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Headlines from week beginning 25 April 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
More than a quarter of a million houses now planned for Green Belt land - CPRE Ever-increasing numbers undermine Government claims that it truly
wants to protect the Green Belt Research from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), published
today, shows that 275,000 houses are now planned for England’s Green
Belt, an increase of 50,000 on last year and nearly 200,000 more than
when the Government introduced its planning reforms back in March 2012. Compiled from draft and adopted local plans, the research is the
latest finding to challenge the Government’s commitment to the Green
Belt. Only last year Prime Minister David Cameron claimed that the
protection of the ‘precious’ Green Belt was ‘paramount’, reiterating the
commitment made in the Conservative party’s 2015 manifesto. Yet last
month the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg
Clark decided that 1,500 new homes should be built on Green Belt between
Gloucester and Cheltenham in one of the biggest developments on Green
Belt for a decade. This followed proposals in the Government’s planning
policy consultation to release small sites in the Green Belt for
‘starter homes’. A Government-appointed body, the ‘Local Plans Expert
Group’, has also encouraged Green Belt reviews. CPRE’s Green Belt under siege report illustrates that Green Belt
boundaries are being changed to accommodate housing at the fastest rate
for two decades. In the year to 2015, 11 local authorities finalised
boundary changes to accommodate development. The 275,000 houses now
planned are an increase of 25% on 2015, and almost double the 147,000
houses outlined for Green Belt in Labour’s 2009 regional plans. There is
particular pressure in the Metropolitan and West Midlands Green Belt. Green Belt policy is gradually being weakened through loopholes in
planning guidance. Under pressure from Government to set and meet high
housing targets, councils are releasing Green Belt for new development
through a misappropriated ‘exceptional circumstances’ clause. At least
three local authorities – Bradford, Durham and Northumberland – have
claimed that economic growth justifies an ‘exceptional’ change to the
Green Belt. Access the
Green Belt Under Siege: 2016 report
Wind farm alters the local climate of a Scottish peatland
- CEH Newly published research shows that the action of wind turbines has a
measurable effect on the local climate, but this is unlikely to affect
carbon storage in peatlands, where the majority of Scottish wind farms
are located.
Researchers from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, National Centre
for Atmospheric Science, the University of Glasgow, Lancaster University
and the University of Leeds placed a grid of more than 100 temperature
and humidity sensors around wind turbines at ScottishPower Renewables’
Black Law Wind Farm in North Lanarkshire. Over six months, the
scientific team took readings from the air every five minutes and from
the surface and soil every 30 minutes, including during a period when
the turbines were switched off for maintenance. They found that when the turbines were operational at night the
temperature around the turbines increased by nearly 0.2 °C and absolute
humidity increased fractionally. The turbines also increased the
variability in air, surface and soil temperature throughout each 24-hour
cycle. Susan Waldron, Professor of Biogeochemistry at the University of
Glasgow’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, said, “The trapped
organic matter in peat bogs represents captured atmospheric carbon
dioxide, which can help slow the pace of global climate change. A change
in the atmospheric conditions of peatland could change their capacity to
store carbon.” Access the paper: Ground-level climate at a peatland wind farm in Scotland is affected by wind turbine operation. Armstrong et al 2016 Environ. Res. Lett. doi: 11 044024
New staff members gallop into East Yorkshire nature reserve
- RSPB
RSPB Blacktoft Sands has welcomed two new Konik ponies to their site,
to help the team manage the land for wildlife in an environmentally
friendly way. The nature reserve, near Goole, was able to buy the Koniks – named
Splat and Theo – as part of Blacktoft’s Saving Marshlands Wildlife and
Heritage project which is supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery
Fund. Pete Short, Blacktoft Sands’ Site Manager, said: “Splat and Theo will
join our existing herd of four horses, which have grazed the tidal
reedbed here over the last four years. They have made a huge difference
for wildlife: saltmarsh plants, such as strawberry clover and milkwort,
are thriving; invertebrate numbers have increased and we
discovered the rare crucifix ground beetle, which is only found in ten
other sites in the UK. We’ve also seen a huge variety in bird species,
with avocets, bearded tits, bitterns, snipe, skylarks, reed buntings and
black tailed godwits all being spotted in the area where the Koniks
graze.” Konik grazing at Blacktoft is part of the wider Back to the Future
project, funded by WREN Biodiversity Action Fund, which looks at how to
manage fenland habitats for wildlife on a landscape scale without the
use of machinery.
