Machair - conservation interest and management

The relatively low intensity of the cultivation techniques, associated with growing crops of potatoes and cereal are the key to the survival of the rich flora and fauna of the machair in western Scotland, especially in the Outer Hebridean Islands. The restricted use of herbicides and artificial fertilisers, allows expression of an older and richer flora, especially composed of arable weeds long-since eliminated from farmland elsewhere (Angus 1994). It also provides suitable breeding sites (in the open cultivated sandy soils) for large populations of wading birds, principally dunlin and ringed plover. Densities can reach 200 pairs per ha in the most favourable habitats, though 100 per ha is more usual. These densities are far greater for this group of birds than for other habitats where they nest in other parts of Europe (Fuller et al. 1986).

Cultivation is unusual in the machairs of Ireland, the areas are mostly grazed. Nine species are present on the machair of Ireland though at a much lower density than on the Western Isles possibly because of the smaller size of the machair there and the absence of cultivation (Merne 1991).

Comment: A recent and problematic issue is the predation of the ground-nesting waders by hedgehogs in the Outer Hebrides. This animal was not known on the islands until it was introduced by a local some years ago. Since then the population has increased dramatically with a corresponding and devastating impact on the breeding birds. Attempts to restore the breeding success of the nesting birds through culling the hedgehog population has met with much opposition from animal welfare groups. Information on this project can be found on the Scottish Natural Heritage web site @ http://www.snh.org.uk/news/nw-frame.htm.

References

Angus, S. 1994. The conservation importance of the machair systems of the Scottish Islands, with particular reference to the Outer Hebrides. In: The Islands of Scotland: a Living Marine Heritage, ed.Baxter, J.M. & Usher, M.B.HMSO, Edinburgh, 95-120.

Fuller, R.J., Reed, T.M., Buxton, N.E., Webb, A., Williams, T.D. & Pienkowski, M.W. 1986. Populations of breeding waders Charadriidae and their habitats on the crofting lands of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Biological Conservation, 37., 333-361.

Merne, O.J. 1991. Birds of Irish dunes - a review. In: A Guide to the Sand Dunes of Ireland, ed.Quigley, M.B.European Union for Coastal Conservation, Leiden, Holland, 72-76.