1. Cooperating with other Projects to deliver RQs. With SRUC C3 Land Use –will build on cooperation since 2006 in the three previous SRPs. The two projects will share expertise and data and cooperate on delivery to policy teams, including a shared policy analysis activity. The SRUC approach is complementary since it has a more economic focus, brings in livestock and sporting systems expertise and links with E1 Rural Economy and C3-E3 land investment project. With E3 Land Reform –a cooperation activity with shared staff on spatial land ownership data; shared interest in the institutions of land use change, the role of private investment and common stakeholders (Scottish Land Commission).
2. Shared Staff across Topics. This means that C3 can more easily draw on data, knowledge, and capabilities (e.g., computer models) developed in other Topics.
B3 Improving Agricultural Practice is a source of data on land management motivations, attitudes, and agro-ecological best practice in crop systems.
C5 Large Scale Modelling will provide new datasets and modelling capability and demonstrating impact via C3 applications.
D5 Natural Capital provides analysis of public-private cooperation to deliver climate and environmental objectives. The assessments of risk to natural capital from climate change complements our land use risk assessments.
3. Shared stakeholders – here the linkage is through coordination with other Topics working with the same stakeholders.
Added Scientific Value
The proposals have been developed in consultation with Forest Research (FR). Soil-climate data (drought indices) from JHI-C3-1 will be used as part of a FR/CEH modelling of risks of CC to pine and spruce with a plant-soil model (3PG) and the ESC decision support system. Peatlands mapping and soil carbon change from afforestation data will underpin work with FR and Forest and Land Scotland identifying in space the options for new woodlands and restocking of existing woodland at end of rotation. The unique climate-soil-land use combinations datasets and Hutton HPC cluster will also be exploited with FR in joint analysis (e.g., across CC scenarios/ensembles to underpin joint bids to UKRI and other funders).
The capabilities developed here will underpin Hutton’s ability to win and deliver of policy led analysis in CoEs, UC-PAWSA, the Contract Research Fund and perhaps most crucially the new Responsive Research Fund. The work on joined-up land use policies, strategies, and support mechanisms in the context of land use change aligns with the ongoing H2020 MOVING project; the H2020 Green Deal MERLIN (mainstreaming investment in ecosystem restoration 2022-2025) project and the proposed Horizon Europe project REECAP (Farm-to-Fork policy systems analysis).
The International Land Use Study Centre (ILUSC) – is a Hutton Flagship initiative that will enhance the international visibility of the land use research in this project. The ILUSC leverages the SRP through supporting the development of new social science methods e.g., via the UKRI Landscape Decisions Fellowship. The C3 Topic also aligns with bids to UKRI Transforming UK food systems for health and Environment 'FutureFood'. The approach in this proposal has also been discussed with an adviser to NERC/RCUK for the upcoming Land Use call.