Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2025 - 2030 - Flipbook - Page 14
Woodland restructuring
Capercaillie prefer coniferous forests that are open enough to allow plenty of
blaeberry to grow, with a mix of bogs, patches of tree regeneration and other
shrub and ground cover. This variety is critical, particularly in the capercaillie
brood rearing season when access to bog cotton improves the breeding condition
of hens, access to invertebrates is essential for chicks, and shrub and ground
cover provides protection from predators. Woodland management should try to
recreate these conditions, particularly in plantations which account for much of
the habitat across the core capercaillie range.
Whilst plantations may have some features like mature trees, they often lack
others. Thinning, winching-over trees and removing non-native conifers can rapidly
provide the variety of habitat in plantations that capercaillie need. Critically, these
techniques of selective thinning and small-scale felling spread over time, also
maintain habitat in commercial plantations that could support more capercaillie
than a clear fell system. With ongoing thinning and felling operations planned in
capercaillie areas, it is essential that up to date, good practice guidance and
coordinated management is in place, and strengthened where needed, to protect
capercaillie and maximise opportunities for the species.
Objective
Increase the structural diversity and adoption of continuous cover forestry in
plantations where opportunities exist to benefit capercaillie.
Actions by 2030
1. Produce new good practice guidance for forest managers to replace the
2003 ÔForest Management for Capercaillie: An Illustrated Guide for Forest
ManagersÕ. Include new and updated information, e.g. key times, dates,
distances and managing storm damage, to ensure a consistent approach
across all capercaillie areas.
2. Launch and promote the new good practice guidance to forest managers,
agents and all relevant agency staff and departments.
3. Identify all thinning and felling operations planned in core capercaillie areas
within the National Park and work with Scottish Forestry and the respective
land managers to ensure they adhere to the new good practice guidance.
14
