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Headlines from week beginning 23 November 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Peatland Code could significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions –
University of Leeds
Image: University of Leeds A new Government-backed code has been launched that could slash UK
carbon dioxide emissions by 220 million tonnes and protect rare wildlife
by restoring moors, bogs and mires. The Peatland Code is unveiled at the World Forum for Natural Capital
in Edinburgh on 23 November following a successful two-year trial, which
has seen businesses fund peatland restoration projects in southwest
England, the Lake District and Wales. The Code is based on research by academics at the University of Leeds
and Birmingham City University, which revealed that sustainable business
investment could reverse the degradation of peatlands and significantly
cut greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Joseph Holden, from the School of Geography, who led
research, said: “The peatlands of the UK are our own version of the
Amazon rainforest. They need to be protected. They are home to some of
our rare and endangered wildlife. They also act as a huge store of
carbon, with perhaps as much as 3.2 billion tonnes, greater than the
amount of carbon soaked up every year by all of the world’s oceans
combined. The UK’s peatlands are also important source areas for the
provision of clean drinking water while protection of many of our
peatlands may reduce flood risk."
Scientists discover method to eliminate killer fungus in amphibians
– Zoological Society of London Breakthrough discovery leads to eradication of fatal amphibian
disease Research published today details the first-ever successful
elimination of a fatal chytrid fungus in a wild amphibian, marking a
major breakthrough in the fight against the disease responsible for
devastating amphibian populations worldwide. The highly-infectious
chytrid pathogen has severely affected over 700 amphibian species
worldwide; driving population declines, extirpations an The study combined antifungal treatment of
Mallorcan midwife toad tadpoles with environmental disinfection. Image
(c) Jaime Bosch Results from the seven-year study show the first evidence of
eradicating the chytrid pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(Bd) affecting amphibians in situ. Published today (18 November) in
Biology Letters, the paper details the outcome of a project led by
scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the National
Museum of Natural History in Spain (MNCN), and Imperial College London. Read the paper here
London’s pollution-busting trees valued at £6.1 billion in new survey
– Greater London Authority London’s eight million trees are worth a staggering £6.1 billion to
the capital and contribute £130 million in wider benefits, a new survey
has calculated.
New report suggests a continuing decline in hedgehogs - PTES A new report published today (Saturday 21 November) by People’s Trust
for Endangered Species (PTES) and The British Hedgehog Preservation
Society (BHPS) shows a continuing decline in hedgehog numbers, in both
rural and urban landscapes. The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2015 follows the first comprehensive
review of the status of hedgehogs nationally in 2011. Since this
first report, several ongoing surveys, by PTES and others, have shown a
continuing population decline. The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2015,
publicised at a special UK summit on hedgehogs, paints a stark picture:
since 2000, records of the species have declined by half in rural areas
and by a third in urban ones. The loss of hedgerows and intensive farming in rural areas, along
with tidy fenced-in gardens in urban and suburban locations, are just
some of the threats contributing to the demise of hedgehogs. PTES and BHPS are working to ensure the long-term survival of this
iconic native animal and are also launching today a joint, 10-year
conservation strategy for the hedgehog in Britain. This report has been
developed in consultation with leading experts, NGOs and statutory
bodies and is designed help plan conservation action up to 2025.
Neonicotinoid pesticides linked to butterfly declines – Butterfly
Conservation
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Butterfly Conservation) Previous research has demonstrated that these chemicals, widely used
in agriculture, appear to be harming bees, birds and other wildlife. But the study by the Universities of Stirling and Sussex in
partnership with Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology is the first scientific evidence of a possible negative impact
on widespread UK butterflies. Neonicotinoids were introduced in the mid-1990s as a replacement for
older chemicals. They are a systematic insecticide, meaning that they
are absorbed into every cell in a plant, making all parts poisonous to
pests. The chemicals remain in the environment and can be absorbed by the
wildflowers growing in field margins, many of which provide a nectar
source for butterflies and food-plants for their caterpillars. The study found population trends of 15 species showed declines
associated with neonicotinoid use, including Small Tortoiseshell, Small
Skipper and Wall species. The study, published today in the journal PeerJ, is based on data
gathered by volunteers from more than 1,000 sites across the UK as part
of the long-running UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS). Read the paper here: Gilburn, A. S.,
Bunnefeld, N., McVean Wilson, J., Botham, M. S., Brereton, T. M., Fox,
R. & Goulson, D. (2015) Are
neonicotinoid insecticides driving declines of widespread butterflies?
