Database Report

Scottish Vegetation Resurvey - Birse and Robertson: alpine, moorland, woodland, springs and swamps and grassland habitats.

Ruth Mitchell, Robin Pakeman, Andrea Britton & Alison Hester

GIVD Database ID: EU-GB-006	Last update: 2023-10-12
Scottish Vegetation Resurvey - Birse and Robertson: alpine, moorland, woodland, springs and swamps and grassland habitats.	Web address: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/ruth-mitchell
Database manager(s): Ruth Mitchell (ruth.mitchell@hutton.ac.uk)
Owner: Dr Ruth Mitchell
Scope: A repeat survey of habitats in Scotland UK. The original plots were recorded between 1955 and 1990. The plots cover 5 habitats and were resurveyed by habitat type: alpine habitats between 2004-2006, moorland habitats between 2006-2007, woodland habitats between 2007-2009, springs and swamps between 2008-2009 and grasslands 2012-2014.
Abstract: A repeat survey of habitats in Scotland UK. The original 5878 plots were recorded between 1955 and 1990. The plots cover 5 habitats and 1589 plots were resurveyed by habitat type: alpine habitats between 2004-2006, moorland habitats between 2006-2007, woodland habitats between 2007-2009, springs and swamps between 2008-2009 and grasslands 2012-2014. The basic sampling unit was 2m2 which was used in over 75% of the records but plot sizes of 4 m2 were sometimes used in less species rich vegetation and smaller plots of 0.5–1 m2 were used in species rich areas or in smaller-scale habitats such as springs and some snowbeds. Information on locality, geographical co-ordinates (British National Grid to the nearest 100 m), altitude, slope, aspect, general vegetation cover and topographic position were also recorded. The plots were not permanently marked, but may be classed as “quasi-permanent plots. The plots were re-located using the original geographic co-ordinates with the exact location of the sampling plot based on the description of topographic position, slope and aspect in the original record. The percentage cover of the plants was estimated by eye, as agreed by two recorders. Britton, A.J., Beale, C.M., Towers, W., Hewison, R.L., 2009. Biodiversity gains and losses: Evidence for homogenisation of Scottish alpine vegetation. Biological Conservation 142, 1728-1739. Britton, A., Hester, A., Hewison, R., Potts, J., Ross, L., 2017. Climate, pollution and grazing drive long-term change in moorland habitats. Applied Vegetation Science 20, 194–203. Britton, A.J., Hewison, R.L., Mitchell, R.J., Riach, D., 2017. Pollution and climate change drive long-term change in Scottish wetland vegetation composition. Biological Conservation 210, Part A, 72-79. Mitchell RJ, Hewison RL, Britton AJ, Brooker RW, Cummins RP, Fielding DA, Fisher JM, Gilbert DJ, Hester AJ, Hurskainen S, Pakeman RJ, Potts JM, Riach D (2017) Forty years of change in Scottish grassland vegetation: increased richness, decreased diversity and increased dominance. Biological Conservation 212, 327-336 Pakeman RH, Hewison, RL, Fisher JM, Hurskainen S Mitchell RJ, Riach D (2017) Long-term functional structure and functional diversity changes in Scottish grasslands. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 247, 352-362 Mitchell RJ, Hewison RL, Fielding DA, Fisher JM, Gilbert DJ, Hurskainen S, Pakeman RJ, Potts JM, Riach D (2018) Decline in atmospheric sulphur deposition and changes in climate are the major drivers of long-term change in grassland plant communities in Scotland. Environmental pollution, 235 966-964 Hester, A.J., Britton, A.J., Hewison, R.L., Ross, L.C., Potts, J.M., 2019. Long-term vegetation change in Scotland's native forests. Biological Conservation 235, 136-146.
Availability: free online	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): MS Access	Export format(s): Excel, CSV file
Plot type(s): normal plots, time series	Plot-size range (m²): 1 to 450
Non-overlapping plots: 5878	Estimate of existing plots: 100	Completeness: 5878%	Status: completed and continuing
Total no. of plot observations: 5878	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 1	Valid taxa: 1407
Countries (%): GB: 100
Formations: Forest: 25% = Terrestrial: 25% // Non Forest: 102% = Semi-aquatic: 9% (Fresh water: 9%); Terrestrial: 92% (Arctic-alpin: 13%; Non arctic-alpin: 80% [Semi-natural: 80%])
Guilds:
Plot size categories (%): < 1 m2: 7%; 1-10 m2: 81%; 10-100 m2: 8%; 100-1000 m2: 4%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 100; slope aspect: 100; slope inclination: 100; soil pH: 10; other attributes: water chemistry 1% Plant chemistry 1% sediment chemistry 1%
Performance measure(s): cover: 100%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 100%
Sampling periods: 1950-1959: 1%; 1960-1969: 12%; 1970-1979: 53%; 1980-1989: 13%; 2000-2009: 13%; 2010-2019: 8%
Information as of 2026-06-14; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-GB-006

Ruth Mitchell* (ruth.mitchell@hutton.ac.uk)
Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB15 8QH Aberdeen, UNITED KINGDOM
Robin Pakeman (Robin.Pakeman@hutton.ac.uk)
Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB15 8QH Aberdeen, UNITED KINGDOM
Andrea Britton (Andrea.Britton@hutton.ac.uk)
Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB15 8QH Aberdeen, UNITED KINGDOM
Alison Hester (Alison.Hester@hutton.acuk)
Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB15 8QH Aberdeen, UNITED KINGDOM
* corresponding author