Cairngorm Mountains Research Articles

THE PERILS OF HAVING TASTY NEIGHBORS: GRAZING IMPACTS OF LARGE HERBIVORES AT VEGETATION BOUNDARIES

The boundaries between vegetation patches are focal points for dynamic interactions between plant communities, particularly in grazed ecosystems where vegetation types may differ in their acceptability to herbivores. Here we show that key vegetation resources attract herbivores, and the surrounding vegetation receives a higher impact than if it is associated with patches of less preferred vegetation (an example of apparent competition). We studied the influence of proximity to preferred grass patches on utilization of the less preferred dwarf shrub, heather (Calluna vulgaris) by red deer (Cervus elaphus) and sheep (Ovis aries) at a range of spatial scales in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, UK. There was a sharp decline in heather utilization with increasing distance from the edges of grass patches. The proportion of grass in the local landscape (within 1 km) had a significant positive effect on heather utilization both at the grass–heather boundary and beyond 5 m from the grass patch. There was also a significant effect of dominant grass species on the utilization of heather within 50 cm of the grass-patch edge, with utilization around Agrostis/Festuca patches (most preferred) being greater than around Nardus-dominated patches, and lowest around patches of Molinia. The greatest contribution to variation in heather utilization was at the smallest scale, and variance components decreased as spatial scale increased, making it impossible to predict local heather utilization (i.e., at the scale of individual plants and of individual bites by foraging ungulates) from large-scale parameters alone, such as herbivore density. These findings emphasize that vegetation–herbivore interactions are localized within the landscape, and that it is these hot spots which are the key fulcrum for vegetation dynamics.

Telling small stories: spaces of knowledge and the practice of geography

This article examines how the practice of learning geography, and the arenas in which knowledge‐making takes place, can be usefully positioned within changing histories of the discipline. It contends that networks of action – understood through the intersection of social sites, subjects and sources – present a conceptual framework and narrative focus for the re‐consideration of specific episodes from geography's past. The interventions made here are informed and illustrated by a ‘small story’ about the doing of geography. Based on different personal accounts, the story revives a series of events, encounters, dialogues and images dating back to the winter of 1951 at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland. This educational institution in the Cairngorm mountains offered children from urban areas the opportunity to learn field studies and the skills of ‘outdoor citizenship’. Initially, the focus falls on Margaret Jack, a 14‐year‐old field‐course participant. Her learning experiences are traced through personal letters, a diary and a field journal dating from that time, and her recent recollections of this event. Margaret's account dovetails with the story of her field studies instructor, Robin Murray. Robin's role is traced through his learning experiences as a geography undergraduate at Aberdeen University, and the recent recollections of Catriona Murray, his wife.

Reconstructing the basal thermal regime of an ice stream in a landscape of selective linear erosion: Glen Avon, Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

The Cairngorm Mountain area of Scotland is a classic example of a landscape of selective linear glacial erosion, with sharp contrasts in the intensity of glacial erosion between the deeply incised troughs and valleys and the undulating high plateau. This article examines the Quaternary development of Glen Avon, a 200 m deep glacial trough set within the high plateau of the mountains. Evidence concerning the aggregate basal thermal regimes of the topographically controlled ice streams that formerly developed in this area is reconstructed from the geomorphological record, including bedforms indicative of wet‐based, sliding ice and of dry‐based ice frozen to its bed. This mapping indicates that basal sliding was not confined exclusively to the troughs but extended towards valley heads and on to parts of the plateau adjacent to troughs. The extent of basal sliding appears to have been greatest beneath pre‐Late Devensian ice sheets. Basal ice temperatures are modelled under steady‐state conditions for the last ice sheet at c. 18 ka BP. Basal thermal regimes are predicted using a reconstruction of the preglacial relief and for the current topography of the area. Convergent flow of ice through the preglacial valley system appears to have been sufficient to induce basal melting and therefore to initiate valley deepening. This effect is enhanced when the model is run across the present topography. Comparison of results of the geomorphological mapping and the modelling reveals significant differences between the actual and predicted extent of basal sliding outside the main ice stream. The overall conclusion is that many ice streams in mountainous terrain are inherited from the locations of preglacial valleys, which serve to accelerate ice flow and promote frictional heating beneath ice sheets.