Peer J. 10.7717/peerj.1402
Wildlife Trust report claims badger vaccination ‘viable and underused’
- Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
In 2011 GWT was the first non-government organisation in the UK to
pioneer the vaccination of badgers against TB and has done so for the
past five years on its nature reserves in the Stroud Valleys and the
Cotswolds – and more recently with other, neighbouring landowners. “We recognise the real distress that bTB causes farmers in
Gloucestershire. As landowners with cattle grazing many of our nature
reserves we wanted to do something positive to try to prevent bTB
breakdowns on our sites and those adjoining them,” said Roger Mortlock,
Chief Executive of GWT. “The trial set out to show that vaccinating wild
badgers could be done efficiently. The science supports that by doing
this we’ve reduced TB in the badger population where we’ve vaccinated –
but farmers deserve more research to explore the link between
vaccinating badgers and the spread of bTB in cattle. Five years ago many
assumed that vaccinating badgers would be both impractical and costly.
This report proves it can be done.”
New UNESCO programme recognises the UK’s seven ‘Global Geoparks’ -
UNESCO UNESCO – the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and
Culture – has announced a new programme, which creates “UNESCO Global
Geoparks.” This is the first new UNESCO designation of its kind to be
established in over 40 years and puts Global
Aesha Head, Papa Stour © Shetland Geotours The UK is home to seven UNESCO Global Geoparks, stretching from the
English Riviera in the South to Geopark Shetland in the North, and
including two in Wales and a cross-border UNESCO Global Geopark shared
by Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The UK sites are part
of a growing international network of Global Geoparks – areas of
outstanding geological interest which use their unique geology to drive
community development.
Manx shearwater revival: Oxford research sheds new light on enigmatic
seabird – University of Oxford They are a common sight off the UK's west coast in summer, but we
still have much to learn about the Manx shearwater, a remarkably
long-lived Atlantic marine bird.
Ongoing research by Oxford scientists, however, is expanding what we
know about the behaviour of the Manx shearwater (also known as Puffinus
puffinus – not to be confused with the Atlantic puffin). Fourth-year Zoology DPhil student Annette Fayet has just completed a
piece of research looking at the relative foraging success of young and
mature birds. Annette, who works in the Oxford Navigation Group led by Professor
Tim Guilford, said: 'Our project aimed to compare immature
(non-breeding) and breeding seabirds, and to answer the question of
whether there are any differences in how they forage at sea, including
any segregation between them. We know very little in general about what
immature seabirds do while they're at sea, so there is lots of scope for
research and for learning more about their behaviour. The Manx
shearwater is no exception to this – and, indeed, they are particularly
interesting because they can live for more than 50 years and don't start
breeding until they are around five years old.' The study, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, found that
there was substantial segregation between immature and breeding birds on
their foraging trips. The young birds also put on less weight during
their trips, suggesting they were less successful in finding food. Read the paper here
Wanted: Winter Sightings of Hen Harriers – Scottish Natural Heritage After a successful public appeal for sightings of hen harriers over
the spring and summer – with over 100 reports recorded – the Heads Up
for Harriers group is asking the public to help once again this winter. The hen harrier is one of Britain’s rarest birds of prey, with most
harriers found in Scotland. To help safeguard the species, a number of
organisations are working together on conservation projects to promote
summer breeding success, under the Partnership for Action Against
Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAW Scotland). But there is little known about where the birds go in the winter
months and of the particular threats to the birds’ survival in winter,
something PAW Scotland wants to understand better.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' settlement at
the Spending Review 2015 - Defra The Chancellor has published the results of the spending review,
including details of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) budget over the course of this parliament. The Spending Review and Autumn Statement deliver on the government’s
priority to provide security to working people at every stage of their
lives. It sets out a 4 year plan to fix the public finances, return the
country to surplus and run a healthy economy that starts to pay down the
debt. By ensuring Britain’s long term economic security, the government
is able to spend £4 trillion on its priorities over the next 4 years. For Defra this means:
Reactions:
National Parks Funding Protected in the Spending Review – Campaign
for National Parks We’re absolutely delighted that today [25th Nov] in the spending
review Chancellor George Osbourne has protected over £350 million
funding for English National Parks, AONBs and forests.
