THE work of the Holy Loch Nature Reserve has been highlighted at Holyrood as MSPs discussed the importance of protecting Scotland’s rainforest.
The reserve was referenced during a recent Scottish Parliament debate led by Argyll and Bute MSP Jenni Minto, who highlighted its work to map the insect diversity found within the habitat.
“There are 30,000 hectares of Scottish rainforest,” Ms Minto said, “and we can’t forget the real engine room of the rainforest which lies with its insect diversity, which the Holy Loch Nature Reserve is now mapping.”
HLNR ecologist Dr Neil Hammatt welcomed the recognition, saying the reserve was working to build a greater understanding of the species which make their home in its developing rainforest.
“It’s great to have the reserve mentioned and recognised in the Scottish Government, especially when it’s about Scotland’s rainforest,” he said.
“We are working hard to understand how all of the occupants of our young rainforest contribute to making it such a unique habitat.
“Jenni Minto recognises the importance of re-establishing this traditional habitat up and down the west coast.”
The recognition comes as the reserve has also secured new funding to expand its biodiversity monitoring.
A £459 award from Argyll and Bute Council’s Supporting Communities Fund will go towards a dedicated 32GB computer capable of handling the growing amount of data being collected at the site.
Dr Hammatt said additional money raised through a recent guided tour, organised by Sarah Hawley of Dunoon on the Move, would also be put towards the equipment.
“We’re Scotland’s most intensively and comprehensively monitored conservation site, with 18,000 rows in our spreadsheet,” he said.
“This will shoot up much further now UK Bioscan has been extended until 2029 and we’re starting to delve into the biodiversity of the reserve’s soils by detecting the DNA signals cast off by beasties and fungi living in them.”
Further support is being provided by the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network, which is funding a dissolved oxygen meter to investigate the reserve’s dozens of pools.
Dr Hammatt said researchers hope the equipment could help answer why apparently similar pools can support very different levels of biodiversity.
“It is entirely unknown why some pools teem with life while others support nothing,” he added.
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