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Headlines from week beginning 6 February 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
MMO calls for feedback on marine planning
- Marine Management Organisation The Marine Management Organisation is asking for
feedback on the first outputs in the development of the next phase of
marine plans. A questionnaire on the first outputs of marine
planning in the north east, north west, south east and south west has
been launched. The questionnaire, which is open until Friday 31
March 2017, asks for feedback on the recently published Issues Database,
supporting evidence, proposed draft policies to date as well as a new
interactive format. It’s the first opportunity for stakeholders to see
how marine planning is progressing in north east, north west, south east
and south west marine plan areas, marking an important milestone in the
marine planning process. The questionnaire is part of an eight week
programme of activity, which also includes a series of workshops. The questionnaire and workshops are an opportunity
to see how the issues and evidence gathered last year are being taken
forward, and how proposed draft policies for the areas are being
developed. A new proposed format for marine plans is also
introduced, which takes a shorter, more digital, interactive approach,
linking directly to our Marine Information System (MIS). To take part in the questionnaire visit
the consultation website.
Critical Solway Firth site secured for nature
– RSPB Scotland RSPB Scotland is delighted to announce today that
thanks to public generosity a critical site on the Solway Firth has been
secured for nature. Over 40,000 Svalbard barnacle geese migrate to this
area every year, with a quarter of these settling at RSPB Scotland
Mersehead. The sight and sound of these geese arriving each autumn is
one of the most iconic moments in nature’s calendar.The public response
to the appeal was outstanding and ensured that this crucial part of the
Solway Firth is now part of the RSPB Scotland reserve, with many species
set to benefit from the interconnected habitats that will be created.
Mersehead is home to the only Scottish population of the country’s
rarest amphibian, natterjack toads, whilst in the summer the songs of
yellowhammers, linnets and lapwings fill the air. The autumn brings
pintails, teals and widgeons to the reserve and waders such as
oystercatchers, golden plovers and increasingly rare curlews join the
geese during the colder months of the year.
Over the next two years RSPB Scotland will be
working to restore the special saltmarsh and sand dune habitats on this
newest part of the reserve. This will create more nesting opportunities
for birds such as redshanks and skylarks that breed in the saltmarsh and
more ponds in the sand dunes suitable for the natterjack toad population
to expand into. Work will begin this spring with the removal of scrub
and non-native plant species. Joining up the land in the reserve will also see
benefits for the management of the site through revitalising burns and
ditches to help to create more wetland areas, and visitors will be able
to further immerse themselves in the nature rich Solway Firth through
new access trails.
New report explores trees’ role in town and city life
– Forestry Commission A research report just published by the Forestry
Commission offers new insight into the specific roles which trees play
within the wider range of ecosystem services provided by greenspace in
town and cities. The report, which is based on a literature review,
shows that woodlands, street trees, parks and other greenspace are given
broad attention in the scientific literature. Papers focusing on green
infrastructure as a whole are also common. However, it found that
there is very little reference in the literature to scale, and therefore
whether it is individual trees, lines of trees or clusters of trees
which principally provide each of the benefits. A key objective of the report is therefore to
illustrate the specific role of trees in providing benefits to society,
as opposed to provision being assigned to green infrastructure in
general, or to a particular greenspace type. To this end it
investigates scale-based urban forest elements, including single trees,
lines of trees, clusters of trees, and woodland. The ecosystem services
they provide are grouped into provisioning, regulating, and cultural
services, and each service is considered in turn.
Download the free report from Forestry Commission Publications.
LED lighting could have major impact on wildlife
– University of Exeter LED street lighting can be tailored to reduce its impacts on the
environment, according to new research by the University of Exeter. The UK-based study found predatory spiders and beetles were drawn to
grassland patches lit by LED lighting at night, but the number of
species affected was markedly reduced when the lights were dimmed by 50%
and switched off between midnight and 4am.
LEDs made up just 9% of the global lighting market in 2011, but
forecasts suggest they will account for 69% by 2020. This has led to concerns about their effects on plants and animals,
and the Exeter scientists say research is urgently needed to understand
how best to prevent unforeseen ecological effects. “We are making fundamental changes to the way we light the night-time
environment, with potentially profound consequences for a range of
species,” said Dr Thomas Davies, of the Environment and Sustainability
Institute at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus. “The growth of
LED lighting is an issue of global concern, and the number of documented
impacts on the environment is growing rapidly. Our research shows that
local authorities might be able to manage LED lighting in a way that
reduces its environmental impacts. We now need to establish whether this
is the case for a greater variety of species. Without appropriate
management, our results suggest that the growing use of LED lighting
will have impacts on the abundance of predatory invertebrates,
potentially leading to knock on effects for other species in grassland
food-webs.”