Walking and cycling hangs in the balance as spending review drives UK
back to the 1970's - Sustrans This afternoon UK Chancellor George Osborne announced in the
Comprehensive Spending Review that there would be more investment in new
roads than at any point since the 1970s, putting the future of cycling
and walking in jeopardy.
National Trust response to Spending Review Richard Hebditch, External Affairs Director for the National Trust,
said: “The Government’s commitment to ensure the new commercial model
for English Heritage will have sufficient funding is very welcome, as is
recognition of the importance of heritage, and Historic England, more
generally. Within Defra’s budgets, we’re particularly pleased to see the
protection of funding for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National
Parks and public forests. In the last Parliament, Nick Clegg also
announced funding for Natural England to complete the England Coastal
Path by 2020 but we have to see confirmation that that funding will
continue – we trust it will.”
Restoring Welsh peatlands – for people and wildlife – Natural
Resources Wales
That’s the key message from the Wales Peatland Action Group as the
Welsh Government’s Minister for Natural Resources Carl Sargeant prepares
to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, which
runs from 30 November to 11 December 2015. Due to damage over many years, Welsh peat is a source of green-house
gas emissions, releasing around 550,000 tonnes of carbon into the
atmosphere every year. This is equivalent to approximately the annual
CO2 emissions of Anglesey or Torfaen. That’s why the Welsh Government
has set an ambitious target of getting all peatlands in Wales into
restoration management by 2020. Peter Jones, NRW member of the multi-agency Welsh Peatlands Action
Group said: “Restoring peatlands is essential. If all carbon in
peatlands was to be lost to the atmosphere it would be equivalent to
almost 15 years’ worth of Wales’s total CO2 emissions – or 97 years’
worth of CO2 emissions from Welsh agriculture and land use.”
The RSPB is calling for better application of the laws that protect
UK raptors, as the Birdcrime 2014 report highlights that illegal
persecution continues to prevent some of our native birds of prey from
recovering to their natural levels. In 2014, the RSPB received 179 reports of shooting and destruction of
birds of prey, including the confirmed shooting of 23 buzzards, nine
peregrines, three red kites and a hen harrier. The report also documents
72 reported incidents of wildlife poisoning and pesticide-related
offences. Confirmed victims of poisoning include 23 red kites, 9
buzzards and four peregrine falcons. These figures are believed to
represent only a fraction of the illegal persecution in the UK, with
many incidents thought to be going undetected and unreported. Birds of prey continue to suffer unacceptable levels of illegal
persecution, which disrupt efforts to restore natural populations of
some species throughout the UK. Notable incidents in 2014 included the
discovery of 16 red kites and six buzzards found dead near Inverness, of
which 12 kites and four buzzards were proved to have been poisoned. Furthermore England’s worst ever raptor poisoning case concluded in
2014, when Norfolk gamekeeper Allan Lambert received a suspended prison
sentence for a range of offences including the poisoning of ten buzzards
and a sparrowhawk. Last week the Stody Estate, where Lambert had worked,
was docked €260,000 in farm subsidy payments by the Rural Payments
Agency as a result of the poisoning incident.
The Messengers: what birds tell us about the threats from climate change - Birdlife International A new report, jointly published by BirdLife International and the
National Audubon Society, draws on bird science showing that climate
change is already affecting life, and that negative effects will
increase in the future. The solution? Bank on nature. Birds are among
the best-studied species and they are powerful sentinels for the natural
world. They are telling us how climate change threatens nature and
people. The Messengers, the report jointly published today [Friday 27
November] by BirdLife International and the National Audubon Society
(BirdLife’s Partner in the US), gathers hundreds of peer-reviewed
studies illustrating the many ways climate change threatens us and our
birds. It is also a collection of examples in which BirdLife Partners,
leaders in naturebased solutions, help birds and communities become more
resilient in a warming world. Patricia Zurita, CEO of BirdLife
International, and David Yarnold, President and CEO of the National
Audubon Society, write in their foreword: “Over time and across
cultures, birds have sent us signals about the health of our
environment. Miners no longer use canaries as early warning systems, but
birds are our closest connection to wildlife on the planet and they
still tell us about the health of the places people and birds share.
