Final Report and Policy Document

Integration of Plant Health Planning Into the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

Forest
Abstract

The impacts of introduced plant pests and diseases have been substantial in recent times. With a changing climate and many known pests on the horizon, plant health impacts on biodiversity are expected to grow further in the years ahead. Thus, considering the nature of plant health threats to the natural environment and embedding mitigating actions into biodiversity strategies is of increasing importance. This report provides an overview of the nature of plant health threats to Scottish plant biodiversity, the factors that expert stakeholders consider of greatest importance, and identification of the headline areas of relevance in the recently published Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Overall, the results of this study reinforce the importance of more active consideration of plant health threats in biodiversity strategies and related conservation activities.