7. Conclusions
The remarkable insights gained in 60 years of ecohydrological monitoring and research in the Girnock catchment underline the value of such interdisciplinary, long-term observatories. Of particular importance are: (1) The unrivalled value of the detailed process data for both scientific understanding and underpinning evidence for assessment and management tools. (2) The ability of such sites to test major management actions through detailed process understanding, these have included previous stocking assessments and the potential to assess future management actions such as enhancing riparian woodlands. However, this work needs to be undertaken in a carefully controlled manner to ensure the integrity and interpretability of the long-term data for other purposes. (3) The need for detailed data and process understanding to parameterise models; both to integrate knowledge, and underpin assessment and management. These including adult and juvenile assessment methods and salmon life cycle models as advocated under the Missing Salmon Alliance’s “Likely Suspects” framework. (4.) The need for very detailed monitoring sites where processes are understood so we can more reliably understand and predict the cumulative effects of future climate and land use change. Though these requirements and consequent benefits are widely recognised within the scientific community (e.g. Tetzlaff et al., 2017), maintenance of funding for such research sites is a constant and significant challenge. Academic funding agencies often prefer short term hypothesis-driven research and it is not uncommon for long-term place-based studies to be erroneously disparaged as “mindless monitoring” or “case studies” as noted by Burt (1995). Of course, the published track record of research at the Girnock shows obvious added value results from being able to contextualise short-term hypothesis-driven research at data-rich long-term sites. It is therefore to be hoped that central public funding continues to support the basic research infrastructure and core monitoring at the Girnock and elsewhere, as alternative funding sources are rare and Government is uniquely placed to sustain and curate such long-term data collection. Indeed, the exceptional knowledge generated from the Girnock emphasises the value of collaboration between Government and research organisations which can bring contrasting but complimentary resources and perspectives with associated benefits for research and innovation. The commitment to maintaining such research will be crucial in creating process-based evidence for understanding how freshwater ecosystems evolve in response to looming climatic and other (e.g. land use) environmental change. This will help communicate issues to stakeholders and underpin the evolution of management strategies that might ameliorate adverse impacts and conserve important ecosystems that sustain iconic species such as Atlantic salmon.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CS is grateful to The Leverhulme Trust the Fellowship entitled “Atlantic Salmon as environmental sentinels.” DT thanks IGB for support. We all thank the many technicians, PhDs, post-docs and senior scientists who have built the body of knowledge on the Girnock and its salmon. In particular, we thank Alan Youngson who first invited our involvement in the work and his generous encouragement and stimulation.