission 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.[4]

Trees for Life has been involved in practical work to regenerate and restore the Caledonian Forest since 1989. Its long term aim is to return an area of 1,500 km2 (370,000 acres) to a condition of natural forest.

Scientific research continues on the ecology of the Caledonian Forest and its restoration. Populations of the rare groundcover, Linnaea borealis, may be too isolated from one another to produce viable seed.[5] Diversity of fungi has also been affected by the decrease in habitat.[6] Fire appears to increase the natural recruitment of Scots pine seedlings.[7]

Reintroductions [edit]

In recent years, there has been a growing interest to reintroduce animals which are currently extinct in Great Britain, back into Caledonian pine forests. Corporations have been set up to persuade the government to allow this. The long-running campaign to reintroduce European beavers to Knapdale in Argyll has been successful,[8] and there is some support for the reintroduction of the Grey Wolf[9] and Eurasian Lynx.

Recently, some landowners have announced plans to build large game reserves on their land and release the species within them.[10] Paul Lister plans to release Eurasian Lynx, Brown Bear, Grey Wolf, Elk, Wild Boar and species already present in Scotland into a huge 200 km2 (49,000-acre) enclosure at his estate, Alladale,[10] although releasing top predators such as wolves and bears has become a difficult proposition with local and national regulations.[10] An initial trial enclosure of 5.5 km2 (1,400 acres) was built with Elk, Wild Boar, Red Deer and Roe Deer.[10]

Remaining pinewoods [edit]

Mam Sodhail as seen from Glen Affric
[icon] This section requires expansion. (June 2008)

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Caledonian pinewood". Forestry Commission. Retrieved 2011-01-14. 
  2. ^ Green, Thomas (2007). Concepts of Arthur, p. 64. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-4461-1.
  3. ^ The Scottish Beaver Network (viewed June 11th 2009)
  4. ^ "Ballolchbuie SAC: Site Details". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 
  5. ^ Scobie, A. R.; Wilcock, C. C. (2009). "Limited mate availability decreases reproductive success of fragmented populations of Linnaea borealis, a rare, clonal self-incompatible plant". Annals of Botany 103 (6): 835–46. doi:10.1093/aob/mcp007. 
  6. ^ A. C. Newton, E. Holden, L. M. Davy, S. D. Ward, L. V. Fleming, and R. Watling (Oct 2002). "Status and distribution of stipitate hydnoid fungi in Scottish coniferous forests". Biological Conservation 107 (2): 181–92. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00060-5. 
  7. ^ Mark Hancock, Siobhán Egan, Ron Summers, Neil Cowie, Andrew Amphlett, Shaila Rao and Alistair Hamilton (1 July 2005). "The effect of experimental prescribed fire on the establishment of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris seedlings on heather Calluna vulgaris moorland" (PDF). Forest Ecology and Management 212 (1-3): 199–213. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2005.03.039. 
  8. ^ "They're back!" The Scottish Beaver Network (viewed June 11th 2009)
  9. ^ The Wolf Trust
  10. ^ a b c d "In Scotland’s Search for Roots, A Push to Restore Wild Lands", Yale Environment 360, 16 Sep 2010

External links [edit]

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