Ecological change in the native Scottish pinewoods since 1971 – data from the Bunce 2018–2022 re-survey

Abstract. The native pinewoods of Scotland are acknowledged to be an important ecological resource, both for their biodiversity value and as a cultural and amenity resource. Due to the unique nature of the habitat and its limited range, it plays a critical role as an early warning system for broader environmental issues. In the late 1960s and 70s, increased concern was expressed regarding a decline in the status and management of the pinewoods. In response to the concerns, an ecological monitoring survey was initiated by R.G.H. Bunce of the Nature Conservancy in 1971, recording ground flora, tree information, soils and other descriptive attributes. Since that time, interest in the pinewoods has increased further, and there is a general consensus that the habitat is more vulnerable than ever. Thanks to a recent repeat survey between 2018 and 2022, questions addressing the threats and changes occurring in the pinewoods can now be explored in a statistically robust way. These questions include issues surrounding the impacts of deer grazing, regeneration, the balance between native and exotic species, local disturbances, trends in ground flora species occurrences, climate change and recovery from acidification. The new data from the 2018–22 survey are now publicly available via the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.5285/5e268e86-4a4f-4112-bf2d-c3b0179c915c ‘Habitat, vegetation, tree and soil data from Native Pinewoods in Scotland, 2018–2022’.