Towards integrating tracer studies in conceptual rainfall‐runoff models: recent insights from a sub‐arctic catchment in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

AbstractHydrochemical tracers (alkalinity and silica) were used in an end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) of runoff sources in the 10 km2 Allt a' Mharcaidh catchment. A three‐component mixing model was used to separate the hydrograph and estimate, to a first approximation, the range of likely contributions of overland flow, shallow subsurface storm flow, and groundwater to the annual hydrograph. A conceptual, catchment‐scale rainfall‐runoff model (DIY) was also used to separate the annual hydrograph in an equivalent set of flow paths. The two approaches produced independent representations of catchment hydrology that exhibited reasonable agreement. This showed the dominance of overland flow in generating storm runoff and the important role of groundwater inputs throughout the hydrological year. Moreover, DIY was successfully adapted to simulate stream chemistry (alkalinity) at daily time steps. Sensitivity analysis showed that whilst a distinct groundwater source at the catchment scale could be identified, there was considerable uncertainty in differentiating between overland flow and subsurface storm flow in both the EMMA and DIY applications. Nevertheless, the study indicated that the complementary use of tracer analysis in EMMA can increase the confidence in conceptual model structure. However, conclusions are restricted to the specific spatial and temporal scales examined. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soil seed banks of woodland, heathland, grassland, mire and montane communities, Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

The size and species composition of soil seed banks were assessed at 111 altitudinally diverse sites in the Cairngorm Mountains. Mean densities of germinable seeds varied from 83 000 m−2 in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) woodland at 230–490 m to 200 m−2 in moss (Racomitrium lanuginosum (Hedw.) Brid.) heath at 1000–1120 m. Seed banks were dominated by Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, not only wherever it was prominent in the vegetation, but also at some sites with less than 5% cover of parent plants in the ground vegetation. Many species conspicuous in the vegetation were under-represented in or absent from the seed bank and surface vegetation generally was more species rich than was the underlying seed bank, especially in high montane communities. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between the density of buried Calluna seeds and the abundance of parent plants in the vegetation, site altitude and the organic matter content of the soil. The model fitted to woodland communities accounted for 95% of the variation in seed density. The heathland model was less predictive but still explained 52% of the variation in seed bank size. In mire communities there was no relationship, collective or individual, between buried seed density and the measured environmental variables, possibly due to variations in the duration and frequency of waterlogging at these sites. The potential role of seed banks for initiating the recolonisation of disturbed ground is discussed. Densities of buried seeds at most Calluna-dominant sites were probably sufficient to generate successful recolonisation but the prospects for recovery were poor at other sites, particularly in graminaceous communities at 800 m or higher.

Reconstructing the basal thermal regime of an ice stream in a landscape of selective linear erosion: Glen Avon, Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Reconstructing the basal thermal regime of an ice stream in a landscape of selective linear erosion: Glen Avon, Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Glaci-tectonic deformation of proglacial lake sediments in the Cairngorm Mountains

Synopsis Polyphase deformation of glaciolacustrine sediments in the Cairngorm Mountains suggests ice-margin oscillations within a plateau ice-field outlet lobe following the Late Devensian Glacial Maximum, c. 18 ka 14 C BP . Lithostratigraphical analysis of exposures of glacial lake sediments in Gleann Einich reveals that an initial phase of proglacial thrusting was followed by a phase of subglacial deformation resulting from glacier-overriding from the south. Subsequent ice retreat led to the deposition of more extensive lake and delta sediments. This new model of active retreat supports recent theories of a Late Devensian deglaciation punctuated by ice-margin readvances.

DISTRIBUTION MAPS AND IUCN THREAT CATEGORIES FOR HIERACIUM SECTION ALPINA (ASTERACEAE ) IN BRITAIN

Distribution maps and IUCN threat categories for the 30 named species of Hieracium section Alpina (Asteraceae) in Britain are given, based on taxonomic and distribution studies by D.J. Tennant and others over the last 30 years. Twenty-seven taxa are endemic to Scotland, one to England, one to Britain and one also occurs in mainland Europe and the Arctic. There are three main centres of diversity in Scotland: the Eastern Highlands (especially the Cairngorm Mountains), the Western Highlands and the Northern Highlands. Under the IUCN threat categories, seven taxa are Critically Endangered, seven are Endangered, two are Vulnerable, ten are Near Threatened and seven are Nationally Scarce. The main threats are collecting, natural events such as rock falls and avalanches, global warming, acid rain, over-grazing and tourism. There is particular concern for the long-term survival of four taxa.

