They are viewed by many as some of the most important sites in Scotland, offering spectacular views and access to the country’s diverse landscape.
Nature reserves are home to important natural habitats and species and give visitors the chance to experience the best of nature in Scotland.
However, a new study has found that as well as these recognisable benefits, their worth to the public goes way beyond this.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has measured the value of natural capital across its reserves, with the report - the first of its kind in Scotland - revealing that they are worth an estimated £28 million to the public each year.
The National Nature Reserves (NNRs) capital is made up of numerous climate, tourism, recreation, and health benefits which are present across the 56,000ha of land owned and managed by SNH.
Francesca Osowska, chief executive of the heritage body, claimed the study shows the many advantages of nature as an asset.
She said: “This innovative report vividly illustrates that our nature reserves are providing an outstanding return on investment of time, money and resources.
“Nature is an asset, but one we need to protect and invest in. Key to this is tackling climate change impacts – and nature is a solution.
“We need a rich variety of life to be able to sustain food supplies, water and the air we breathe. But it’s not just about conservation - enhancing our nature is also part of the solution to the climate emergency.
“Our nature reserves are critical to our work of ensuring a nature-rich future for Scotland.”
Natural capital is the stock of Scotland’s plants, wildlife, air, water, and land providing benefits to the people and businesses across the country.
SNH claims that assessing the monetary value of natural capital is one way to show how nature provides many benefits to everyone in their everyday lives.
Using the natural capital approach to understand nature’s wider benefits can in turn help businesses and other organisations to make more informed decisions based on a broader picture which includes important environmental factors.
The report’s calculations include volunteers contributing 4,659 days of work worth a total of £421,000; SNH land sequestering carbon, mainly through its woodland and saltmarsh habitats, worth £2m; and air quality filtration benefits amounting to £73,000.
Other benefits valued in the report include food, education, renewable energy production, and health and well-being.
Annual management costs were estimated at £3.5million, which means the estimated benefits of SNH land outweigh the costs by eight to one.
The true capital benefits may be much higher, however, as it is not currently possible to measure the other advantages of nature reserves, such as water quality, mental health benefits and flood risk mitigation.
The report was welcomed by Dr Deborah Long, chief officer for Scottish Environment LINK, who said the study helped to demonstrate the value of the country’s nature reserves.
She said: “Scotland’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are the jewels in Scotland’s crown as a nature rich nation.
“This new report recognises the monetary value of NNRs and very clearly shows why investment in nature is absolutely crucial in the fight against climate change and the ongoing nature declines, shown in the recent State of Nature Scotland report, and which are happening in Scotland as well as the rest of the world.
“In fact, NNRs are the very best places for nature – we all need to be ensuring nature continues to do well in NNRs and the investment not just in managing these reserves but in monitoring how nature is doing is vital.
“With the calculated value of £28 million a year, plus the uncalculated value of nature in NNRs for human physical and mental health, as well as ecosystem services like flood protection and clean water, we can very clearly see why investment in nature is fundamental to people and nature and for future generations.”
SNH is the first public body to publish natural capital accounts for their land in Scotland.
It is hoped it may provide a template for other public bodies to follow in considering this approach.
Read the full report at https://bit.ly/33MF1We.
To find out more about Scotland’s NNRs, see www.nnr.scot.
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