{"id":631479,"date":"2024-08-20T10:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T07:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal\/"},"modified":"2024-08-20T10:30:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T07:30:01","slug":"rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"#Rewilding Scottish Highlands could help the UK hit 30&#215;30 conservation goal"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a9a6edf23a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a9a6edf23a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal\/#What_happened_to_Europes_biodiversity\" >What happened to Europe&#8217;s biodiversity?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal\/#Where_could_Europe_be_rewilded\" >Where could Europe be rewilded?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-the-uk-hit-30x30-conservation-goal\/#Protecting_urban_nature\" >Protecting urban nature<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/rewilding-scottish-hig.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/rewilding-scottish-hig.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Blue areas represent passive rewilding opportunities where carnivores and herbivores are already present, while the other colors would require reintroductions. Credit: &lt;i&gt;Current Biology&lt;\/i&gt; (2024). DOI: 10.1016\/j.cub.2024.07.045\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/rewilding-scottish-hig.jpg\" alt=\"Rewilding Scottish Highlands could help UK hit 30x30 conservation goal\" title=\"Blue areas represent passive rewilding opportunities where carnivores and herbivores are already present, while the other colors would require reintroductions. Credit: Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016\/j.cub.2024.07.045\" width=\"800\" height=\"462\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Blue areas represent passive rewilding opportunities where carnivores and herbivores are already present, while the other colors would require reintroductions. Credit: <i>Current Biology<\/i> (2024). DOI: 10.1016\/j.cub.2024.07.045<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Up to a quarter of Europe could be suitable for rewilding, a new analysis has revealed.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                    Restoring wilderness in areas of Scotland, Scandinavia and Spain would help to raise the continent&#8217;s biodiversity, which has sharply declined over the past 200 years.<\/p>\n<p>Restoring Scotland&#8217;s natural landscapes could be crucial to help the U.K. meet its biodiversity targets.<\/p>\n<p>As almost a sixth of the U.K.&#8217;s wildlife is threatened with extinction, it&#8217;s more important than ever to give nature places to thrive. Rewilding is one part of the solution, which looks to restore natural processes that allow ecosystems to regulate themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Research published in the journal <i>Current Biology<\/i> suggests that large parts of Scotland&#8217;s highlands and islands could be a good place to start. Small changes could encourage key animals like the wildcat and pine marten to spread, and return to areas they were driven out of centuries ago.<\/p>\n<p>Historic losses have left the U.K. as one of the most &#8220;nature-depleted&#8221; countries in the world, but the return of these species would help boost Britain&#8217;s dwindling biodiversity. It would also put the country within touching distance of fulfilling its pledge to protect 30% of its landscape by 2030, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/news\/2022\/april\/uk-set-miss-pledge-protect-30-of-territory-2030.html\">a goal known as 30&#215;30<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Miguel B. Ara\u00fajo, the first author of the study, says that rewilding is &#8220;crucial for countries like the U.K.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By allowing wild herbivores to recolonize these lands, or by actively reintroducing them, we can substitute domestic livestock with wild herbivores,&#8221; Ara\u00fajo explains. &#8220;This <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach helps restore natural processes of land management, reducing the risk of uncontrolled fires and promoting a more resilient and ecologically balanced landscape.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s not just the U.K. that could benefit. Up to 1.2 million square kilometers of land across Europe has also been identified as suitable for rewilding. Restoring even a fraction of this area would represent a fundamental change in the continent&#8217;s relationship with nature.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_Europes_biodiversity\"><\/span>What happened to Europe&#8217;s biodiversity?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The declines in Europe&#8217;s biodiversity began hundreds of years ago during the agricultural revolutions. More intensive farming practices and the proliferation of larger farms drove increasing yields for farmers, but also led to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/news\/2023\/june\/new-forests-restoration-among-proposals-england-woodlands.html\">the loss of wildlife-rich habitats like woodlands<\/a>, meadows and wetlands.<\/p>\n<p>Some countries came out of this transition with less biodiversity than others. Island nations like the U.K., Ireland and Malta were hit particularly hard as the changes to the landscape were concentrated into a smaller area, with fewer opportunities for wildlife to return.<\/p>\n<p>As habitat losses have continued to mount over the centuries, they have been added to by more recent threats, including climate change and pollution. It&#8217;s now estimated that around 19% of Europe&#8217;s plants and animals are threatened with extinction, with insects particularly at risk.<\/p>\n<p>Amid warnings over the state of the world&#8217;s ecosystems, many European countries have signed up to the 30&#215;30 initiative. However, deciding where to place the required protected areas is a sensitive and sometimes controversial issue, slowing progress.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers behind the current paper wanted to help address this problem by looking at rewilding in particular. They chose to focus on finding large areas of land with a limited human presence that are already home to at least some species vital for healthy ecosystems to recover.