Celebrities lead support for first ever lone female expedition to save
swans – Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir David Attenborough head
a list of hundreds of businesses, charities and individual supporters
throughout Europe and Russia who are getting behind a unique expedition
to save Europe’s smallest swan from disappearing.
The paramotor is simply a wing of fabric, from which Sacha will
dangle with a propeller strapped to her back. Flying at the same speed
and height as the swans, she will experience the wonders and dangers the
swans face including heavy storms, sea crossings and extreme cold. She
will share their view with the world in real time using the latest
digital camera technology and satellite communication. Along the way, Sacha and her support team will meet with the
communities that live along the swans’ flight path, including reindeer
herders, farmers and hunters, and investigate why the number of Bewick’s
swans in Europe has almost halved in the last twenty years with less
than 18,000 now surviving. Anyone can find out more about the expedition and sign up to support
the Bewick’s swan at
www.flightoftheswans.org
Suffolk MP becomes national bittern champion - RSPB Suffolk Coastal MP, Dr Thérèse Coffey, has become the new UK Bittern
Champion, supporting an exciting partnership between seven nature
conservation organisations aimed at raising the profile of some of the
UK’s most threatened species.
Dr Coffey will be visiting RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, near
Westleton, at 10.30 am on Friday 29 April, to learn more about what
makes the Suffolk coast so important for this elusive relative of the
familiar grey heron. Dr Coffey will meet RSPB Suffolk Area Manager, Ben McFarland, to
learn how pioneering RSPB-led conservation work in Suffolk’s reedbeds,
during the 1990s, saw populations recover after the species became
perilously close to extinction in the UK. As recently as 1997, surveys
using the males’ distinctive and unique booming call, revealed that only
11 male bitterns remained in the UK. Following research at Minsmere, new reedbeds have been created, and
established reedbeds restored across the UK, helping bittern populations
to recover. The summary of breeding bitterns in the UK in 2015,
published by the RSPB and Natural England, highlighted the recovery in
bittern populations, with at least 156 booming males recorded across at
least 71 sites, representing a 14 fold increase on the 1997 low.
Last year, 32 booming male bitterns made a home on the Suffolk coast,
the highest total since records began in 1990.
Camping out for nature - RSPB Grown-ups and children alike are in for a treat over the upcoming
summer holidays as the RSPB will once again be urging nature lovers to
spend a night under the stars for its annual Big Wild Sleepout. The charity is challenging children and their families across the UK
to go on a mini-adventure, get wild and discover what goes bump in the
night with the amazing nocturnal wildlife on their doorstep. For
the fourth year running, happy campers across the country will be
encouraged to sleep out in their own gardens or outdoor spaces to get
close to nature and discover which creatures they share their homes
with. The event takes place over the last weekend in July, and with the
late sunsets and early sunrises in store, there will be plenty of
fun-filled hours for people of all ages to set up camp and spend a
memorable night in nature. Whether it be glamping in tents
or caravans, getting back to basics in dens and shelters or even
roughing it under open skies and a blanket of stars, there will be
Sleepout styles to cater for all levels and ages. Some of the more extraordinary Sleepouts in the pipeline include
stepping back in time and camping out in a museum, sleeping out under a
wind turbine and seeing shooting stars, globular clusters and the
international space station with a variety of telescopes, an indoor
planetarium and a meteor roadshow! In addition to spending a night in nature’s home and getting to know
the night time wildlife around them, those taking part can choose to
donate money to help the RSPB give nature a home. The Big Wild Sleepout
is part of the RSPB’s ‘Giving Nature a Home’ campaign, which is aimed at
inspiring everyone to do their bit for nature, wherever they live and
however big their outside space. James Harding-Morris, Big Wild Sleepout organiser said: “Thousands of
people across the UK will be going on a mini adventure and getting
closer to wildlife in our fourth Big Wild Sleepout event. Our main aim
is to get children and grown-ups connected to nature to help preserve it
for future generations and what better way to do this than spending a
night under the stars and getting to know the amazing animals around us
that thrive in the dark. Nature is in trouble and by taking part in
Sleepout and sharing your experiences with the RSPB, we’re getting a
deeper understanding of the wildlife around us, as well as helping to
give nature a home.”
Volunteer walk leaders go the extra mile! -
Cairngorms National Park Authority Volunteer walk leaders in the Cairngorms National Park have clocked
up more than 50,000 hours over the past 12 years – and in doing so –
have helped improve the physical and mental health of those taking part. From just three Walking to Health groups in 2004, the project has
grown to 34 groups operating in and around the Cairngorms National Park
delivering 5,500 hours worth of health walks annually. A special day of training, networking and celebration was held at
Glenmore Lodge today (Tuesday 26th April) to say ‘thank you’ to all
those willing volunteers who have been part of the Cairngorms Walking to
Health project. Of the 80 volunteers, 40 of them were able to attend the
event with keynote speaker, mountaineer, author and broadcaster Cameron
McNeish. He stressed the importance and value of volunteers in helping
people to access the outdoors with confidence, with a view to improving
their health and wellbeing. He said: “Every hour that a volunteer offers can be measured in
increased awareness, more confidence and greater health benefits for all
those who join a Walk to Health group. In addition all those who join a
group are re-connected to the natural world, something that can make a
massive difference to everyone. I hugely appreciate the opportunity I’ve
been given to come to Glenmore Lodge and thank the volunteers
personally.”
Partnership awarded for one of the best EU-funded nature conservation
projects in Europe - Peak District National
Park A large-scale nature conservation project that is protecting Peak
District and South Pennine moorlands, delivered by the Moors for the
Future Partnership, has been recognised as one of the most effective and
inspiring in the EU. Since 2003 the partnership has been helping to breathe new life into
moorlands damaged by the legacy of 200 years of industrial pollution and
wildfires that caused vast areas of bare and eroding peat. These
areas across the Peak District and South Pennines are internationally
important active blanket bog known as the South Pennines Special Area
for Conservation. The Partnership’s MoorLIFE project is due to receive an award for
being one of the best LIFE Nature Projects of 2015 in recognition of the
successful completion of the five-year project. With €6.7 million
project funding, including €5 million from the EU LIFE+ programme,
almost 2,500 hectares of moorland has been protected from damage.
By developing innovative conservation techniques nearly 900 hectares of
badly damaged blanket bog has been revegetated to stabilise the exposed
and damaged bare peat, preventing further erosion. The winning projects represent the three strands of the LIFE+
programme - Nature; Environment; and Information & Communication – and
are drawn from 15 EU Member States in total. Winners of the ‘Best
of the Best’ project awards will be chosen by a jury of the Member
States and European Commission and will be revealed at the LIFE Nature
and LIFE Environment award ceremonies in Brussels on May 31. Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive of the Peak District National Park,
said: “This award is a huge honour. We are delighted that MoorLIFE has
been recognised as one of the best conservation projects in Europe.