Rare habitats being damaged by off-road vehicles
– Scottish Natural Heritage Some of Scotland’s rarest habitats are being damaged as a result of
illegal access by off road vehicles, warn Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH) and Police Scotland.
NNRs are some of Scotland's crown jewels for wildlife and scenery.
They are the magical and inspiring places to experience the incredible
sights and sounds of the natural world. These reserves help protect an
amazing range of wildlife and landscapes, including many rare species
and habitats of national and international importance. Unfortunately, the sensitive habitats on these NNRs are suffering
ongoing damage as a result of illegal quad bike and motorbike access,
with a recent spike in activity witnessed around the festive period and
into 2017. SNH is keen to encourage the public to visit these sites and have
provided facilities such as footpaths and on-site interpretation. But
access rights should always be exercised responsibly in line with the
Scottish Outdoor Access Code – these rights don’t extend to motorised
vehicles.
Increasing the water table in agricultural peatland could hold key to
reducing UK’s greenhouse gas emissions –
University of Sheffield
Increasing the water table could help to slow down global warming,
boost crop yields, and preserve peat soils according to a new study. The research, led by scientists from the University of Sheffield,
found increasing the level below which the ground is saturated with
water – known as the water table – in radish fields by 20cm not only
reduced soil CO2 emissions, but also improved the growth of crops. Importantly, the study also showed a reduction in the rate of loss of
peat soils converted into agricultural fields. Around a third of greenhouse gases released by humans are caused by
agriculture. Reducing this is critical in order to slow down climate
change, however the world is facing a global shortage of food and
agricultural land is a precious resource – adding to the challenge of
food security.
Computer game teaches tree health lessons
– Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Tree-health experts at the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology (CEH) have played a key role in creating a new computer game
which teaches valuable lessons in tree health. It is hoped that the game, CALEDON, which is aimed
at teaching people, from secondary school age upwards, more about how we
can sustainably manage our forests to cope with new pests and diseases,
could become part of the science curriculum. The game is a virtual forest survival strategy
game where players make decisions about the tree species and seed
sources to use for planting, what and when to cut down, and how to cope
with pest and disease outbreaks. All affect whether their forest
prospers or declines. Players learn, through different levels of the
game, about how different species have distinct ecology and how making
use of diversity can help to keep a forest resilient. They also learn
about the wide range of things – from pests and diseases to illegal
logging to unexpected animal herds – that forest managers have to deal
with to keep their forests going CALEDON is underpinned by new science from seven
research partners in the UK’s PROTREE project which is part of the £7
million Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative that supports
research and engages with stakeholders in plant health.
Download
or play CALEDON by clicking here.
Think before you Tweet - BASC BASC is urging its members to think twice about
what they post and share on social media. The warning comes after a man had his shotgun
licence revoked by police after he ‘liked’ Facebook posts deemed
offensive. He appealed the decision and won. BASC’s dedicated
firearms team has already reported a rise in calls on the issue Duncan Thomas, BASC north director, said: “Social
Media has some incredible uses and I use Facebook and Twitter on a daily
basis both personally and professionally. It’s the modern, rapid way of
communicating with an enormous range of the shooting community. It has
however got certain disadvantages and there are many pitfalls for the
inexperienced. Never post anything that can lead someone to your door or
disclose details of your security arrangements, always close your
profile down into “private only” where only your trusted friends and
contacts can see your material. Always remember that even a deleted post
is retrievable, nothing truly vanishes forever and a “screen grab” can
seize instantly what you have posted, even in error. Never post anything
your mother wouldn’t be happy viewing.” If you would rather know who is reading your
social media posts you should reassess your privacy settings to keep
yourself and your information safe and secure. CJS reminds you that this also
important when applying for jobs, read more in our
Helpful Hints.
National roll-out of new approach to great crested newt licensing
– Natural England Natural England is to implement an innovative new
approach to the conservation of great crested newts across the country. The new approach has been piloted in partnership
with Woking borough council in Surrey. It has focused on bringing the
greatest benefits to the amphibians while streamlining the licensing
process for housing developers. The approach will now start to be
introduced across the country after its roll-out was announced in the
Department for Communities and Local Government’s Housing White Paper.