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_could_Europe_be_rewilded\"><\/span>Where could Europe be rewilded?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Using their criteria, the scientists identified that around a quarter of Europe would be suitable for rewilding. The cooler regions of Scandinavia and Scotland make up most of this area, with Spain and Portugal also having important rewilding potential.<\/p>\n<p>Much of this land could be restored through what&#8217;s known as passive rewilding, where smaller changes like reconnecting forest patches or &#8220;rewiggling&#8221; rivers could help to encourage wildlife to return from surrounding areas. In fact, as much as a quarter of the areas suitable for passive rewilding are already protected in some way.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, in parts of southern France and Mediterranean islands like Corsica and Sardinia, active rewilding will be needed. This would mean reintroducing species like the Eurasian lynx that have been driven out of these areas so that they can start to rebalance the ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p>Rewilding these areas does not simply mean turning them over to conservation overnight, however. While the terms of their criteria try to minimize impacts on the lives of people who do live in potential rewilding areas, careful consultation will be needed before any initiatives begin.<\/p>\n<p>Ara\u00fajo hopes that other benefits of rewilding, aside from simply restoring ecosystems, will ensure that it is good for all residents of an area: human, animal, plant or otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Not only does rewilding provide a cost-effective approach for managing large areas of relatively unproductive land, but it also enhances the natural capital of these regions,&#8221; he says. &#8220;This can foster the growth of new economies centered around ecosystem services and tourism.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Additionally, the restoration of the complex trophic relationships in Europe&#8217;s ecosystems increases how efficiently they can store carbon, which helps to mitigate climate change.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Protecting_urban_nature\"><\/span>Protecting urban nature<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the suggested areas of rewilding would boost biodiversity across Europe, this will only help to restore relatively remote areas. In more densely populated nations like England, Belgium and the Netherlands, it&#8217;s impossible to get away from the human impact.<\/p>\n<p>Even though these areas might not be suitable for large-scale rewilding, they can still provide an important role in supporting nature. Recent research has shown that some of the most critical sites for vital ecosystem services, like pollination, can be found alongside urban areas and shouldn&#8217;t be overlooked for conservation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Conserving biodiversity in areas influenced by humanity is just as crucial as rewilding more remote regions,&#8221; Ara\u00fajo says. &#8220;Bringing nature back to farmland through sustainable practices like agroforestry and organic farming benefits both nature and agriculture by improving soil health, water retention, and crop yields.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Meanwhile, increasing the quantity and quality of green spaces in urban areas is also important, fostering both biodiversity and human well-being. Green spaces provide habitat for various species and offer numerous benefits to city dwellers, including improved air quality, temperature regulation, and recreational opportunities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The researchers hope that their research will act as a guide, rather than strict instructions, to help governments and organizations make the best decisions when deciding how best to support nature in their own country.<\/p>\n<p>However, as threats to biodiversity continue to mount, the best results will come from acting sooner, rather than later.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>                                                    Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                            Natural History Museum<br \/>\n                                                                                                                <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/\"><br \/>\n                                                            <svg>\n                                                                <use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                            <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                  <i>This story is republished courtesy of Natural History Museum. Read the original story <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/news\/2024\/august\/rewilding-scottish-highlands-could-help-uk-hit-conservation-goal.html\">here<\/a>.<\/i>\n                                             <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                Rewilding Scottish Highlands could help the UK hit 30&#215;30 conservation goal (2024, August 20)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 20 August 2024<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-08-rewilding-scottish-highlands-uk-30&#215;30.html<\/p>\n<p>                                             This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                             part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2024-08-rewilding-scottish-highlands-uk-30x30.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue areas represent passive rewilding opportunities where carnivores and herbivores are already present, while the other colors would require reintroductions. Credit: Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016\/j.cub.2024.07.045 Up to a quarter of Europe could be suitable for rewilding, a new analysis has revealed. Restoring wilderness in areas of Scotland, Scandinavia and Spain would help to raise&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":631480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/rewilding-scottish-hig.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-631479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}