This project has delivered landscape-scale works in the Peak District
National Park and South Pennines as well as leading the way in research
and the development of innovative techniques to help us protect and
understand these fantastic places.” Does nature make you happy? Crowdsourcing app looks at relationship between the outdoors and wellbeing - University of Cambridge A new app will crowdsource data to help scientists understand the
relationship between biodiversity and wellbeing. The app, developed at
the University of Cambridge, maps happiness onto a detailed map that
includes all the UK’s nature reserves and green spaces. NatureBuzz, which is available to download free on iOS and Android
platforms, asks participants three times per day to answer questions
about how they feel, whether they are outside or indoors, who they are
with, and what they are doing. At the same time, it records their
location using GPS data. NatureBuzz is available to download from the
iPhone App Store and from
Google Play.
Monitoring reveals changes in biodiversity and the environment over 20 years at North Wyke, Devon - Rothamsted Research Scientists carrying out long-term monitoring at the North Wyke site
of Rothamsted Research have detected trends in the biodiversity and the
environment. Lower surface wind speeds, decreased concentrations of
pollutants in rainfall and fluctuations in the abundances of butterflies
and moths are among the changes recorded. Since 1993 the programme,
conducted by the UK Environmental Change Network (ECN), has collected
records to monitor the weather, atmospheric pollution and land
management, while measuring effects on biodiversity, soil and water
quality. The scientists collected fortnightly samples from the air and
from water in soil and the river Taw. They analysed the samples, and
compared the measurements with observations of vegetation and fauna. The
main findings from the first 20 years of monitoring at North Wyke are
described in a short report written by scientists at Rothamsted
Research, which is strategically funded by the BBSRC. This work is part
of the Long-Term Experiments National Capability (LTE-NC). The author of the short report and researcher at Rothamsted North
Wyke, Deborah Beaumont, said: “The Environmental Change Network data has
enabled us to see what components of the environment have changed at
North Wyke over a 20-year period. The long-term approach to
environmental monitoring helps us to distinguish between natural and
inter-annual variations and longer-term trends that short-term projects
are unable to capture. The environment continues to be under multiple
anthropogenic pressures and the Environmental Change Network is
providing important information on the health of our ecosystems, which
can be used to inform policy-makers, scientific researchers and
environmental managers.” The report is available as a short booklet from the
Rothamsted ECN website.
Warning after fox cub is rescued from football netting in Walsall
- RSPCA The RSPCA is reminding people about the dangers sports netting can
pose to wildlife after a fox cub had to be rescued when he got entangled
in one. The struggling cub, who was only a few weeks’ old, was spotted by a
member of the public last Wednesday (20 April) at a school in Beaufort
Way, Aldridge, Walsall. The football netting had wrapped around the
cub’s neck and front right paw, leaving him unable to move. Entangled fox cub (image: RSPCA) RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Cara Gibbon freed the cub by
carefully cutting away the netting. She said: “As I was removing him,
the cub’s mum and dad ran over to see what was happening. As soon
as I freed him, I popped him under the fence and he ran back to his mum
and dad. It is so nice to have a rescue with a happy ending, especially
as this could have been much worse for this little lad, as he could have
panicked and got himself even more tangled, but thankfully we got there
just in time." ACO Gibbon added. “Netting such as goal nets pose a
real hazard to our wildlife and sadly we get a lot of wild animals can
get trapped in them. To prevent this from happening, we encourage people
to remove the nets after use and store them safely away.
Striking image of Perthshire osprey guarding her territory
- Scottish Wildlife Trust Visitors witness acrobatic displays as territorial birds protect
their nest
The nesting pair of ospreys at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's
Loch of the Lowes Nature Reserve in Perthshire have been kept on their
toes by intruding ospreys and buzzards. While most of their time is spent incubating their eggs and catching
fish to bring back to the nest, the ospreys have also treated visitors
to the reserve to acrobatic displays as they defend their nest. The pair successfully laid a full clutch of three eggs earlier this
month. They are expected to hatch in the middle of May. Charlotte Fleming, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust said:
"Ospreys are very territorial and fiercely defend their nests. There are
always younger birds hanging around the established nests looking for a
chance to sneak in and breed. This keeps the current pair on their toes
and gives our visitors a chance to see the ospreys put on an amazing
display of skilled flying.”
Plymouth preparing to Buzz - Buglife This summer the centre of Plymouth will be blooming, and buzzing with
bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects as part of the Urban
Buzz project. Work is already underway to create this vibrant new
addition to Plymouth.
Millbay Park, St Andrew’s Cross and Derry’s Cross roundabouts and
along Western Approach will be full of beautiful flowers and buzzing
with life come the summer. Buglife and Plymouth City Council, along with
the help of some local volunteers will shortly be sowing colourful mixes
of flowers throughout these areas, following careful land preparation. Laura Curry, Plymouth’s Urban Buzz Officer said “Over a third of
Plymouth is identified as green space; there are many exciting
opportunities within the city for creating wonderful new homes for these
essential insects as well as helping local communities - providing them
with beautiful, bright, and inspiring flower-filled places that local
people can use and enjoy, and catch the Urban Buzz in Plymouth!”
Various pieces of evidence suggest that bat populations crashed
dramatically in the 20th century, but the information available is
largely circumstantial so can't tell us by how much and over what time
period. For this reason, in 1996 BCT established the National Bat
Monitoring Programme (NBMP) with the aim of providing effective
monitoring of resident species of bats in the UK. This was possible
thanks to the UK’s growing network of bat volunteers and the
availability of more affordable bat detectors. Since then 3,973 volunteers have carried out 65,610 surveys at 7,758
sites! Thanks to the amazing contribution of this network of citizen
scientists we are able to produce population trends for 11 of the UK’s
17 breeding bat species. The latest species population trends are due to
be published in the NBMP Annual Report on 5th May. NBMP data have also been used in a number of research projects
leading to some important findings such as new insights into different
species’ habitat requirements and the effects of urbanisation on bats.
Bees research shows not all neonicotinoids are the same - University of Dundee The group of chemical insecticides known as neonicotinoids have been
identified as presenting a serious risk to bee populations, leading to
bans on their use. But at least one may be unfairly named among the
offenders when it comes to risks to bumblebees, according to new
research led by the University of Dundee. The new study found that one of the neonicotinoid insecticides –
clothianidin – did not show the same detrimental effects on bee colonies
as its close chemical relatives imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. All three
neonicotinoids have been subject to an EU-wide moratorium on their use.
Dr Chris Connolly, a Research Associate at the Centre for
Environmental change and Human Rselience (CECHR) and Reader in the
Division of Neuroscience at Dundee’s School of Medicine, is one of the
leading authorities on the effects of neonicotinoids on bees. He has led
this new study, involving both the University of Dundee and the
University of St Andrews, which shows that each of the different
neonicotinoids leads to differential risks for bumblebees. “There has been growing concern over the risk to bee populations from
neonicotinoid insecticides and their long-term consequences to essential
ecosystem services and food security,” said Dr Connolly. “Our
knowledge of the risk of neonicotinoids to bees is based on studies of
imidacloprid and thiamethoxam and these findings have generally been
extrapolated to clothianidin. From our findings, we consider that
it is premature to place a permanent ban on the use of clothianidin.
That said, a moratorium on its use should continue until the knowledge
gaps are filled on its wider impact on other species.” Dr Connolly said the study once again confirmed the threat to
bumblebees from use of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. The results of the study are published in the journal Scientific
Reports. Read the paper:
Struggling farms run out of options as cash flow crisis spreads to wider
rural economy - The Prince's Countryside Fund Stark research into the cash flow pressures faced by farmers is
released by The Prince’s Countryside Fund today. The report was
commissioned following growing concerns in the sector about serious cash
flow issues affecting an increasing number of farm businesses. This is
putting a huge strain on suppliers, affecting the health and wellbeing
of farmers and affecting the prospects of the wider rural economy. Lord Curry, Chairman of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said, "The
research presents a very bleak picture not only for farmers; but also
for the wider rural economy. Volatile commodity markets are not just
affecting farmers; decreased cash flow is affecting the industry as a
whole, from vets to feed and machinery suppliers to auction marts. The
full extent of the crisis is not yet fully understood. As a result we
are witnessing a trend towards increased and sometimes risky borrowing
by farmers. Distressingly the outlook does not look set to change in the
short-term and the degree of uncertainty about the future is affecting
everyone. This in turn is causing suppliers to consider making job
redundancies and think about coming out of agriculture. 'It is essential
that farm businesses seek professional advice, have all the support they
need to cope and that they are equipped with risk and business
management tools. Confidence, better cooperation and communication
throughout the supply chain are needed if they are to survive."
