Scotland River Temperature Monitoring Network (SRTMN) – Tree planting prioritisation for shading rivers
River temperature is an important control on the health of fish populations. Under climate change it is expected that river temperature will rise with negative consequences for fish populations. Management of riparian woodland is proven to protect cold water habitats. However the creation of new riparian woodland can be costly and logistically challenging. It is therefore important that woodland creation is prioritised to areas where rivers are (1) hottest and (2) most sensitive to climate change, and (3) where riparian woodland can be most effective in reducing maximum summer river temperatures. Modelling tools to predict these river temperature values can be used to prioritise riparian tree planting in Scotland to protect freshwater fish and fisheries from the effects of climate change.
The outputs of the work to identify where riparian woodland can be most effective are illustrated as three layers on Marine Scotland Maps NMPi:
- Prioritisation where both banks can be planted
- Prioritisation where only north banks can be planted
- Prioritisation where only south banks can be planted
The rankings and colour scales run from 0- 10, with 0 being low priority (no temperature reduction) and 10 high priority (large temperature reduction).
Details of the modelling work that produced these layers can be found in two associated peer-reviewed publications (see links under 'Additional Information' Tab). Model outputs are presented on river line features derived from a Digital Rivers Network licensed from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).