Geo–ecology and management of sensitive montane landscapes

Montane (alpine) areas are generally of high value for nature conservation. Such environments and the habitats they support are dynamic and often fragile. They are vulnerable to disturbance from a range of human activities and are responsive to climate changes over short and long timescales. Biodiversity and conservation values are closely linked to geological history, geomorphological processes and soils, and it is crucial that management systems are based on understanding these links.There are many similarities between the Cairngorm Mountains (Scotland), the Giant Mountains (Czech Republic) and Abisko Mountains (Sweden) in terms of geology, geomorphology, ecology, links with biodiversity and high conservation importance. Comparable pressures and management issues involve, to varying degrees, a history of human use and impacts from deforestation, pasturing, grazing, recreation and atmospheric pollution. Landscape change therefore involves a complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors. Managing such change requires better understanding of the geo–ecological processes involved and the factors that determine landscape sensitivity. This is illustrated through a simple framework and examples from the three areas. Comparison of landscape sensitivity between similar montane areas, but in different geographic locations and climatic environments, should allow more informed management planning and a precautionary approach in advance of further changes in human activity and from predicted global warming scenarios.

Use of a weighing lysimeter system to assess the effects of trampling on evapotranspiration of montane plant communities

The aim was to investigate the impacts of trampling on water loss and partitioning in vegetation with contrasting structure and species composition. A new design of weighing lysimeter was used in glasshouse experiments to compare evapotranspiration from intact and trampled blocks of vegetation. The lysimeter system was able to detect differences between treatments after only a few hours. Evapotranspiration was recorded for six communities, representative of cryptogam - vascular plant communities found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. Vegetation blocks of Racomitrium and Vaccinium/Hylocomium heath communities had the greatest cumulative evapotranspiration and lichen heath the least over 48 h. Blocks from three of the communities (Agrostis/Festuca grassland, Calluna wet heath, and lichen heath) were used in a trampling experiment with five levels of damage. Trampling progressively destroyed the structure of the vegetation of all communities and increased the rates of water loss from the blocks. The grassland community vegetation was the most resilient. These results help to link the massive changes in vegetation structure resulting from trampling to effects on water loss and microclimate.Key words: weighing lysimeter, evapotranspiration, recreation, trampling, cryptogams, montane vegetation.

Mercury and lead budgets for Lochnagar, a Scottish mountain lake and its catchment.

Lochnagar is a mountain lake located to the southeast of the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland. The inputs and outputs of Hg and Pb and their distribution within the various ecosystem compartments were measured. Further, 17 sediment cores and 10 catchment peat cores were taken and dated using spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) and 210Pb techniques. Total and anthropogenic Hg and Pb inventories since the 1860s for the lake basin and the catchment peats were calculated using this multiple core strategy. Hg sediment flux profiles based on the whole lake basin show that the flux to the sediments increased from the 1880s until the 1970s. This was followed by a relatively stable period (1970s to the present), during which the flux was approximately twice that of the 1880s. Similarly, the Pb flux increased from the 1860s until the 1940s and was also followed by a relatively stable period through to the present. Hg and Pb budgets for the whole catchment for 1998 indicated that 78% of the Hg and 91% of the Pb input to the lake were transported from the catchment. Hence, the expected decline resulting from the decrease in the atmospheric deposition of Pb was obscured in the sediment record. It is estimated that 77% of the total Hg and 90% of the total Pb deposited since the 1860s, and stored in the upper layers of the catchment peat soils, are from anthropogenic sources. The increased storage of Hg and Pb in the catchment implies that this will be a major source of these metals for the lake for many years. This will delay the restoration of the lake system, despite reductions in emissions to the atmosphere and subsequent deposition.

TRENDS IN THE WATER CHEMISTRY OF HIGH ALTITUDE LAKES IN EUROPE

Here we present the chemical trends of seven high altitude lakes, analysed within the AL:PE and MOLAR Projects of the EU (1999) and selected on the basis of the availability of complete and reliable data for the period 1984–1999. The lakes are representative of the Scandinavian Alps, the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland, the Alps and the Pyrenees. Significant trends were identified for some indicators of acidification, for instance pH and alkalinity, but not all lakes reacted similarly to decreasing depositions of sulphate and base cations. Differences in lake response are discussed in relation to recent variations of atmospheric deposition chemistry and associated changes in climatic conditions. Beside individual variations of the studied lakes, depending, among other things, on altitude and morphology, catchment characteristics and climate trends play a major role for the reaction of high altitude lakes on changes in atmospheric depositions.

