On Sunday, we returned to Taynish and got involved removing invasive Beech seedlings from an old-growth Oak woodland. We clambered about on some very steep slopes, spying the scattered seedlings by their conspicuous copper-coloured leaves. We ripped and pulled the seedlings, cutting their root systems to prevent them coppicing later on.
Beech trees are considered non-native in Scotland by some and are prolific ecosystem engineers, meaning they can significantly alter their surrounding habitat. Oak woodlands support a rich plethora of understory shrubs and wildflowers due to their relatively open canopy and are highly valued by conservation groups, both for their role as a habitat, and their cultural heritage. If the area was to be colonised by Beech, however, with seeds blown in from nearby plantations, we would expect understory species richness to reduce due to Beech’s dense canopy and extremely recalcitrant leaf litter, which increases soil acidity.
There were some stumbles, a few tumbling boulders (see picture above) and a lot of ticks but we managed to get quite a few of the little blighters. We took one last look at the beautiful scenery (see picture above above), before heading back down to the loch-side for our final lunch in the sunshine. We said farewell to Doug the Ranger, then started our trundle back to Edinburgh.
Words by John – Sketches by Dan