This article attempts to understand the radical reform of Scottish land law in its provision for a general right of public access to private land introduced in 2003 as part of land reform legislation, an important aspect of the initial agenda of the Scottish Parliament revived in 1999. The right is to recreational access for a limited period and the right to cross land. Access can be taken only on foot or by horse or bicycle. As a starting point clarification of the misunderstood pre-reform position is attempted. The essential point is that Scots common law does not give civil damages for a simple act of trespass (as English law does) but only a right to obtain removal of the trespasser. Under the reforms the longstanding Scottish position of landowners allowing walkers access to the hills and mountains becomes a legal right. A critical aspect of the new right is that it is one of responsible access; provided a landowner co-operates with the spirit and system of the Act access can be denied on the basis that it is not being exercised responsibly. But the onus is on the landowner to show that the exercise of the right is not responsible. Although the right applies to all land a general exception protects the privacy of a domestic dwelling. Early case law suggests that the scope of this limit depends upon particular circumstances although reasonable 'garden ground' is likely to be protected. There are various particular limits such as school land. Compliance with the protection of property under the European Convention on Human Rights is discussed. The article emphasises the latitude, open to nations, for limitations to the right of ownership in land in the public interest. The extent of the Scottish access inroad illustrates this. This leads to the conclusion that 'land governance' - the subject of the Potchefstroom Conference at which the paper was initially presented - largely remains a matter for domestic law; the lex situs concept is alive and well.

Comunidades de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMAs) foram estudadas em diferentes ecossistemas, no sul da Austrália. A extração dos esporos do solo foi efetuada pelo método de peneiramento úmido, para posterior quantificação e identificação das espécies de FMAs. A percentagem de raízes colonizadas também foi determinada. Associações micorrízicas foram comuns em todos os ecossistemas estudados. Os esporos foram mais abundantes no sistema de pastagem permanente e menor no sistema de plantio contínuo com trigo. Percebeu-se a incidência de associações micorrízicas nas diferentes espécies de planta e a ocorrência de Arum e Paris-tipo de colonização. Esporos de 17 espécies de FMAs foram identificados durante as variações sazonais de 1996 e 1997 no sistema de permanente pastagem e em quatro hospedeiros (Plantago lanceolata, Sorghum sp., Trifolium subterraneum, Lolium perenne) cultivados em casa de vegetação. Glomus mosseae foi a espécie dominante em todas as épocas de coleta e nos vasos de cultivo. A diversidade micorrízica não foi significativa nas diferentes épocas de amostragem no campo, mas esta foi significativa nas culturas armadilhas. P. lanceolata, Sorghum sp. e T. subterraneum como hospedeiras das culturas armadilhas não mostraram diferença no número e diversidade de esporos de FMAs associados ao sistema radicular. Entretanto, o número e a diversidade de espécies foram mais baixas com L. perenne (principalmente em dezembro de 1996). A identificação de esporos extraídos do solo do campo e de plantas armadilhas é essencial para o estudo das populações e diversidade dos FMAs. Este trabalho proprociona dados para monitoramento das populações usando técnicas convencionais e material para determinação da efetividade simbiótica de espécies chaves da comunidade de FMAs.

Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were surveyed in different South Australian ecosystems. The soil was wet-sieved for spore extraction, followed by the determination of presence and abundance of AMF species as well as the percentage of root colonization. Mycorrhizal associations were common and there was substantial fungal diversity in different ecosystems. Spores were most abundant in the permanent pasture system and less abundant under continuous wheat. The incidence of mycorrhizal associations in different plant species and the occurrence of Arum and Paris type colonization generally conformed with previous information. Spores of seventeen AMF were verified throughout seasonal changes in 1996 and 1997 in the permanent pasture and on four host species (Lolium perenne, Plantago lanceolata, Sorghum sp. and Trifolium subterraneum) , set up with the same soils under greenhouse conditions. Glomus mosseae was the dominant spore type at all sampling times and in all trap cultures. Mycorrhizal diversity was significantly affected by different sampling times in trap cultures but not in field-collected soil. P. lanceolata, Sorghum sp. and T. subterraneum as hosts for trap cultures showed no differences in richness and diversity of AMF spores that developed in association with their roots. Abundance and diversity were lowest, however, in association with L. perenne , particularly in December 1996. Results show that the combination of spore identification from field-collected soil and trap cultures is essential to study population and diversity of AMF. The study provides baseline data for ongoing monitoring of mycorrhizal populations using conventional methods and material for the determination of the symbiotic effectiveness of AMF key members.