Fluxes of NH3 and CO2 over upland moorland in the vicinity of agricultural land

Intensive field measurements of NH3 and CO2 exchange were made over a wet heathland in the vicinity (<500 m) of sheep pastures in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland for a two‐week period in the summer. Fluxes of NH3 were determined using the aerodynamic gradient method with a 3‐height continuous denuder system; fluxes of CO2 were determined using eddy correlation, while sensible and latent heat fluxes were determined by both methods. Few studies have measured NH3 and CO2 fluxes simultaneously, making these measurements relevant to compare exchange dynamics. Both NH3 and CO2 exchanged bidirectionally, in response to a combination of biological (foliar, soil) and physico‐chemical controls (solubility). NH3 was deposited rapidly to leaf surfaces, although during warm, dry daytime conditions periods of emission occurred, explained by the existence of a compensation point concentration for NH3. By contrast, CO2 followed a characteristic pattern of absorption during the day associated with net photosynthesis and emission at night. Both gases showed net uptake from the atmosphere, at 30 μmol NH3 m−2 d−1 and 74 mmol CO2 m−2 d−1. In southeast winds, NH3 emissions from the sheep pasture caused a significant advection error to the measured fluxes (>10%). Corrections were applied using a local‐scale dispersion‐exchange model. The analysis highlights how advection modifies the classical one‐dimensional inferential resistance approach. It is concluded that ecosystems in the vicinity of agricultural land receive more dry deposition than would be estimated using NH3 concentration monitoring and standard inferential models. In the present study, this effect represented an overall increase in total NH3 deposition of 32%.

Seasonality, water quality trends and biological responses in four streams in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Abstract. The chemical composition and invertebrate communities found in four streams in the Cairngorms, Scotland, were monitored between 1985-1997. Stream waters were mildly acidic (mean pH ca. 6.5), with low alkalinity (mean acid neutralising capacity varying from 35-117 meq l-1) and low ionic strength. Subtle differences in the chemistry of each stream were reflected in their invertebrate faunas. Strong seasonality in water chemistry occurred, with the most acid, low alkalinity waters observed during the winter and early spring. This was particularly marked during snowmelt between January and April. In contrast, summer flows were usually groundwater dominated and characterised by higher alkalinity and higher concentrations of most other weathering-derived solutes. Seasonality was also clear in the invertebrate data, with Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) separating seasonal samples along axes related to water temperature and discharge characteristics. Inter-annual hydrological and chemical differences were marked, particularly with respect to the winter period. Invertebrate communities found in each of the streams also varied from year to year, with spring communities significantly more variable (P<0.01) than other seasons (quantified using Euclidean distance on CCA ordinations). Hydrochemical trends over the study period were analysed using a seasonal Kendall test, LOcally WEighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) and graphical techniques. These indicated that a reduction in sulphate concentrations in stream water is occurring, consistent with declining levels of atmospheric deposition. This may be matched by increases in pH and declining calcium concentrations, though available evidence is inconclusive. Other parameters, such as chloride, total organic carbon and zinc, reveal somewhat random patterns, probably reflecting irregular variations in climatic factors and/or atmospheric deposition. Previous studies have shown that the stream invertebrate communities have remained stable over this period (i.e. no significant linear trends) and show no evidence of acid-related impoverishment. Thus, over longer timescales invertebrates in these streams appear robust to the short-term (seasonal and inter-annual) environmental variability and long-term (decadal) chemical changes identified. Keywords: hydrochemistry, hydrology, trends, macroinvertebrates, uplands, Cairngorms, acidification

Phytosociology of terricolous lichen vegetation in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Abstract:The results of an investigation into the lichen vegetation associated with vascular plant communities in the Scottish Highlands are presented. Most lichen species rarely occur in homogeneous stands of vascular plant vegetation, either occurring around the edges of recognized National Vegetation Classification (NVC) communities or in small-scale mosaics with them. However, some lichen species have a high fidelity to the more open NVC communities. The problems associated with applying NVC survey techniques to lichen assemblages are described and discussed.

A Hostile Environment: The National Trust for Scotland, the Cairngorm Trust and Early Ski Developments in the Cairngorm Mountains, 1961-1967

When the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), with the help of £ 10.277m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, bought the Mar Lodge Estate from John Kluge in the spring of 1995, it was widely assumed that this was the first property that the NTS had owned in the Cairngorm mountains.1 Later that year all 228,000 NTS members received a pamphlet explaining the nature of this addition to the Trust's portfolio. Ownership of the Mar Lodge Estate would focus on conservation, informal access and enjoyment, and supporters were warned that this acquisition signified a new milestone of immense significance in the Trust's history: 'do not expect to find familiar facilities such as shops, restaurants or toilets', they were told.2 However, the Trust had been property owners in the Cairngorms before, holding the White Lady Shieling on the mountain Cairn Gorm itself from May 1964 to May 1967. This essay will show how in the mid-1960s the NTS was briefly linked to the future of mountain recreation, especially skiing, in the Cairngorms. It will also show how it was eventually driven off the mountain by the greater development ambitions of others. This is the story of the very earliest years of skiing provision on Cairn Gorm.3 The vision inherent in the Mar Lodge purchase of 1995 can perhaps atone for some of the ill-conceived objectives and priorities, and limited ambitions, of the 1960s venture.4 The National Trust for Scotland was set up as a charitable trust on 1 May 1931, with the power to hold land, buildings and chattels for the benefit of the nation.5 The initiative for setting up the Trust came from the Association for the Preservation of Rural Scotland (APRS), founded in 1927, which urged the creation of a land holding body for Scotland's built and natural heritage over 1929/30.6 As with the English National Trust (established in 1895), Acts of Parliament of 1935 and 1938 gave the NTS Council the power to enter into Restrictive (now Conservation) Agreements with property donors.7