This new 3-year programme will survey areas where
newts are most prevalent, map the potential impacts of development and
propose local conservation strategies for the species in partnership. As
part of the project, great crested newt habitat is enhanced or created
prior to any development taking place, saving developers time and money,
and making newt populations more healthy and resilient. Natural England’s Chairman, Andrew Sells, said:
"We are grateful to DCLG for funding the national roll-out of this
ambitious new approach to the licensing of great crested newts. It is a
ringing endorsement of Natural England’s work to modernise the licensing
of protected species. Populations of great crested newts can struggle
when they become isolated. Creating connected habitats across the
country is the single most positive thing we can do for their survival,
by allowing them to spread naturally. At the same time, the strategic
approach to licensing helps developers to avoid costs and delays to
their projects. This roll-out is key to helping us ensure that
regulation better serves both the natural environment and the economy." The announcement was
welcomed by: Dr Tony Gent, CEO of Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation, Stephen Trotter, Director, The Wildlife Trusts England and
President of the Country Land and Business Association, Ross Murray.
Click through to read their responses.
Big Loopholes For Tiny
Microbeads In Government’s Proposed Ban
– Marine Conservation Society YouGov polling for the microbeads coalition has
shown that a large proportion of people wash make-up and skincare
products down the drain. Yet while some of these product types have been
shown to contain microplastic ingredients, they could fall outside of
the government’s proposed microbeads ban. Defra’s
current proposal is restricted to “rinse-off” products, an ambiguous
term which has caused confusion among industry and campaigners alike.
But these findings suggest that products containing microplastics will
continue to enter the ocean if the government excludes them from the
microbeads ban. The
survey found that:
The poll also found that the majority of people
who wear any make-up (61%) rarely or never read product label
information regarding removal methods for face, eye and lip make-up
products. Click through to read a joint statement from the microbeads coalition, which consists of the Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna & Flora International, Greenpeace UK and the Marine Conservation Society
Surveys record highest numbers of three dolphin species
– Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust Record numbers of three dolphin species off
Scotland’s west coast were recorded by conservation charity Hebridean
Whale and Dolphin Trust in its marine research expeditions in 2016. From the trust’s specialized research yacht
Silurian, volunteers and scientists recorded 2,303 individual common
dolphins, 42 bottlenose dolphins and 94 Risso’s dolphins – the figures
for all three species being the highest ever recorded in its annual
survey seasons.
More research needed to understand effects of microplastics on
land-based ecosystems - Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology A review of evidence led by experts at the Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology (CEH) has highlighted the need for further research to
determine the extent to which microplastics are polluting and harming
land-based ecosystems. The review, published in the journal Science of the Total
Environment, has revealed a large degree of uncertainty as to how much,
and in what way, waste plastic may be damaging terrestrial environments,
and what size and type of plastic might be the biggest problem. Researchers also accept that it is not fully understood to what
extent microplastic pollutants are released into the environment through
everyday products, accidentally or through wind transfer.
In 2014, in Europe, more than 311 million tonnes of plastic was
produced and it is estimated that by 2050 this will spiral to 33 billion
tonnes a year. Each year it is believed between 473,000 and 910,000
metric tonnes of plastic waste is released and retained within
land-based environments – or between 4 and 23 times the amount estimated
to be deposited in oceans. Lead author Alice Horton, a research associate in microplastics and
toxic pollutants at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said there are
still questions that need to be answered to fully understand the
potential for 'microplastics to have detrimental effects on the
physiology of species across many ecological niches'. Alice said, "There is evidence to show that microplastics can have
harmful effects on organisms, hindering their ability to feed, reproduce
and defend themselves against predators, with effects likely to vary
between types and sizes of microplastics. "This could have significant knock-on effects within ecosystems.
Despite growing interest in microplastics within the wider environment,
the majority of studies to date have been carried out within the oceans
on marine organisms. Here at CEH we are interested in the start of the
chain, when microplastics first enter the environment to land and rivers
and the organisms that may be affected there." Read Alice Horton’s blog post giving more details of the research:
First evidence of
mircoplastics in UK freshwater environments Access the paper: Alice A. Horton, Alexander Walton, David J.
Spurgeon, Elma Lahive, Claus Svendsen,
Microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments: Evaluating the
current understanding to identify the knowledge gaps and future research
priorities, Science of The Total Environment, DOI:
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.190.
Bats and churches to benefit thanks to National Lottery
– Natural England The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has approved the development stage
and initial funding of £3.8million for the 5 year “Bats in Churches”
partnership project, bringing together wildlife and heritage
conservation and church organisations to save bats and protect churches.
