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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Record breaking numbers of migrant bird arrive on Tiree
- RSPB A record breaking 2,270 black-tailed godwits have arrived on the Isle
of Tiree this spring, the highest number thought to have ever been
counted in Scotland at one time. These large wading birds often stop off in the Hebrides in April and
May to refuel during their long migration to Iceland, where they breed. The Isle of Tiree typically only sees a few hundred godwits, in their
brick-red finery, dropping in to feed around the well-grazed loch edges
and wet grasslands. The previous record was 1,320 birds back in 2013. The new record, set in April 2017, almost doubles that, representing
some 5% of the entire Icelandic breeding population. One of the flocks
was spotted on an RSPB Scotland reserve, but the largest was recorded in
a tiny field at Kilmoluaig, totalling 1,750 birds.
Environmental groups call for a new approach to deer management
– Scottish Wildlife Trust A coalition of environment charities including the Scottish Wildlife
Trust is urging the Scottish Government to move towards a modernised
system that will help deliver national targets on biodiversity, climate
change and woodland expansion.
Red deer in woodland © Lister Cumming This call comes ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on 2 May 2017,
which follows over four years of intense scrutiny of the current
arrangements by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the cross-party
Holyrood committees responsible for the environment. The Trust’s Head of Policy Maggie Keegan said: “Overgrazing and
trampling by deer has had a profound effect on the health and
connectivity of Scotland’s ecosystems, especially in the uplands. We
urge the Scottish Government to take on the committee’s recommendations
on deer management. There is no time to lose to halt the loss of
biodiversity and meet our 2020 targets.”
Light pollution has serious impact on coastal wildlife, research shows
– University of Exeter Scientists have recognised for some years that light pollution from
buildings, vehicles and streetlights is a growing phenomenon that
impacts on the behaviour and success of many animals including migrating
birds, hunting bats and the moths they try to capture. As the human population grows the problem is due to worsen and even
remote coastal areas are now being affected by civilization’s tell-tale
glow-in-the-sky. Turtles, disoriented as they return to their nesting
beaches, or confused hatchlings struggling to find the sea, are iconic
examples. Now, a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Exeter and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Exeter looks at the true extent to which light pollution is affecting key marine wildlife in the UK. Dogwhelks are highly important inhabitants of the
seashore. Image courtesy of Kelvin Boot (PML). The research team set up a series of laboratory experiments to
determine whether the less well known, but highly important inhabitants
of the seashore were also affected. Using the dogwhelk (Nucella
lapillus), a key seashore species that modulates biodiversity and
community structure of our coasts, they kept one group of dogwhelks in
artificially-lit night sky conditions, while a control group experienced
a more natural night/day cycle. The research showed that those dogwhelks kept under artificial
lighting conditions were less likely to seek out shelter and spent
longer seeking food – putting them at exposed risk to predators and
placing them in more stressful conditions. The study showed, for the
first time, that night time light changes species interactions at the
heart of the way in which natural food chains work, raising concern
about how generalised these impacts may be for natural marine wildlife.
'Shocking' levels of PCB chemicals in UK killer whale Lulu
- Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust A member of the small West Coast of Scotland group of killer whales –
found dead and stranded on the Isle of Tiree in the Hebrides, Scotland,
last year – had one of the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyl
(PCB) pollution ever recorded in the species, said the Scottish Marine
Animal Stranding Scheme today. The adult killer whale – identified by the Hebridean Whale and
Dolphin Trust as a well-known animal named ‘Lulu’ – died from becoming
entangled in creel rope in January 2016, but subsequent analysis
undertaken over the past year has shed further light on her case.
Analysis of Lulu’s blubber revealed PCB concentrations 80 times higher
than the accepted PCB toxicity threshold for marine mammals. High PCB
levels are linked to poor health, impaired immune function, increased
susceptibility to cancers and infertility. Work, undertaken in
collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, found that Lulu was at
least 20 years old. Based on analysis of the ovaries, it appears that
she never reproduced, despite being much older than the average age for
maturity in killer whales. These findings do not bode well for Lulu’s small pod. This small
group is usually seen off the west coast of Scotland, and numbers only
eight individuals. These individuals never interact with other groups of
killer whale, nor has a calf been recorded within the group in the 23
years it has been monitored. There is a growing concern amongst many cetacean scientists that,
unless a much more proactive approach is taken to assessing and
decontaminating PCB-contaminated sites to stop these pollutants leaching
into the marine environment, then the effects we’re seeing with this
small group of killer whales on the west of Scotland could become
evident in many more of our iconic marine mammal species. Dr Lauren Hartny-Mills, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s
Science Officer, said: “Monitoring the West Coast Community of killer
whales is a concerted effort, with sightings reports and photographs
from the public, wildlife operators and fishermen helping us better
understand the group’s movements, range and social interactions. Anyone
can help and if you are lucky enough to encounter a killer whale (or
indeed any whale, dolphin or porpoise) please report it to us
HERE Restocking underway at Cwmcarn Forest - Natural Resources Wales
Around
170,000 new, young trees are being planted at Cwmcarn Forest, as Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) begins restocking areas which have been felled in
recent years.