Never before has their message – climate change is here and a threat to
the survival of birds and people – been as clear or as urgent.” The online version of the report can be viewed here
Lead ammunition poisoning – new figures – Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
This swan can’t support its own weight due to
lead poisoning At least 2,000 tonnes of toxic lead shot pellets – the equivalent
weight of 2 million bags of sugar – is used to shoot live quarry in the
UK each year1. Most of it is irretrievably deposited on the ground where
it can be ingested by birds who mistake it for grit or seeds. A further
3,000 tonnes of lead shot is deposited on clay shooting grounds. Lead from ammunition can also enter the human food chain when people
eat wild-shot game. When lead ammunition passes through an animal it can
fragment into tiny pieces that are often too small to be seen or cut out
(especially in game birds) and these fragments can be solubilised and
absorbed. WWT, RSPB and the Sustainable Food Trust would like to see lead
ammunition phased out by the end of 2017 and replaced with non-toxic
alternatives which are effective, affordable and readily available. Today’s figures, which are part of the proceedings of a symposium on
the risks from lead ammunition held at Oxford University, draw on
hundreds of scientific sources, including research by WWT and RSPB.
There is widespread scientific consensus on the evidence of toxic risks
from lead ammunition, and the need for it to be phased out.
Reaction:
BASC statement on attacks on lead ammunition The risks to wildlife and human health from lead ammunition alleged
by speakers at the Oxford Lead Symposium, neither of whom have medical
expertise, have been exaggerated and distorted by quoting selectively
from research, according to the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC). Estimates from the Oxford Lead Symposium that between 50,000 and
100,000 waterfowl could be affected are so wide as to represent little
more than guesswork and the report itself says that “more precise
estimates cannot readily be made.” They are based on extrapolation and
are not supported by hard evidence. Despite the worst estimates of bird
mortality, there is no evidence of an impact at a population scale.
Scientific publications: Thompson, S. J. et al (2015)
Grassland birds demonstrate delayed response to large-scale tree removal
in central North America. Journal of Applied Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12554
Lawson, B. et al (2015)
Drowning is an
apparent and unexpected recurrent cause of mass mortality of Common
starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Nature. doi:10.1038/srep17020 Pistorius, P. A., Hindell, M. A., Tremblay, Y. & Rishworth, G. M.
(2015)
Weathering a Dynamic Seascape: Influences of Wind and Rain on a
Seabird’s Year-Round Activity Budgets. Plos One. DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0142623
Thompson S., Vehkaoja, M. & Nummi, P. (2015)
Beaver-created deadwood dynamics in the boreal forest. Forest
Ecology and Management. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2015.10.019 Oliver, T. H., Smithers, R. J., Beale, C. M. & Watts, K. (2015)
Are existing biodiversity conservation strategies appropriate in a
changing climate? Biological Conservation.
doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.10.024 |
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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d
species extinctions across five continents.
The
use of neonicotinoid pesticides may be contributing to the decline of
butterflies in the UK, a study has revealed.
In
a new report published today (Tuesday 24 November), Gloucestershire
Wildlife Trust (GWT) says it has demonstrated that vaccinating badgers
is a viable and underused tool in the fight against bovine tuberculosis
(bTB) in the county – but that more research is needed to demonstrate
the link between vaccinating badgers and the control of bTB in cattle.
Geoparks
alongside UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Previously operating with the
informal support of UNESCO, the status of Global Geoparks will now be
formally recognised under the new programme.
image:
University of Oxford
Work
to restore Welsh peatlands is showing signs of success – but there’s a
lot more to do.
Up
to 100,000 wildfowl (swans, ducks and geese) are estimated to die each
year in the UK countryside due to lead poisoning from spent gunshot,
according to research published today. It’s estimated that large numbers
of terrestrial birds also die.