Evidence for Holocene climate variability from the sediments of a Scottish remote mountain lake

AbstractHigh resolution sampling of sediment cores covering approximately the last 4000 yr from Lochan Uaine, a small corrie loch in the Scottish Cairngorm Mountains, show quasi‐periodic cycles in organic matter (measured as percentage loss on ignition). Analysis of these cycles show correspondences between loss on ignition, δ13C values and chironomid head capsule abundance. We interpret the changes as reflecting changes in lake productivity and hypothesise that they are driven by climate variability. However, it is not yet clear whether the periods of relatively high organic matter production and preservation are associated with colder or with warmer conditions. Nevertheless the results indicate the value of using sediments from remote, undisturbed mountain lakes as recorders of Holocene climate variability. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A comparison of pinewood and moorland soils in the Abernethy Forest Reserve, Scotland

AbstractDespite considerable published literature on the above‐ground ecology of the pinewoods of Scotland, little research has considered the way in which pinewood soils differ from those under other vegetation types. Soil properties were compared between ancient, semi‐natural Scots pine forest and moorland on three soil types in the Abernethy Forest Reserve in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. Soil morphology differed considerably between the vegetation types on each soil type, principally in the thickness of organic layers. Forest soils had thicker organic layers and this was particularly true of the F horizon. Forest soils were slightly less acid than equivalent moorland soils and had accumulated significantly more carbon. Forest soils in this environment therefore have the capacity to sequester larger amounts of carbon than moorland, and therefore represent a significant potential carbon sink. The quantity of nitrogen and phosphorus was also consistently larger in the organic layers under pine forest and since little difference existed in these properties in the mineral horizons, it was concluded that this accumulation was real and represented a net addition to the tree‐soil system.

'Domestic Geography' and the Politics of Scottish Landscape in Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain

In its exploration of the reading possibilities of a domestic geography metaphor, this article highlights an engagement with the natural world as both embodied experience and textual practice in Nan Shepherd's neglected prose work, The Living Mountain . Domestic geography is intended as a pathway which shows how the structure and content of this text are inseparable and, by highlighting the complex narrative arrangement of The Living Mountain, privileges the textual representation of an engagement with the natural world from the perspective of a native dweller. In unearthing this forgotten native perspective on the Scottish landscape, the article examines how Shepherd uncovers the hidden ideological nature of the dominant discourses - of science, history, romanticism and landscape aesthetics - which have come to define the Scottish landscape. Drawing on the limited biographical material available on Shepherd, and in a close reading of the text itself, the article shows that both the Cairngorm Mountains and the manuscript of The Living Mountain were an important part of Shepherd's everyday space.

A model for predicting chloride concentrations in river water in a relatively unpolluted catchment in north-east Scotland

The River Dee is an oligotrophic soft water system, in the NE of Scotland, with a catchment area of approximately 2100 km2. The river rises in the Cairngorm Mountains and enters the North Sea at Aberdeen, approximately 140 km from its source. Water chemical quality data was collected every 2 weeks over 12 months for 59 sites distributed throughout the catchment. River water chloride concentrations increased significantly from west to east. In depth investigation of the relationship with distance from the coast revealed the significant difference in spatial distribution of river water chloride concentrations between upland and lowland/agricultural areas, suggesting the possible importance of agricultural practices to streamwater chloride concentrations. Thirty of the sample sites are independent and have been used to develop a simple model for prediction of streamwater Cl− concentration throughout the catchment. The model has been validated using data from the remaining sub-catchments. The model shows that mean Cl− concentration may be reliably predicted from distance from the coast and the percentage of improved grassland and arable land cover in each sub-catchment (r2=0.98). It is postulated that the land use effects may be partly due to the evolved link between landuse and catchment altitude characteristics, rather than just the direct effect of applied potassium chloride fertiliser on agricultural land. It was noted that there was insufficient forestry within the River Dee Catchment to reliably include % forest cover in the model.