|
|
|
||||||
|
Headlines from week begining 7 March 2016 |
|
A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Schoolchildren unearth interesting playing field results – British
Trust for Ornithology Since the summer of 2015 1,606 schools across the UK have taken part
in a survey to find out what is living under their feet, and how this
affects the birds that depend on the wildlife that lives in our soil. So far, around 40,000 schoolchildren have taken part in the 'What’s
Under Your Feet'project to help find out, what is living right under
their feet, and how it is distributed across the country in the
differing soils.
The schoolchildren were asked to sample a 300mm x 300mm square of
soil on their playing fields, and rather surprisingly, it seems that the
length of time since any rain had fallen had a large impact on the
results. More invertebrates were found in the soil the longer it had
been since there was any rainfall. This might mean that the floods
experienced this winter in northern Britain could have far reaching
implications for those animals that rely on soil invertebrates. Further
investigation is needed and it will be interesting to see the results
from those schools whose playing fields have experienced flooding. Early indications also show that there are often more soil
invertebrates close to trees and shrubs. Worms, woodlice, spiders,
beetles, ants and earwigs are all more abundant near shrubs or trees
than they are in open soil.
LEARC position Statement on the withdrawal of Natural England MoA
funding – Association of Local Environmental Records Centres On 3rd February 2016 Natural England sent to an email to all English
Local Environmental Records Centre (LERC) managers announcing that MoA
funding for LERCs will end on 31st March 2016. Naturally this
comes as a disappointment to ALERC who question the decision-making
behind ending a four year agreement before the end of the first year,
and prior to annual assessment of the agreement.
New research will improve city life with green infrastructure - NERC NERC is investing around £1·2m in innovative projects designed to
improve urban life and create sustainable cities by helping us make
better use of 'green infrastructure' – natural spaces from roadside
verges to parks and gardens.
Cities contain a lot of these green spaces, but many of them could be
managed more effectively to improve the lives of local people. Green infrastructure can provide a host of benefits - from absorbing
rainwater to help reduce flooding to improving local people's wellbeing
by giving them regular contact with nature. But putting a concrete
economic value on these benefits is difficult, and this has tended to
mean they haven't been given enough weight by decision-makers in
government and industry.
Training success creates conservationists for Dorset – Dorset
Wildlife Trust
Skills for the future trainees getting muddy © Rachel Janes Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is celebrating the success of a four-year
Conservation Skills Programme, which is part of the Heritage Lottery
Fund’s ‘Skills for the Future’ trainee scheme. A new report
reveals that 87% of the trainees in Dorset gained employment in the
environment sector within one year of completing the programme. The Conservation Skills Programme has recruited 31 individuals from
Dorset onto a placement with Dorset Wildlife Trust to allow them to
train for a career in nature conservation. 18 of those 31 are now
employed in Dorset. Over the duration of the four year project (2011-2015), 296 months of
work based training has been delivered to young people who were not in
employment, education or training. The success of this training
demonstrates it is possible for people from diverse backgrounds to gain
employment in the environment and heritage sector. DWT’s Skills for the Future Coordinator, Steve Davis, said, “As the
conservation skills programme draws to a close, we are really proud of
the 31 individuals who now have the skills to persue their dream jobs in
conservation. They have already made a really big difference to
wildlife in Dorset, and we look forward to watching their careers go
from strength to strength.”
Plant Health Strategy announcement welcomed – James Hutton Institute
Potato plant affected by blight (James Hutton Institute) Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton
Institute, said: “We welcome the Minister’s announcement. Plant health
is a hugely important topic for our agriculture, forestry and native
species. “There is much opportunity in greater coordination of the research,
policy and industry to get all players working together to meet the
threats of emergent new diseases, to develop of more nature-based
solutions and to face up to climate change.”
From Kerry to L\Derry: barn owl sets new long distance record –
Ulster Wildlife Trust A new record has been set for the longest recorded distance travelled
by a barn owl within Ireland.The bird which travelled from Kerry to
Derry/Londonderry – a journey of over 220 miles as the crow flies – is
almost double the distance of any previously recorded barn owl within
Ireland. The juvenile barn owl, which sadly met its tragic end as a road
casualty on the Limavady Road, was picked up by Brian Hegarty, a
volunteer barn owl fieldworker with Ulster Wildlife.
It was identified by the special metal ring on its leg which was
fitted as a chick last July, at its nest site near Farranfore, Co. Kerry
by John Lusby from BirdWatch Ireland. “I couldn’t quite believe the news when Brian contacted me,” said
John. “The bird was one of four chicks that we ringed at a traditional
nest site in Kerry in July 2015. The resident pair uses a nest box which
we provided some years back, and they have bred here successfully every
year since. After their first winter, juvenile barn owls disperse from where they
hatched to establish their home range where they hunt, roost and breed.