The ground-breaking project will:
Natural England’s Chairman, Andrew Sells, said:" This is a splendid
result for both congregations and bats, who have shared churches for
centuries but not always happily. We’ve been working very hard for a
number of years with our partners to find ways to help bats and people
coexist peacefully in these beautiful, historic buildings. This funding
will allow us to capitalise on that good work and find innovative new
ways of resolving the conflict. It will provide a lasting legacy for
these wonderful churches and the people and bats that rely on them. The
project will provide help and support to places of worship across
England where large bat populations can sometimes have a negative impact
on historic buildings and the communities who use them." Click through to read comments and response from: HLF’s CEO, Ros
Kerslake, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry, Chair of the Church Buildings Council,
Julia Hanmer, Joint Chief Executive of the Bat Conservation Trust
Deborah Lamb, Deputy Chief Executive of Historic England and Crispin
Truman OBE, Chief Executive of the Churches Conservation Trust
New Tesco scheme
gets endangered bees buzzing again –Tesco Plc Stricken bees struggling to get enough nectar to feed themselves are
being given a sweetener thanks to a sugar collection scheme run by
Tesco. Sugar from split bags that is no longer fit for human consumption is
collected by the supermarket’s stores in the Cornwall and Devon area and
sent to a local bee conservation charity.
Bee (image: Tesco) Since 2007 the UK’s bee population has dwindled by a third as a
result of fewer wildflowers, pests and various diseases, all of which
makes it harder for bees to produce enough honey to feed themselves
throughout the winter. Lucy Hughes, Tesco’s Community Manager at Callington store in
Cornwall said:
NFU calls for action to protect countryside from fly-tippers The British countryside is being blighted by a fly-tipping epidemic
and more needs to be done to prevent rubbish from ruining our iconic
landscape, the NFU said today.
The great British countryside is being blighted by
a fly-tipping epidemic and more needs to be done to prevent rubbish from
ruining our iconic landscape, the NFU said today. The call comes as farmers address the Keep Britain
Tidy campaign’s annual conference held in Leeds today. The sight of dumped mattresses, carpets,
dishwashers, old furniture and black bags of household waste on farmland
is becoming widespread with two thirds of all farms affected. Last
year there were 900,000 incidents of fly-tipping across England – a 5%
increase from the previous year. With rural tourism contributing £130m to the nation’s economy (2015-16) the NFU believes more needs to be done to protect the countryside from fly-tipping and more action taken by local authorities and police to help farmers battling this issue. Under the current rules farmers and landowners are left facing hefty bills to remove vast amounts of rubbish dumped illegally on their land.
New shoots for forest planting –
Forestry Commission Scotland A new plan to streamline the tree planting process
in Scotland will be a powerful catalyst for delivering the ambitious
tree planting targets recently announced by the Scottish Government in
its draft climate change plan. The tree planting targets are to be raised on a
stepped basis from the current 10,000ha a year to 15,000ha a year by
2025. The increase in planting will grow this crucial
forest carbon sink, helping the fight against climate change, as well as
creating economic growth and protecting jobs, mostly in rural areas. The
delivery plan, announced today by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus
Ewing, contains a package of measures to drive forward and speed up the
tree planting process. The publication of the delivery plan also
coincides with another record breaking round of planting approvals.
Forestry Commission Scotland has just approved 96 woodland proposals,
covering 1,300ha of new woodland creation and totalling £5.5 million.
This is the largest area of woodland creation to be approved in a single
clearing round since the Forestry Grants Scheme opened in October 2015. The plan is a direct response to recommendations
from Jim Mackinnon CBE, who was commissioned by Scottish Government, to
explore the current arrangements for forest planting approval processes.
Hundreds of trees planted in 24 hours in bid to reduce Lake
District flooding – National Trust Hundreds of trees will be planted across the Lake
District today (Friday 10 February) in the first mass tree planting
event ever attempted by the National Trust in the national park. The trees will help reduce the impacts of future
flooding and restore wood pasture habitats that have been lost, National
Trust rangers say. More than 90 people will plant a total of 1,400
trees at five sites in the Lake District National Park, including the
shores of Lake Windermere and the approach to Scafell Pike, England’s
highest mountain.
As they mature, it is expected that the trees will
help to trap rainwater and mitigate the effects of flooding. In late
2015 Storm Desmond brought record rainfall to parts of the Lake
District, with 34.1cm of rain falling on Honister Pass, Borrowdale, over
just 24 hours. Storm Desmond left the National Trust facing a £1million
clean-up bill. Mike Innerdale, assistant director of operations
for the National Trust, said: “This is a real community effort, with
dozens of volunteers helping to plant trees – restoring important wood
pasture habitats and slow the flow of storm water off the fells.
With major storms occurring more frequently, we’re working with farmers
and local residents to look at ways of making the Lakes more resilient
to flooding.” At Braithwaite, near Keswick, rangers, residents
and volunteers from the Woodland Trust will plant 500 native broadleaf
trees over two hectares of pasture in the Coledale valley. In 2015
flooding caused a major landslide in the valley that lead to the village
of Braithwaite being inundated with silt, boulders and other debris. By planting the trees, Rangers and volunteers plan
to restore areas of ancient woodland, create wood pasture and plant new
hedgerows. These will offer a welcome home for birds like warblers,
flycatchers and redstarts. All of the 1,400 saplings that will be planted are
native woodland species, including oak, birch, hazel, rowan and crab
apple.
Green prescription' scheme shows success at Portmore Lough
– RSPB Northern Ireland An innovative wellbeing project at a local nature
reserve has helped improve participants’ mental health, results have
revealed.
The Head to Nature project was a 12 week pilot
project organised by RSPB Northern Ireland in partnership with Derriaghy
Social and Educational Centre, part of the South Eastern Health Trust,
and the Public Health Agency. The project saw eight service users
voluntarily attend Portmore Lough nature reserve near Aghalee to carry
out nature-related activities like guided walks, wildlife photography
and practical conservation work on the reserve. The participants
all suffered from mild mental health problems like depression and
anxiety. The World Health Organisation estimates that
depression and depression-related illness will become the greatest
source of ill health by 2020. However in Northern Ireland there has been
a lack of research looking at the mental health benefits of exposure to
nature. Participants in the Portmore Lough project were
asked to fill out questionnaires at the beginning and end of the scheme
and their answers were marked against the Warwick Edinburgh Mental
Wellbeing Scale. The mean score in week one was 36.25 – classed as
‘below average’ wellbeing. But by week 12 the mean score had risen to
49.37 which is classed as ‘average’ wellbeing, showing that the Head to
Nature scheme had a positive impact on the participants’ wellbeing.
There was also an impressive 100% participant retention rate throughout
the project. In comparison, only around one in eight people referred to
gym programmes by their GP complete the course.
Scientific Publications Stanbury, A. et al (2017)
Prioritising islands in the United Kingdom and crown dependencies for
the eradication of invasive alien vertebrates and rodent biosecurity.
European Journal of Wildlife Research. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-017-1084-7
Braaker, S., Obrist, M. K., Ghazoul, J. and
Moretti, M. (2017),
Habitat connectivity and local conditions shape taxonomic and functional
diversity of arthropods on green roofs. J Anim Ecol. Accepted Author
Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12648 Emily B. Dennis, Byron J.T. Morgan, David B. Roy,
Tom M. Brereton,
Urban indicators for UK butterflies, Ecological Indicators, Volume
76, May 2017, Pages 184-193, ISSN 1470-160X,DOI:
10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.01.009. Tony Prato,
Decision errors in evaluating tipping points for ecosystem resilience,
Ecological Indicators, Volume 76, May 2017, Pages 275-280, ISSN
1470-160X, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.01.013.
Lara A. Roman, Bryant C. Scharenbroch, Johan P.A.
Östberg, Lee S. Mueller, Jason G. Henning, Andrew K. Koeser, Jessica R.
Sanders, Daniel R. Betz, Rebecca C. Jordan,
Data quality in citizen science urban tree inventories, Urban
Forestry & Urban Greening, Available online 4 February 2017, ISSN
1618-8667, DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2017.02.001.
Daniel Hanley, Tomáš Grim, Branislav Igic, Peter Samaš, Analía V.
López, Matthew D. Shawkey, Mark E. Hauber
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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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Reedbeds
from Meida hide, RSPB Mersehead (image: Kaleel Zibe, RSPB)
More
and more of the world is being lit at night (University of Essex)
Sites
at Loch Fleet near Golspie and Ben Wyvis, north of Dingwall, are
protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, recognising their
important sand dune and mountain habitats, as well as the wealth of
wildlife that they support. They are also designated as National Nature
Reserves (NNRs).
Great
crested newt © Michael Hammett via Natural England
Sample
showing microplastic particles collected from a tributary of the river
Thames (image: CEH) 
Greater
horseshoe bats (image: ©Mike Hamnett, Natural England)
Beekeepers
then turn the sugar into syrup or fondant which is given to the bees as
a replacement for nectar and honey.
Saplings
planted in the shadow of flood damage in the Coledale valley, near
Keswick. Credit: John Malley / National Trust
Woodland
walk (image: RSPB)
