Biodiversity and Gardens & Land
Do you own or manage a small garden, farm or large estate? If so, this note will help you think of how biodiversity concerns your daily life.
Benefits of Biodiversity
- Aesthetics - varied landscapes supporting a variety of wildlife.
- Culture - from heather moorlands to thistles and red squirrels, local biodiversity is part of Scotland’s culture and traditions.
- Economics - forestry, fishing, farming and eco-tourism all rely on healthy ecosystems and biodiversity for their long-term survival.
- Services - peat bogs filter drinking water and trees produce oxygen.
- Products - timber, fish and crops are just some of the products of our local biodiversity.
Why this Plan?
Some habitats, plants and animals are at risk and can be helped by making some changes in our daily lives. As you flip through the full technical plan, you will see that each habitat and species action plan has a list of background information and an action table, which lists practical projects to be carried out. Many of the Urban, Farmland & Grassland and Woodland Habitat Action Plans will relate to you, including Gardens, Allotments & Orchards; Boundary Features; and Broadleaved Woodland.
So how can you give something back to biodiversity? Being in control of a small or large tract of land means you can make a real difference by thinking green in your daily decisions. The list of Green Tips below provides just a few ideas to get you started!
Green Tips:
- Use a compost bin to dispose of kitchen scraps and garden clippings and then use the compost for your garden instead of peat.
- Fence-off streams from livestock and plant native trees along the banks.
- Plant gaps in hedgerows with a variety of native shrubs.
- Leave part of your land to grow wild and plant native wildflowers.
Helpful Contacts and Information:
- Native plants: Jupiter Wildflower Nursery (01324 494 974).
- Farming: Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (01786 870 185).
- Woodlands: Forestry Commission (01738 442 830).
- General Conservation: Scottish Natural Heritage (01738 444 177).
- The Clackmannanshire Biodiversity Co-ordinator (01259 452 639).
