Rewilding Scotland: Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation with Ecosystem Service Provision

尽管精确的定义仍有争议，但野化通常指的是自然主导的生态系统过程的重组或建立，以最小的持续人为干预（Jorgensen, 2015; Gammon, 2018； Pettorelli等人，2018）。“欧洲再野化”项目目前已登记了80多个再野化地点，预计所有地点都将显示出生物多样性的增加、生态系统过程的变化和生态系统服务的改善（Pettorelli， Durant和du Toit, 2019；欧洲再野化网络，2021）。重新野生化的支持者认为，它是应对生物多样性丧失和气候危机的关键工具（Lorimer等人，2015；Bakker和Svenning, 2018; rewilding Europe, 2022）。尽管有上述主张，而且自1998年首次正式概念化以来，对野化的兴趣显著增长，但缺乏评估或分析野化过程及其后果的实证和实验研究（Lorimer等人，2015；Svenning等人，2016）。相反，在文献中观察到对论文和评论文章的偏见（Svenning等人，2016）。这种偏见阻碍了科学上稳健的野化实践的发展，并且通过接受未经检验的教条和实践，可能导致不利的和意想不到的社会生态结果（Sutherland等人，2004；Pettorelli等人，2018）。大型草食性和杂食性有蹄类动物群落在野生化中发挥着核心作用，特别是在欧洲和英国。这些有蹄类的浏览动物和食草动物被认为对维持生物多样性的林草地景观至关重要，尽管也需要捕食和/或淘汰有蹄类动物，因为高有蹄类密度会抑制林草地循环的重要组成部分的发展（Vera, 2000； Cornelissen等人，2014；Lorimer等人，2015）。因此，了解和更好地预测有蹄类群落在野生化过程中的社会生态影响是很重要的。因此，本研究旨在提高对以下方面的认识和理解：1)苏格兰有蹄类动物群落的动态，包括栖息地选择和种间关系。2)有蹄类动物影响生物多样性和碳储量的直接和间接途径，以及如何提供协同生态系统服务效益。3)苏格兰目前和未来的人口增长和（重新）引进有蹄类动物的扩张——重点是野猪。为了实现这一目标，本博士将使用Bunloit野生动物重建项目作为模型研究地点（https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/）。到目前为止，该项目已经记录了四种有蹄类动物的集合：梅花鹿（Cervus nippon）、马鹿（Cervus elaphus）、狍子（Capreolus Capreolus）和野猪（Sus scrofa）。

Although a precise definition is still debated, rewilding generally refers to the nature-led reorganisation or establishment of ecosystem processes with minimal ongoing human intervention (Jorgensen, 2015; Gammon, 2018; Pettorelli et al., 2018). Over 80 rewilding sites are now registered by 'Rewilding Europe', with all expected to demonstrate increased biodiversity, changes to ecosystem processes, and improved ecosystem service delivery (Pettorelli, Durant and du Toit, 2019; European Rewilding Network, 2021). Proponents of rewilding suggest that it acts as a key tool to combat both biodiversity loss and the climate crisis (Lorimer et al., 2015; Bakker and Svenning, 2018; Rewilding Europe, 2022).Despite the above claims and a significant growth in interest in rewilding since its initial formal conceptualisation in 1998, there is a lack of empirical and experimental studies assessing or analysing the processes occurring in, and the consequences of, rewilding (Lorimer et al., 2015; Svenning et al., 2016). Instead, a bias towards essays and opinion pieces is observed in the literature (Svenning et al., 2016). This bias inhibits the development of scientifically robust rewilding practices and, through the acceptance of untested dogma and practices, can lead to adverse and unexpected social-ecological outcomes (Sutherland et al., 2004; Pettorelli et al., 2018). Communities of large herbivorous and omnivorous ungulates play a central role in rewilding, particularly in Europe and the UK. These ungulate browsers and grazers are hypothesised to be crucial in maintaining a biodiverse wood-pasture landscape, although the predation and/or culling of ungulates is also required as high ungulate densities can inhibit vital components of the wood-pasture cycle from developing (Vera, 2000; Cornelissen et al., 2014; Lorimer et al., 2015). Thus, it is important to understand and better anticipate the social-ecological impacts of ungulate communities in rewilding. Consequently, this current research will aim to improve knowledge and understanding of: 1) The dynamics of Scottish ungulate communities, including habitat selection and interspecific relationships. 2) The direct and indirect routes through which ungulates can impact biodiversity and carbon storage, and how this can provide synergistic ecosystem service benefits or not. 3) The current and future population growth and expansion of (re)introduced ungulates in Scotland - with a focus on wild boar. To achieve this, this PhD will use the Bunloit rewilding project as a cast study site (https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/). This rewilding project has recorded an ungulate assemblage of four species to date: sika deer (Cervus nippon), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa).