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Headlines from week beginning 30 January 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Two men fined for killing wild birds –
Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (via National Wildlife Crime
Unit) Two men, aged 31 and 26 years-old, have been fined
for killing an Oystercatcher and a Gull in two separate wildlife crime
incidents last year.
44 Invading species loose in the North Atlantic
– Plymouth Marine Laboratory Accidental introductions of non-native species has
been of increasing concern since the 1980s when human-mediated
transportation, mainly related to ships' ballast water, was recognized
as a major route by which species are transported and spread. A review just published by PML Applications Ltd
(the wholly-owned subsidiary of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, PML) and the
University of Plymouth, brings together and updates evidence on invasive
species for the NE and SW Atlantic Ocean, in order to assess the risk
represented by the shipping trade between these two regions. Access the paper:
Maria Cecilia T. de Castro, Timothy W. Fileman, Jason M Hall-Spencer,
Invasive species in the Northeastern and Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: A
review, Marine Pollution Bulletin DOI:
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.12.048.
Gull decline on Scottish island linked to decline in fishing discards
– BTO Latest research, just published, shows a population of large gulls in
Scotland failed to thrive as the fish catch landed by the local fishing
fleet fell. Between 1985 and 2000 an annual average of 13,726 tonnes of fish was
landed in Mallaig. However, between 2007 and 2014 this had fallen to
4,456 tonnes. This has apparently had a profound effect on the Canna
gull population. The number of breeding pairs of Herring Gulls peaked at
1,525 in 1988, Great Black-backed Gulls reached 90 pairs around the same
time and the highest number of Lesser Black-backed
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Tom Bickerton)
Christmas trees protect all coastal homes –
Lancashire Wildlife Trust Inhabitants of the Fylde Coast will be getting their annual late
Chirstmas present – which protects their homes. Recycled Christmas trees will be buried along the sands dunes at
Lytham and St Anne’s, to create new dunes and a barrier against the
forces of nature.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Fylde Sand Dunes Project Officer Amy
Pennington said: “The annual Christmas tree planting event occurs every
year, and is a three-day event. This year it is taking place on Tuesday
February 7, Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th. All ages and
capabilities are welcome - there's something for everyone. Last year we
had over 1,000 Christmas trees kindly donated by local residents and
businesses, this year we hope to collect many more.” The project is carried out by staff from Fylde Council and the
Wildlife Trust and local volunteers. This year’s event comes after the
good news that the Environment Agency have supplying five more years of
funding for the Dunes Project.
Lost in translation: traffic noise disrupts communication between
species – University of Bristol Research by scientists at the University of Bristol has found that
man-made noise can hinder the response of animals to the warning signals
given by other species, putting them at greater risk of death from
predators. Many animals are known to eavesdrop on the alarm calls of other
species, effectively translating a foreign language to gather valuable
information about the presence of predators. Using field-based
experiments in South Africa, the researchers from the University's
School of
Mongooses group foraging (Hayley Muir) Lead author Amy Morris-Drake said: "The lack of an appropriate escape
response could result from noise-induced distraction or stress.
Alternatively, noisy conditions could partially mask the tree squirrel
vocalisations, making it harder for the dwarf mongooses to extract the
relevant information." Co-lead author Anna Bracken added: "While lots of work has focussed
on whether animals can adjust their vocalisations to avoid the effects
of masking, it is often difficult to determine what that might mean for
survival. By looking at responses to alarm calls, there is a direct link
to survival; a lack of response could result in death." Access the paper:
Role of terrestrial biosphere in counteracting climate change may have
been underestimated – University of
Birmingham New research suggests that the capacity of the terrestrial biosphere
to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) may have been underestimated in past
calculations due to certain land-use changes not being fully taken into
account. It is widely known that the terrestrial biosphere (the collective
term for all the world’s land vegetation, soil, etc.) is an important
factor in mitigating climate change, as it absorbs around 20% of all
fossil fuel CO2 emissions. However, its role as a net carbon sink is
affected by land-use changes such as deforestation and expanded
agricultural practice. A new study, conducted by an international collaboration of
scientists and published in the journal Nature Geoscience, has analysed
the extent to which these changing land-use practices affect carbon
emissions – allowing the levels of CO2 uptake by the terrestrial
biosphere to be more accurately predicted. The results not only show that CO2 emissions from changing land-use
practices are likely to be significantly higher than previously thought,
but also imply that these emissions are compensated for by a higher rate
of carbon uptake among terrestrial ecosystems. Co-author of the study, Dr Tom Pugh from the University of
Birmingham, says: ‘Our work shows that the terrestrial biosphere might
have greater potential than previously thought to mitigate climate
change by sequestering carbon emissions from fossil fuels. However, to
fully realise this potential we will have to ensure that the significant
emissions resulting from land-use changes are reduced as much as
possible.’ Access the paper: Arneth et al. (2017)
'Historical carbon dioxide
emissions caused by land-use changes are possibly larger than assumed'
Nature Geoscience DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2882
Extra protection for Wales’ sea birds and harbour porpoise approved
– Welsh Government The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural
Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has taken steps to strengthen the protection
for sea birds and harbour porpoise in Wales. Following a consultation last year for new Special
Areas of Conservation (SAC) for harbour porpoise, the Cabinet Secretary
has approved three areas. These have now been submitted to the European
Commission for consideration. New UK marine protected sites for harbour porpoise submitted to Europe – JNCC As part of the UKs commitment to implementation of
the EU Habitats Directive and development of the Natura 2000 network,
five harbour porpoise Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), proposed and
consulted on in 2016 (see map), have been approved by relevant UK
Governments. These sites were submitted to the European Commission (EC)
on Monday 30 January 2017 and are now considered to be candidate SACs
(cSAC), pending EC approval. The submitted cSACs have been identified based on
analysis of 18 years of comprehensive data on harbour porpoise
distribution. These areas were identified as important, having
persistently higher densities of harbour porpoise compared to other
areas, and will complement existing conservation measures in place
throughout UK waters for whales and dolphins. Reaction: New UK marine protected sites for harbour porpoises submitted to Europe! – Whale & Dolphin Conservation
Natural England backs hedges and boundaries for wildlife and people
– Natural England We are inviting applications for the Countryside
Stewardship hedgerows and boundaries grant which opens on 1 February
2017.
The hedgerows and boundaries grant, individually
worth up to £5,000, is designed to help farmers and other land managers
improve important farmland boundaries. The application window for the £5
million scheme closes on 28 April. Farmers can apply for a one-off grant
towards the restoration of a range of traditional boundaries including
hedgerows, dry stone walls, stone-faced banks and earth banks. Nearly
800 applicants were successful last year. Guy Thompson, Chief Operating Officer of Natural
England, said: "Hedgerows, dry stone walls and earth banks are a
quintessential part of the English countryside. Not only do they perform
a vital agricultural role in protecting crops and livestock from the
elements, they help support a variety of wildlife. Increasingly farmland
boundaries also play a major role in preventing soil loss as well as
reducing pollution and flooding. I’m pleased that this grant will help
to support these traditional boundaries and the wider benefits that they
bring." Access the defra guidance:
Countryside Stewardship: hedgerows and boundaries grant manual 2017
Environmental charities receive over £1.5 million from businesses which
broke environmental laws – Environment
Agency Charities will receive more than £1.5 million for
projects benefitting wildlife and the environment as a result of
enforcement action by the Environment Agency, it was announced. Companies which broke environmental laws - either
by polluting rivers, breaching permit conditions designed to protect
communities or avoiding recycling – have agreed to make payments to a
range of charities and have pledged to make improvements to avoid future
offences. 30 charities and projects will benefit from the
bumper pay-out of £1,564,761.09. The money will be spent by local groups
on projects that will make a direct positive impact on the environment.
Stretches of rivers will be cleaned up, native species will be restocked
into rivers and communities groups will invest in parkland for everyone
to enjoy. There are 26 Enforcement Undertakings on the new list
with payments ranging from £1,500 - £375,000, including 6 companies that
have agreed to make 6 figure payment As well as making a suitable payment to an
appropriate environmental charity, each company has accepted liability,
demonstrated restoration of harm and invested to reduce the risk of
similar breaches occurring in future.
The list of enforcement undertakings is published here.
Welsh Beaver Project – North Wales
Wildlife Trust After an absence of over 500 years, a
reintroduction of beavers to the wild in Wales finally looks set to
become a reality this summer. Since 2005 the Welsh Beaver Project, led by the
Wildlife Trusts in Wales and managed from North Wales Wildlife Trust,
has been investigating the feasibility of reintroducing beavers back to
Wales for the many benefits they bring to wildlife, the environment and
the economy. With funding from People’s Postcode Lottery we have been able to employ a full-time project officer, Alicia Leow-Dyke, based at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, to progress the project. Working with a partner organisation, a licence application has been submitted to Natural Resources Wales for a release of beavers into a small catchment in South Wales during summer 2017. We are also investigating releasing beavers at sites in North Wales where they would be enclosed and used as a management tool to assist with habitat restoration and maintenance. Find out more about the project here.
Whiskers help
dormice navigate shrinking habitats, research shows
– Manchester Metropolitan University Gaps in habitats need to be filled to help the
endangered species The existence of the UK's endangered Hazel
dormouse is under threat as gaps in tree canopies are leaving the
creatures unable to use their hypersensitive whiskers to naturally cross
between habitats, a new study reveals.
Dr Robyn Grant, Lecturer in Environmental
Physiology and Behaviour, monitored and recorded high-speed videos of
dormice and their whisker movements using a camera that captures 500
frames per second. The videos captured dormice walking on a flat
surface, a sloped surface, exploring a gap, crossing a gap, jumping and
exploring freely in flat and climbing arenas in near darkness using
infrared light illumination. Gaps in the tree canopy proved to be
a major problem for the dormice meaning that gaps in their habitats need
to be connected in order to help preserve numbers. Building hedgerows,
habitat corridors and dormouse bridges is critical to this species’
survival. The footage revealed that dormice actively and
purposefully move their whiskers to gather relevant information from
their canopy at night. Carried out at the Wildwood Trust in Kent,
the research into the endangered species published in the Journal of
Comparative Physiology A, shows that dormice use active whisker sensing.
Like other rodents, dormice move their whiskers back and forth
continuously in a motion called ‘whisking’ to navigate small gaps and to
explore their environment.
Click through to
view video Footage of the dormice captured during the research Access the paper The UK desperately needs to find a leafy Lulu or a woody Bucks Fizz
after scoring little more than ‘nil points’ in the tree equivalent of
the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Woodland Trust is calling on tree lovers throughout the UK to
improve our appalling record in the European Tree of the Year contest,
as this year’s four entries take their place alongside 12 other trees
from across the continent as voting gets underway on 1 February. The four UK entries as voted for by the public, thanks to support
from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, are the Sycamore Gap tree for
England, Brimmon Oak in Wales, Ding Dong tree in Scotland and Holm Oak
in Northern Ireland. In the last two years UK trees have performed more like Electro
Velvet than Brotherhood of Man, finishing sixth at best and usually with
far fewer votes than their continental counterparts. Run by the Environmental Partnership Association, the voting
mechanism is straightforward – the tree with the most public votes at
the end of February will win.
Bird lovers help scientists discover secrets of beak evolution
– University of Sheffield
Citizen scientists and bird lovers across the
world have helped researchers to uncover new secrets about the evolution
of birds' beaks over time in a ground-breaking study. Researchers at the University of Sheffield asked
the public to help measure beak shapes from more than 2,000 bird species
which have been 3D scanned from specimens at the Natural History Museum
and the Manchester Museum.Using the crowdsourced data, the team were
able show that the diversity of bird beaks expanded early in their
evolutionary history. The most unusual beak shapes often involved
periods of exceptionally fast evolutionary change. However, once extremes are reached, the changes to
bird beaks over time became much smaller as birds filled ever-narrower
evolutionary niches. There are some examples - such as birds who have
evolved in comparative isolation on remote islands such as the Galapagos
and the Hawaiian archipelago - who have continued to evolve rapidly. Gavin Thomas, the project lead from the Department
of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, said: “The
shape of a bird’s beak is an important indicator of the food it eats and
the way it forages - its ecological niche. This project has given us key
insight into how evolutionary processes play out over millions of years
- with major bursts of evolution as new groups emerge, and more fine
scale changes thereafter. With the efforts of our volunteers from across
the world, the study has given us a unique new data set for the study of
bird ecology and evolution.” Access the paper.
Christopher R. Cooney, et al
Mega-evolutionary dynamics of the adaptive radiation of birds.
Nature (2017) doi:10.1038/nature21074
Reconomics Plus launched to champion outdoor recreation
– Sports and Recreation Alliance The Sport and Recreation Alliance has
launched Reconomics Plus, an online resource designed to help
our members and the wider sector champion the value of outdoor
recreation to the economy, our health and to creating strong, vibrant
local communities. Reconomics Plus has been produced as a toolkit to
help enable members and the wider sector to demonstrate the substantial
impact of outdoor recreation. It is hoped that the resource will give
members the ammunition to inform conversations with key decisions makers
at a national and local level. The new resource brings together the latest
research and statistics to highlight the contribution of outdoor
recreation in England. Produced in partnership with Manchester
Metropolitan University, Reconomics Plus also reviews evidence on how
outdoor recreation can play a role in improving the nation’s physical
and mental wellbeing. Reconomics Plus follows on from Reconomics which
was launched in 2014 and was the first report of its kind to set out the
economic value of outdoor recreation. It is hoped
that Reconomics Plus will build on the huge success of Reconomics, which
has been used to inform responses to Government consultations and
featured in Westminster Hall Debates. Reconomics Plus demonstrates how the sport and
recreation sector can provide meaningful and cost effective solutions to
some of the nation’s biggest challenges. It is now the role of the
Alliance, our members and the wider sport and recreation sector to make
sure that outdoor recreation is embedded in cross-departmental
Government strategies. Download the report (PDF) Shooting helps champion outdoor recreation in new report - BASC The Sport and Recreation Alliance highlighted
BASC’s introduction of almost 6,000 scouts and girl guides to clay
pigeon shooting at the week-long Essex International Jamboree last
summer. The report – Reconomics Plus – says ‘the scouts
and girl guides came to understand how shooting has broader positive
social outcomes, in that joining a shooting club can give them the
opportunity to get out, meet new people and build friendships’. It
adds: “They also learnt that shooting has huge personal and physical
wellbeing benefits via spending time in the outdoors and providing
enjoyment and relaxation.”
Government must get tough on raptor killers, says RSPB Government must get tough on raptor killers, says
RSPB Birds of prey continue to be illegally targeted as
another rare bird is found to have been shot
New RSPB report shows illegal killing of birds of
prey is still unacceptably common with 196 reports of shooting and
destruction of birds of prey and 50 reports of wildlife poisoning and
pesticide related offences across the UK in 2015 The charity believes tougher legislation and
enforcement is essential if birds of prey are to thrive in their natural
environment again The body of a hen harrier, which fledged in 2016,
has been recently found in Northumberland. Whilst it appears to have
died with a disease, it had survived being illegally shot on an earlier
date. Illegal persecution of birds of prey is still happening all too
regularly in the UK countryside according to the RSPB’s Birdcrime 2015
report, published today in a new online interactive format, and the
charity is asking governments across the UK to take urgent action now to
stop this slaughter. The report reveals in 2015 there were 196 reports
of shooting and destruction of birds of prey including the confirmed
shooting of 16 buzzards, 11 peregrines, three red kites, one red-footed
falcon and one hen harrier. Of the total 92 confirmed persecution
incidents, 61% occurred in England, 29% in Scotland, 9% in Northern
Ireland and 1% in Wales. The report can be viewed online here.
New houses flood risk to existing homes
– Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust People’s homes will be at greater risk from
flooding by 2020 because new homes will overwhelm existing drains,
according to the biggest ever survey of relevant building and flooding
professionals.
The Government is planning to build a million more
new homes by the end of the decade. But the survey suggests current
planning laws in England will make it too easy to automatically connect
new homes to already over-capacity mains drainage, rather than look at
sustainable options like soakaways which can be cheaper and simpler and
avoid adding to flood risk. Overwhelmed drains are the most common type of
flooding in towns, costing the economy £260m per year. Greater London is
an example where urban development connecting to drains has added to the
flood risk for homes generally. In the 2007 floods nearly all the 1,400
properties flooded were due to surface water flooding. The survey of 539 industry professionals including
engineering consultants, flood advisors and planners shows:
The survey was conducted by organisations
including the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and the Chartered
Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). They are now
urging the Government to strengthen planning law in England Download the report:
A Place for SuDS from CIWEM (PDF)
Marine Protected Areas helping to limit climate change
– Scottish Natural Heritage
The world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems play a
vital role in trapping and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
that would otherwise contribute to climate change. So-called ‘blue’
carbon is captured and stored across a range of marine habitats and
seabed types. Some blue carbon is stored in living habitats, such as
seagrass beds, kelp forests, cold-water coral reefs, and mussel beds.
The majority is stored in seabed sediment, accumulated over many years,
much the same as our onshore peatlands. As with peatlands on land,
healthy marine habitats can provide us with multiple benefits, including
by storing carbon. However, when they are damaged or destroyed, the
greenhouse gas is released back into the atmosphere. Scientists estimate that about 90% of the blue
carbon within Scotland’s MPA network is stored in seabed sediments and
relatively stable. The living habitats, however, such as maerl and flame
shell beds, are more sensitive to physical disturbance and many of these
are protected features in the MPA network. The report published today highlights that,
although primarily designed for biodiversity, our MPA network brings
many benefits, including by helping to reduce climate change.
Membership price rise will help fund record conservation spend and deliver better experiences for visitors – National Trust
Annual membership of the National Trust will
increase from March 1, 2017, by an average of £1.80 a year to help the
charity fund record levels of investment in vital conservation work, and
improve visitor facilities and experiences. Money raised from memberships is vital not only to
help the Trust care for 300 historic properties, 775 miles of coastline
and 250,000 hectares of countryside across England, Wales and Northern
Ireland, but also provide access to them for ever for everyone. The Trust, which is largely funded through
donations, memberships and legacies, spent a record £107m on
conservation last year in maintaining, repairing and improving its
houses, countryside and tenanted properties. It also plans to spend an extra £300 million on
addressing a backlog of conservation work by 2024. The Trust said the extra funding would help it respond to what its members wanted including keeping its doors open for longer and at times which suit visitors. More properties than ever are now open for 363 days a year.
Scientific Publications Threlfall, C. G., Mata, L., Mackie, J. A., Hahs,
A. K., Stork, N. E., Williams, N. S.G. and Livesley, S. J. (2017),
Increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces through simple vegetation
interventions. J Appl Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript.
doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12876 Olsson, C., Gunnarsson, G. & Elmberg, Field preference of Greylag geese Anser anser during the breeding season. J. Eur J Wildl Res (2017) 63: 28. doi:10.1007/s10344-017-1086-5
Völler, E., Bossdorf, O., Prati, D. & Auge, H. (2017)
Evolutionary responses to land use in eight common grassland plants.
Journal of Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12746
Davy, C. M., Ford, A. T. and Fraser, K. C. (2017),
Aeroconservation for the Fragmented Skies Conservation Letters
doi:10.1111/conl.12347
Rodríguez, A. et al (2017)
A global review of seabird mortality caused by land-based artificial
lights. Conservation Biology doi:10.1111/cobi.12900
Rising sea levels caused by climate change were
putting pressure on the aging sea walls and the risk of flooding was
increasing for homes, businesses and farmland on the peninsula. The
Environment Agency (EA) came up with an innovative solution: manage the
situation by deliberately letting the sea back onto the land in a
controlled way. This meant first landscaping the whole area by digging
creeks and channels that would guide the sea water as the tides ebb and
flow. The spoil from the channels could be used to create new sea walls,
up to a kilometre inland. The saltmarsh that would form in the new
intertidal area between the old and the new sea walls would naturally
sap the power from the tides before they reach the new sea walls, making
them longer lasting and cheaper to maintain.
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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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Gulls
was recorded at 63 pairs. 
Biological
Sciences, demonstrated that traffic noise reduces the likelihood of
dwarf mongooses fleeing to the warning signals uttered by tree
squirrels.
Limestone
dry stone wall, Orton Fells, Cumbria © Simon Warner/Natural England
Dormouse
(image: MMU)
The
four UK nominees for European Tree of the Year (Photo: WTML)
Female
hen harrier in flight (image: Steve Round, RSPB)
(image:
WWT)
Maerl
beds hold significant stores of blue carbon (image: SNH)