Barn owls are very site-loyal and many will never leave their home
range. According to BirdWatch Ireland, the average dispersal distance in
Ireland is approximately 35km (21 miles). The majority settle just a few
miles away from where they hatched and only a small minority move such a
long way. During dispersal, juvenile barn owls are vulnerable to
man-made hazards, with over 30% dying on major roads.
Most significant conviction for bat crime ever recorded – Bat
Conservation Trust In April 2014 BCT reported on the conviction of Hargudial Singh RAI
and ISAR Enterprises Ltd for destroying a roost used by Brown Long Eared
Bats in Matlock (read
story here) On Monday 7th March 2016 His Honour John Burgess sitting at Derby
Crown Court heard the appeals. The conviction against Mr Rai was
quashed, at the same time ISAR Enterprises Ltd abandoned their appeal
accepting the conviction. The hearing then went on to consider a
Proceeds of Crime Order which seeks to ensure that offenders do not
benefit financially from their criminal behaviour. In this case it was
agreed by both sides that the financial benefit amounted to £5730.
Lake District confirmed as UK nomination for World Heritage status –
Lake District National Park Authority The English Lake District has become the UK’s latest nomination for
World Heritage site status following confirmation of the bid being
received by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency.
This is the UK’s only submission for 2017 following the Government’s
announcement in 2014 that it would be submitting the Lake District for
consideration in the category of ‘cultural landscapes’. Since then, the
Lake District National Park Partnership has been working with 25
partners, including the National Trust, Cumbria County Council and
Forestry Commission to create a compelling case for international
recognition. The Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) and
Historic England submitted the four volume nomination to UNESCO for
review during the next 12-18 months, including a visit to the Lake
District, ahead of a decision being made in summer 2017. Heritage Minister, David Evennett, said: “The Lake District is
undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and important landscapes in the
UK, so it is only fitting that the area be nominated for World Heritage
site status. Not only would this formally recognise its unique identity,
but also provide a significant boost to the local tourism industry and
encourage even more visitors to visit this vibrant area.”
‘Butcher Bird’ Spotted In Surrey – Surrey Wildlife Trust
‘Great Grey Shrike’ - Credit: Mark Adams/Surrey Wildlife Trust
A rare bird of prey which stores its victims in a grisly larder has
been seen out hunting on one of Surrey Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves. The feisty grey predator stores its catch in a bush or tree, to
devour later The Great Grey Shrike - known as the ‘butcher bird’ - was identified
by eagle-eyed Surrey Wildlife Trust Officer James Herd on Poors
Allotment near Camberley. “It’s an incredibly rare bird and it’s very difficult to get a
glimpse, so I was really lucky to witness it,” he said. “It’s the first
time I’ve ever seen one, despite working in heathland management for
seven years, so it was really exciting.” Not much bigger than a blackbird, the Great Grey Shrike hunts small
mammals, lizards and beetles and it’ll even kill other birds as big as
greenfinches. The feisty grey predator then stores its catch in a bush
or tree, to devour later at its leisure. “It’s called the butcher bird, because it has this unusual behaviour
of keeping its prey in a larder - sometimes even impaling mammals or
birds on a thorn for safekeeping,” added James. Only about 200 Great Grey Shrikes visit the UK every year. They
travel here from Europe, Asia and North Africa to overwinter between
October and May.
Heather burning - new research raises important questions - GWCT
Ancient settlers here and in Denmark, Norway and Sweden are known to
have used fire and grazing as management tools to clear woodland and
supress regeneration. Indeed, some peatland plant populations have
evolved alongside fire management, and are now well adapted to thrive in
this environment. Across Europe scientists are promoting the reintroduction of burning
– to protect and restore globally-rare heathland and moorland. Best
practice on burning is informed by this growing body of scientific
literature, much of it emerging from the UK. Bizarrely,
individuals ‘closely associated with the RSPB’ are using the same
science to call for a ban on burning. A recent paper accepted for publication by the peer-reviewed flagship
biology journal of the Royal Society assessed the science behind the
arguments, and highlighted media bias around reporting on this issue.
This comprehensive review thoroughly assessed the scientific literature
and concludes that the following commonly held views are not verified by
the evidence currently available and should not be perpetuated in
discussions until they are formally addressed Davies G, Kettridge N, Stoof C, et al.
