Tutorials – Education

Welcome to the ADMG Tutorials and Education page.

ADMG ‘Deer People’ Training and Education Fund
ADMG curates a fund initially raised from the proceeds of the book Deer People that provides support for overseas work experience placements for professionals working in the Scottish deer management sector.  More information about the fund is available on page 12 of the Spring 2024 issue of our magazine SCOPE and an application form is available here.

Habitat Impact Assessment support
The Best Practice Guides (BPGs) on Habitat Impact Assessment (HIA) aim to enable land managers to design, collect and interpret habitat data to inform deer management.

These short video clips have been prepared to provide a quick reminder of HIA techniques in the field. This resource is intended to complement the current suite of Best Practice Guidance and is aimed at those who have already undertaken HIA training and are familiar with the methodology and principles.

The full suite of Guides can be found at https://www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk/

There are a number of basic steps in delivering Habitat Impact Assessment. The following table sets out the steps with links to the relevant guides and short clips.

STEP Actions and information required Relevant BPG Guides HIA clip to support Guides
1. Understanding the Principles of Habitat Impact Assessment and Planning What are impacts and why do we need to measure them?
Identifying habitats and the number of baseline plots required.
What equipment is needed?
What to monitor, how often and who is going to do it?
HIA Principles Clip 1. Preparation and Kit. This clip is a reminder of the field equipment you will need.
2 (a). Fieldwork: Locating and setting out the plot Locating plots and identifying the right habitat.
Setting out the plot.
Principles in Practice

Clip 2. Locating the plot. This clip shows you how to locate plots in the field.

Clip 3. Setting out the plot. This clip covers setting out the ‘permanent’ marked plots.

2 (b). Fieldwork: Record basic plot information What basic information is required for each plot? Data sheets Clip 4. Recording plot information. This clip covers the basic, generic information to record.
2 (c). Fieldwork: Measuring dwarf shrub height How to measure the height of dwarf shrubs for Dwarf Shrub Heath and Blanket Bog Assessments Dwarf Shrub Heath.
Blanket Bog.
Clip 5. Measuring dwarf shrub height.
2 (d). Fieldwork: Assessing browsing impacts How to assess the browsing impact on heather Dwarf Shrub Heath.
Blanket Bog.
Clip 6. Assessing browsing impact.
2 (e). Fieldwork: Assessing trampling impacts How to assess impacts on Blanket Bog Blanket Bog Clip 8. Blanket bog trampling.
2 (f). Fieldwork: Recording additional information Additional information to collect in the field Principles in Practice Clip 7. Additional information.
3. Data analysis What to do with data and how to present it Analysis  
4. Interpreting results and informing management What do the results mean?
How do I use the results to inform management decisions?
Analysis