Main banner photo by Steve Carter

ACT are delighted to announce the start of our exciting new Rainforest Restoration Project. We are seeking an experienced ecologist with a specialism in rainforests and lower plants to work with ACT and partners, including NatureScot and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, to explore opportunities and implement a trial programme.

Bazzania trilobata, photo by Ian Dow/ACT

Ecologist - Specialism: Rainforests/Lower Plants

The specialised Ecologist will lead the development of an enhanced restoration package. This pivotal role involves designing and implementing strategies to improve rainforest restoration and expansion. The successful candidate will focus on the translocation of lower/vascular plant and fungi material to degraded sites undergoing restoration. 

Applications are now closed.

Project aims

• Understand why we observe a multi decade pause in natural regeneration and re-encroachment of rainforest biodiversity into sites cleared of Rhododendron ponticum.
• Develop a process that establishes a suite of canopy, understory, herb and ground layer species into sites cleared of Rhododendron ponticum.
• Develop a process that establishes species of mycorrhizal fungi found at high quality rainforest locations, into sites cleared of Rhododendron ponticum.
• Develop a successional translocation process for locally extinct epiphyte species that should be present at sites cleared of Rhododendron ponticum.
• Develop a process that can deliver these components into newly planted, or naturally regenerating future rainforest sites.

Amanita muscaria, photo by Ian Dow/ACT

There are many factors as to why restoration sites experience this pause in natural regeneration and re-encroachment of the diverse range of species we expect to find at high quality rainforest sites, particularly those cleared of Rhododendron ponticum. This project will attempt to understand those factors, building upon the existing knowledge base to develop a delivery methodology that will enhance ACT’s restoration projects in Argyll, alongside providing a process that can be adopted across the wider rainforest zone.

Further details are available from Ian Dow [email protected]. 

             

Lobaria, Ricasolia, Nephroma and Pectenia                       Veteran Oak populations, photos by Ian Dow/ACT