The role of fire in UK peatland and moorland management; the need for
informed, unbiased debate. Philos Trans R Soc B. 2016; (Mar16 In
press) Allen KA, Denelle P, Ruiz FMS, Santana VM, Marrs RH. Prescribed moorland burning meets good practice guidelines: A monitoring case study using aerial photography in the Peak District, UK. Ecol Indic. 2016;62:79-85. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.11.030
Call for
new conservation strategies – Newcastle University Scientists call for a shake-up in the way we record biodiversity
New research from Newcastle University, UCL (University College
London) and the University of Queensland, Australia, highlights the
uncertainty around our global biodiversity data because of the way we
record species sightings. The study explains how a lack of information about a species in a
particular location doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not there and that
recording when we don’t see something is as important as recording when
we do. Publishing their findings today in the academic journal Biology
Letters, the team say we need to change the way we record sightings - or
a lack of them - so we can better prioritise our conservation efforts in
light of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Dr Phil McGowan, one of the study’s authors and a Senior Lecturer in
Biodiversity and Conservation at Newcastle University, said: “Where
there is no recent biodiversity data from an area then we might assume a
species is no longer found there, but there could be a number of other
possible reasons for this lack of data. It could be that its habitat is
inaccessible - either geographically or due to human activity such as
ongoing conflict - or perhaps it’s simply a case that no-one has been
looking for it. Unless we know where people have looked for a particular
species and not found it then we can’t be confident that it’s not
there.” Read the paper here:
Uncertainty in identifying local extinctions: the distribution of
missing data and its effects on biodiversity measures. Elizabeth
Boakes, Richard Fuller, Philip McGowan and Georgina Mace. Biology
Letters DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0824
£2M pledged to safeguard Britain's trees -
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Two new projects have received a share of £2M for research to help
combat threats to trees and plants as part of the Tree Health and Plant
Biosecurity Initiative (THAPBI). This multi-disciplinary initiative
brings together biological, environmental, and social scientists to
support the future health and resilience of the UK’s forests and
woodland in the face of increasing pressures. Several new tree pests and pathogens have emerged to threaten UK
trees in recent years, with plant imports and climate change often
implicated in their spread. Research that will conserve trees,
woodlands and forests has the potential to be greatly beneficial to both
society and the economy, as the social value of UK trees has been
estimated at around £1.8Bn per year. Of the two projects funded under phase three of THAPBI, one focuses
on forecasting pests and pathogens that affect oak trees, the other on
minimising the threat from destructive Phytophthora pathogens and their
spread in trade. Across all phases, the projects funded will increase
our knowledge and understanding of pests, pathogens and trees in the
hope of developing best practice guidelines for commercial and
environmental sectors. Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “This
£2M investment in Britain's pioneering plant science will enable
scientists to find new ways to tackle pests and diseases that are a real
threat to our environment and global food security. By protecting the
science budget in real terms we can continue to invest in world-class
science that delivers environmental benefits worldwide while ensuring
everyone can continue to enjoy Britain's beautiful woodlands and
forests.” Professor Melanie Welham, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: “Understanding
threats to trees and habitats could make a huge difference to the
UK's social and economic landscape in the face of emerging risks
from pests and pathogens. Research funded under this initiative has the
potential to be transferred to other tree pests or diseases, to help
keep our forests and crops safe.” The research will address knowledge gaps identified by Defra's Tree
Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Task Force and the objectives of the
joint Defra/Forestry Commission 'Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity
Action Plan'. The projects will also ensure that the UK has increased
research capacity and skills for dealing with plant health, and pests
and pathogens.
New research into dementia and the role of the natural environment
- Natural England People living with dementia and their carers were asked about their
engagement with nature and the outdoors in one of the largest projects
of its kind. A new report published by Natural England today (11 March 2016)
highlights how engagement with nature and the great outdoors could be
improved for the benefit of people living with dementia and their
carers. In one of the biggest surveys of its kind so far, people living with
dementia and their carers were asked about the outdoor activities that
they take part in and the places where they go, or most want to go. It
reveals what motivates them to go outside and what barriers they think
need to be overcome to improve their access to the outdoors and maximise
the beneficial effect this brings for them. The new study – Is it nice outside? Consulting people living with
dementia and carers about engaging with the natural environment – is the
result of a collaborative project between Natural England, Dementia
Adventure, the Mental Health Foundation and Innovations in Dementia. The report reveals that engaging in outdoor activities that have a
purpose and those that involve being with other people provide the
greatest motivation for people living with dementia. Only 20% of the people living with dementia considered that their
condition was a barrier to using outdoor spaces, whereas 83% of carers
believed that dementia limited the person’s ability. The findings from this project will now be used to help design a
large-scale demonstration project to deliver services in the natural
environment for people living with dementia and their carers. The
recommendations will also be valuable to other natural environment
providers in shaping projects to further their work with people living
with dementia. Download the report:
Is it nice outside? Consulting people living with dementia and carers
about engaging with the natural environment
The strange case of the disappearing duck -
RSPB Scotland Of all the research projects carried out by RSPB Scotland, perhaps
one of the most puzzling has been the case of a disappearing duck: the
common scoter.
