Montane Scrub

Dwarf Birch

Montane Scrub is a zone of small trees above the main forest level and below the mountain tops. it is largely missing in Scotland because deer and sheep have eaten the trees. It is present and flourishing in SW Norway where there are very similar conditions of weather, altitude and soil to Scotland. There is a move afoot now to try to restore this zone in Scotland and there are many organisations involved. (See links below).

The trees involved are listed with links below, as are the Zones and the Organisations which are restoring the Montane Scrub. The Montane Scrub is where the small trees known as the 'Wee Trees' have adapted to the altitude and the harsh weather conditions. What they cannot cope with, however, is over grazing as they are of necessity slow growing. There are various different classifications of the zones in which they are found, but the Montane Scrub can broadly be said to span from the willow zone into the Alpine Zone.

The John Muir Trust is restoring the Montane Scrub on Schiehallion.

To allow the Montane Scrub to grow, sheep and deer must be kept away and to this end the JMT is using double electric fences of stock height, similar to the ones used by the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lawers. Then the decision has to be made as to whether the Montane Scrub trees are planted or whether they are really still there but concealed below the heather where they have in effect been hiding from the herbivores. On the Mar Estate it is thought that natural regeneration may well be enough. They have said that they have been rising like Phoenixes once the herbivores are excluded. For Schiehallion the jury is out.

This tree is what is known as Krummholtz (literally means crooked wood) - it is a pine which would have had a normal looking shape if it had grown at a lower altitude, but when growing near the tree line, it is stressed by wind, low temperatures and poor soils resulting in this contorted shape. This is likely to occur just below the Montane Scrub.

Photo credit Walter Siegmund

Organisations supporting the restoration of Montane Scrub

Use the links to find out more about work to restore the Montane Scrub (the 'Wee Trees' of the mountains)

Mountain Woodland Action Group

Highland Communities Land Trust

Rewilding Britain
Forestry & Land Scotland