The MOORCO project studies how woodland expansion onto moorland affects biodiversity and ecosystem services.
MOORCO stands for moorland colonisation and is an umbrella project encompassing four different experimental platforms that study the impact of woodland expansion onto heather dominated moorland.
About the project
Scotland is currently a relatively sparsely wooded country but historically woodland covered a much larger area. The present situation is primarily the result of centuries of deforestation, largely as a result of man’s activities. Today Scotland’s woodland cover is about 17% of the land area, which the Scottish Government aims to increase to 25% by 2050. Woodland expansion onto moorland is one way to achieve this target and pine and birch woodlands are the two native types of woodland that most readily establish on moorlands. Caledonian pinewoods are included within Annex 1 of the EC Habitats Directive and both Caledonian pinewoods and upland birch woodlands are Priority Habitat within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Both woodland types together make up the majority of the remaining fragments of native woodland in Scotland today and will readily expand, given the right conditions.
Experimental platforms
Our long-term experimental work is carried out on four experimental platforms:
- Chronosequence plots. 3 sites with chronosequences of birch establishment onto moorland
- Miles planted plots. 3 sites each with replicated plots of planted birch and open heather moorland.
- Miles felled plots 1 site with replicated plots of planted heather on felled birch woodland and mature birch woodland
- The BIG experiment. 3 sites each with replicated plots of planted birch or pine and open moorland with and without grazing.
Results
When birch colonises moorland the following changes were found to occur:
Changes in biodiversity
- The vegetation changes from heather-dominated to grass- and herb-dominated understorey
- The number and diversity of soil mites, Collembola (spring tails) and earthworms increases
- The soil microbial community changes from being fungal-dominated to bacteria-dominated
- The species of fungi present also change.
Changes in soil properties
- Soil acidity decreases
- Soil phosphorus and bulk density increases
- Total soil carbon and depth of organic matter decreases
- Soil moisture decreases
Changes in ecosystem services
- Rates of litter decomposition increase
- Increased rate of nitrogen mineralisation
- Less carbon is stored in vegetation and litter in some 20 year old birch woodland vegetation than in moorland vegetation
- Less carbon is stored in the soil under some 20 year old birch trees, planted on moorland, than in the moorland soil
MOORCO is a collaborative project across several groups and themes within the James Hutton Institute and with many different staff involved. In the first instance please contact Dr Ruth Mitchell for further details.
Principle investigator
Team members
- MOORCO is a collaborative project across several groups and themes within the James Hutton Institute and with many different staff involved. In the first instance please contact Dr Ruth Mitchell for further details.
Publications
- Friggens NL, Hester AJ, Mitchell RJ, Parker TC, Subke J-A, Wookey PA (2020) Tree planting in organic soils does not result in net carbon sequestration on decadal timescales Global change biology 26, 5178-5188 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15229
- Davies, A. 2019 Dung fungi as an indicator of large herbivore dynamics in peatlands. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 271, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.104108
- Mitchell, R.J., Hester, A.J., Campbell, C.D., Chapman, S.J., Cameron, C.M., Hewison, R.L. and Potts, J.M. 2012. Explaining the variation in the soil microbial community: do vegetation composition and soil chemistry explain the same or different parts of the microbial variation? Plant and Soil 351, 355-362
- Mitchell, R.J., Keith, A.M., Potts, J.M., Ross, J., Reid, E. and Dawson, L.A. 2012. Overstory and understory vegetation interact to alter soil community composition and activity. Plant and Soil 352, 65-84
- Mitchell, R.J., Hester, A.J., Campbell, C.D., Chapman, S.J., Cameron, C.M., Hewison, R.L. and Potts, J.M. 2010. Is vegetation composition or soil chemistry the best predictor of the soil microbial community? Plant and Soil 333, 417-430.
- Mitchell, R.J. Campbell, C.D., Chapman, S.J. and Cameron, C.M. 2010. The ecological engineering impact of a single tree species on the soil microbial community. Journal of Ecology 98, 50-61.
- Keith, A.M., Brooker, R.B., Osler, G.H R., Chapman, S.J., Burslem, D.F.R.P. and van der Wal, R. Strong impacts of below ground tree inputs on soil nematode trophic composition. 2009. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 41, 1060-1065.
- Dawson, L., Hester, A., Ross, J., Hood, K., Gwatkin, R., Potts, J., Bell, J., and Sommerkorn, M. 2009. Carbon dynamics in heather moorland – impact of tree establishment. In: Predicting the Future for Highly Organic Soils, British Society of Soil Science, Spring Conference, Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University, 5 – 7 May 2009.
- Keith, A.M., van der Wal, R., Brooker, R.B., Osler, G.H.R., Chapman, S.J. and Burslem, D.F.R.P. and Elston, D. 2008. Increasing litter species richness reduces variability in a terrestrial decomposer system. Ecology 89(9), 2657-2664.
- Brooker R.W., Osler G.H.R., Gollisch J. 2008. Association of vegetation and soil mite assemblages with isolated Scots pine trees on a Scottish wet heath. Landscape Ecology 23, 861–871.
- Nielsen, U.N., Osler, G.H.R., van der Wal, R., Campbell, C.D. and Burslem, D.F.R.P. 2008. Soil pore volume and the abundance of soil mites in two contrasting habitats. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40, 1538-1541
- Mitchell, R.J., Campbell ,C.D., Chapman, S.J., Osler, G.H.R., Vanbergen, A.J., Ross, L.C., Cameron, C.M. and Cole, L. 2007. The cascading effects of birch on heather moorland: a test for top-down control of an ecosystem engineer. Journal of Ecology 95, 540-554.
- Keith, A.M., van der Wal R., Brooker, R.W., Osler, G.H.R., Chapman, S.J. and Burslem, D.F.R.P. 2006. Birch invasion of heather moorland increases nematode diversity and trophic complexity. Soil Biology Biochemistry 38, 3421-3430.
- Keith, A.M., van der Wal, R., Brooker, R.B., Osler, G.H.R., Chapman, S.J. and Burslem, D.F.R.P. 2006. Birch invasion of heather moorland increases nematode diversity and trophic complexity. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38(12), 3421-3430
- Osler, G.H.R., Cole, L. and Keith, A.M. 2006. Changes in oribatid mite community structure associated with the succession from heather (Calluna vulgaris) moorland to birch (Betula pubescens) woodland. Pedobiologia 50, 323-330.
- Osler, G.H.R., Cole, L. and Keith, A.M. 2006. Effects of birch invasion of heather moorland on mite community structure. Pedobiologia 50(4), 323-330.
- Osler, G.H.R., Korycinska, A. and Cole, L. 2006. Differences in litter mass change mite assemblage structure on a deciduous forest floor. Ecography, 29, 811-818.
- Hester, A.J., Miles, J. and Gimingham G.H. 1991. Succession from heather moorland to birch woodland. I. Experimental alteration of specific environmental conditions in the field. Journal of Ecology 79, 303-315.
- Hester, A.J., Miles, J. and Gimingham, C.H. 1991. Succession from heather moorland to birch woodland. II. Growth and competition beteen Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa and Agrostis capillaris. Journal of Ecology 79, 317-328.
- Hester, A.J., Gimingham G.H. and Miles, J. 1991. Succession from heather moorland to birch woodland. III. Seed availability, germination and early growth. Journal of Ecology 79, 329-344.
- Miles, J. 1981. Effects of birch on moorlands. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cambridge
- Miles, J. and Young, W.F. 1980. The effects on heathland and moorland soils in Scotland and northern England following colonisation by birch. Bull Ecology 11, 233–242.
