Upscaling Plan for the Scottish Demo Forest

The demo area aims to enhance ecosystem function and resilience through three primary restoration strategies. These include: i) High Elevation Woodland Planting of native broadleaf species above the current treeline to mitigate risks associated with climate change impacts like landslides; ii) Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) involving selective thinning to maintain a multi-layered forest structure, thereby improving biodiversity and reducing the ecological footprint of timber harvesting; iii) Riparian Woodland and Natural Flood Management (NFM) to enhance riparian biodiversity and implementing NFM techniques to reduce flooding risks for local communities. These strategies align with broader policy requirements and address current environmental challenges while promoting sustainable land management practices and underlie this upscaling plan. The report identifies various barriers to scaling up restoration efforts, including political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental dimensions. Key challenges include limited policy recognition of restoration benefits, high costs associated with restoration activities, and a lack of established market instruments for ecosystem services beyond timber. Conversely, enablers such as political champions for restoration, community engagement, and emerging financing opportunities are crucial for overcoming these barriers. To effectively scale up restoration efforts, the document identifies some high priority barriers and suggests possible enabling actions, among which include:
  •  Increasing community engagement to advocate for nature-based solutions.
  •  Encourage private/public partnerships, using demos to show feasibility and range of benefits.
  •  Addressing the financial, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of herbivore control.
  •  Enhancing training and education for stakeholders involved in restoration activities.
  •  New approaches to restore the upper tree line where focus is shifted to the tree/shrub characteristics.

By addressing these recommendations, the Scottish demo area can serve as a model for forest restoration practices that contribute to ecological resilience and community well-being across Scotland and beyond.