To read the full report please click here.
Scientific Publications Merenlender, Adina M., Crall, Alycia W., Drill, Sabrina, Prysby,
Michelle & Ballard, Heidi.
Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship
through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology DOI:
10.1111/cobi.12737 Antonio J. Carpio, Lars Hillström & Francisco S. Tortosa.
Effects of wild boar predation on nests of wading birds in various
Swedish habitats. European Journal of Wildlife Research.
DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1016-y
Turnhout, E., Lawrence, A. & Turnhout, S. (2016)
Citizen science networks in natural history and the collective
validation of biodiversity data. Conservation Biology.
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12696 Caniani, D., Labella, A., Serafina Lioi, D., Mancini, I. M. & Masi,
S. (2016)
Habitat ecological integrity and environmental impact assessment of
anthropic activities: A GIS-based fuzzy logic model for sites of high
biodiversity conservation interest. Ecological Indicators.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.02.038
Juanita Zorrilla-Pujana, Sergio Rossi,
Environmental education indicators system for protected areas
management, Ecological Indicators, Volume 67, August 2016, Pages
146-155, ISSN 1470-160X, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.02.053. Bianca M. Wentzell, Charles W. Boylen, Sandra A. Nierzwicki-Bauer,
Wetland ecosystem comparison using a suite of plant assessment measures,
Ecological Indicators, Volume 67, August 2016, Pages 283-291, ISSN
1470-160X, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.02.056. Iacona, Gwenllian D., Bode, Michael & Armsworth, Paul R.
Limitations of outsourcing on-the-ground biodiversity conservation.
Conservation Biology DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12739 Chase, Sarah K. & Levine, Arielle
A
framework for evaluating and designing citizen science programs for
natural resources monitoring. Conservation Biology DOI:
10.1111/cobi.12697 Mavrommati, Georgia, Bithas, Kostas, Borsuk, Mark E. & Howarth,
Richard B.
Integration of ecological-biological thresholds in conservation decision
making. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12745
Virginie Guyot, Bastien Castagneyrol, Aude Vialatte, Marc Deconchat, Hervé Jactel. Tree diversity reduces pest damage in mature forests across Europe Biology Letters .DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.1037 Selina Brace, Mark Ruddy, Rebecca Miller, Danielle C. Schreve, John R. Stewart, Ian Barnes. The colonization history of British water vole (Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758)): origins and development of the Celtic fringe. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: biological sciences DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0130
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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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Scientists
installing temperature and humidity sensors around wind turbines Photo:
Susan Waldron
Konik
ponies grazing at RSPB Minsmere, Image: Andy Hay, RSPB
Flight
of the Swans will be the first ever attempt to follow the migration of
the Bewick’s swan from the air. Setting off this September, Sacha Dench
of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) will fly a paramotor from the
Bewick’s swans’ breeding grounds in arctic Russia 7,500km across 11
countries before finishing at the swans’ final destination in the UK.
A
bittern wading in reedbed on the Suffolk Coast, constituency of MP Dr
Thérèse Coffey (Image: Andy Hay)
Female
osprey LF15 chasing off an intruding buzzard. Photo: Marion Moore. (via
Scottish Wildlife Trust)
Colletes
species (c) Rory Dimond
Image:
University of Dundee
