Rewilding Scotland: Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation with Ecosystem Service Provision

尽管精确的定义仍有争议，但野化通常是指以自然为主导的生态系统过程的重组或建立，最大限度地减少持续的人为干预（Jorgensen，2015年; Gammon，2018年; Pettorelli等人，2018年）。目前，“欧洲野化”组织已登记了80多个野化地点，预计所有这些地点都将表现出生物多样性的增加、生态系统过程的变化以及生态系统服务的改善（Pettorelli，杜兰特和du Toit，2019年;欧洲野化网络，2021年）。野化的支持者认为，野化是应对生物多样性丧失和气候危机的关键工具（Lorimer等人，二〇一五年;尽管有上述主张，并且自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经验和实验研究（Lorimer等人，2015; Svenning等人，2016）。相反，在文献中观察到对论文和观点的偏见（Svenning等人，2016）。这种偏见抑制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，可能导致不利和意外的社会生态后果（Sutherland等人，2004; Pettorelli等人，2018年）。 大型草食性和杂食性有蹄类动物的社区发挥着核心作用，特别是在欧洲和英国。这些有蹄类动物的浏览者和食草动物被认为是维持生物多样性森林牧场景观的关键，尽管也需要捕食和/或淘汰有蹄类动物，因为高有蹄类动物密度会抑制森林牧场循环的重要组成部分的发展（Vera，2000年; Cornelissen等人，2014; Lorimer等人，2015年）。因此，重要的是要了解和更好地预测有蹄动物群落的社会生态影响的野化。 因此，目前的研究将旨在提高知识和理解：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存的直接和间接途径，以及这如何提供协同生态系统服务效益。3)当前和未来的人口增长和扩大（重新）引进有蹄类动物在苏格兰-重点是野猪。 为了实现这一目标，这个博士将使用Bunloit rewilding项目作为一个演员研究网站（https：//www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/）。这项野化计划迄今已记录了四种有蹄类动物的组合：西卡鹿（Cervus nippon）、红鹿（Cervus elaphus）、狍（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).