Rewilding Scotland: the dynamics of novel ungulate communities and their impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and social-ecological conflic

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 wild boar in Scotland
4) How wild boar populations in Scotland may impact farming and livestock holdings into the future, using agent-based modelling


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).