Common scoters are rare breeding birds that have been dwindling in
numbers in the UK, but researchers could not pinpoint why. There are
plenty of suitable habitats for this species in Scotland, but they are
only found at a few locations in the Scottish Highlands, including the
Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland and at several lochs in
Inverness-shire. Concern among conservationists that this species may become locally
extinct prompted a three-year research project by the RSPB’s Centre for
Conservation Science. The team now believes that a solution to the
birds’ recovery might be found by restoring the balance between fish and
invertebrates in common scoter habitat, and in some cases, angling could
be one way to help restore the scoter population. Dr Mark Hancock, from the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science
said: “Of all the lochs we investigated during this work, scoters bred
most often at those with the shallowest water and the most large,
freshwater invertebrates. It soon became clear that there were more
insects where there were fewer brown trout, so it looks like scoters are
being limited by a lack of food in places where the fish are eating it
all. We're now using these results to design new ways of helping
scoters. For example, in areas of the north Highlands where angling
activity has dropped off and fish numbers have increased, more trout
angling is potentially one way to boost freshwater insect life. At hydro
lochs, where water levels are to some extent under human control, we
could also aim to maximise the area of shallow water.”
Surveys reveal coastal wildlife jewels in National Trust crown
- National Trust Thousands of nature lovers and wildlife experts helped the National
Trust record more than 3,400 species at twenty five of its places along
the coastline of England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the charity’s
largest ever wildlife survey. From the world famous chalk cliffs at the White Cliffs of Dover to
the dune-rich White Park Bay on the beautiful North Antrim coast,
volunteers raced against the clock to record as many species as possible
over either 12 or 24 hours. The BioBlitz surveys, which were run across six months during 2015,
recorded a handful of wildlife firsts at National Trust places. These
included the first recorded sighting of Balearic shearwaters, Puffinus
mauretanicus, at Blakeney on the Norfolk coast. At Freshwater West in
Pembrokeshire a Slow worm, Anguis fragilis, was found for the first time
since 1966 and at White Park Bay, Co. Antrim, volunteers discovered the
rare Forest chafer beetle, Melolontha hippocastani. This was the first
recorded sighting of the beetle in Ireland in over a century. The surveys were organised to coincide with the 50th anniversary of
the National Trust’s Neptune Coastline Campaign [2] – the conservation
charity now owns 775 miles of coastline. Dr David Bullock, Head of Nature Conservation, said: “The data from
these bioblitzes will play an important part in giving us a greater
understanding of the species that live along our coastline. The shifting
nature of our shoreline means that we need to think ahead about what is
happening to coastal habitats and how we might secure the future of the
wildlife that lives by the sea. The National Trust is working alongside
partners at coastal landscapes across England, Wales and Northern
Ireland to create space for nature to move on a much greater scale.”
Targeted tree planting to combat flooding -
University of Southampton A study has shown that strategic planting of trees on floodplains,
could reduce the height of flooding in towns downstream by up to 20 per
cent. The research, led by the universities of Birmingham and Southampton,
is published in the journal Earth Surfaces Processes and Landforms.
Scientists studied a whole river catchment in the New Forest over an
area of 100 square kilometres, upstream of the town of Brockenhurst.
They wanted to understand how tree planting, river restoration and
‘logjams’ might affect the ‘peak height’ of a flood in a downstream
urban location. Scientific Publications Fountain, T. et al (2016)
Oxygen and energy availability interact to determine flight performance
in the Glanville fritillary butterfly. Journal of Experimental
Biology doi: 10.1242/jeb.138180
Washburn, B. E., C. K. Swearingin, Pullins, C. K. & Rice, M. E.
(2016)
Composition and Diversity of Avian Communities Using a New Urban
Habitat: Green Roofs. Environmental Management. DOI:
10.1007/s00267-016-0687-1 Attard, A. R. M. et al (2016)
A novel holistic framework for genetic-based captive-breeding and
reintroduction programs. Conservation Biology.
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12699
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
Image:
NERC
Scientists
at the James Hutton Institute have welcomed the launch of a Plant Health
Strategy by Dr Aileen McLeod MSP, Scottish Government Minister for
Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. The new strategy includes
the appointment of a Scottish plant health officer and the establishment
of a Centre of Expertise for Plant Health.
Barn
owl killed by a car (c) Sandy Osborough
View
of Ullswater from Gowbarrow Park, Lake District World Heritage bid
Britain’s
beautiful heather clad moors were created thousands of years ago – by
man. As forest clearance increased, the open heath, rough grass and bogs
began to form.
Gaps
in our information about biodiversity means we are at risk of focussing
our conservation efforts in the wrong places.
Flock
of common scoters sleeping (Image: Graham Catley, RSPB)
Flooding
in Emsworth (image, University of Southampton)