The new trees have been grown from seeds that were previously
collected locally from Abercarn. They will cover approximately 80
hectares of land across the southern part of the forest and will include
a mixture of conifer and native broadleaf. By planting a mix of
different trees, it is hoped that the forest will be more resilient to
climate change and disease in the future. And while it might look
different in years to come, it will mean it can remain an enjoyable
place to visit in the future, while continuing to provide commercially
marketable timber for local trade. The felling operation in Cwmcarn Forest continues as NRW battles to
remove over 160,000 larch trees which are infected with Phytophthora
Ramorum, or larch disease as it is known. To date, approximately
30% of infected trees have been removed from the forest.
‘Inner city’ seals may suffer hearing loss -
University of St Andrews Seals may experience hearing loss from underwater vessel noise,
according to new research from the University of St Andrews. The study, led by ecologist Esther Jones, compares seals inhabiting
the UK’s busy shipping lanes to humans living in noisy cities. In a new paper published by the Journal of Applied Ecology, the St
Andrews researcher says the noise can affect how sea mammals such as
whales, dolphins and seals find food and communicate with each other.
Dr Jones, a Research Fellow in the University’s Centre for Research
into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM), said: “Like humans
living in busy, noisy cities, some seals live in areas where there is a
lot of shipping traffic and associated noise. The UK has some of the
busiest shipping lanes in the world, and underwater noise has been
increasing over the last 30 years.” The St Andrews team developed maps showing the levels of risk of
exposure to vessel traffic for grey and harbour seals around the UK.
The researchers found that 11 out of 25 Special Areas of Conservation
(SACs) associated with seals had a high risk of overlap between seals
and shipping. The team then investigated the underwater noise levels generated by
vessels that individual animals were exposed to in the Moray Firth, on
the north-east coast of Scotland, using predictive acoustic noise
models. For 20 out of the 28 animals observed in the study, the
levels of predicted noise were high enough that temporary hearing loss
could occur (termed Temporary Threshold Shift, or TTS). Predictions from
the acoustic models were compared to measurements from sound recorders
to verify their accuracy. Although there was no evidence that
seals were exposed to ship noise levels high enough to cause permanent
hearing damage, some sites were sufficiently noisy that seals living
there could experience TTS in hearing ability.
Neonicotinoid pesticide reduces egg development in wild bumblebee queens
- Royal Holloway, University of London New research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal
Society B has found that wild bumblebee queens are less able to develop
their ovaries when exposed to a common neonicotinoid pesticide The research was conducted by Dr Gemma Baron , Professor Mark Brown
from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of
London and Professor Nigel Raine, (now based at the University of
Guelph). The study investigated the impact of exposure to field-realistic
levels of a neonicotinoid insecticide (thiamethoxam) on the feeding
behaviour and ovary development of four species of bumblebee queen.
Bombus
Terrestris Bee (image: Royal Holloway, University of London) Lead author Dr Baron said, “We consistently found that neonicotinoid
exposure, at levels mimicking exposure that queens could experience in
agricultural landscapes, resulted in reduced ovary development in queens
of all four species we tested. Impacts of neonicotinoid exposure
on feeding behaviour were species-specific, with two out of four species
eating less artificial nectar when exposed to the pesticide. These
impacts are likely to reduce the success of bumblebee queens in the
spring, with knock-on effects for bee populations later in the year” As the first to examine the impacts of these chemicals across
multiple bumblebee species, this study is an important contribution to
understanding the potential costs of using this class of insecticides. Dr Baron explained, “Previous studies have focused on a single
bumblebee species and examined impacts in workers and established
colonies. Bumblebee populations rely on spring queens to succeed, and by
looking at the impacts of thiamethoxam on multiple species of spring
queens, we have gained a step-change in our understanding”. Read the paper: Gemma L. Baron, Nigel
E. Raine, Mark J. F. Brown.
General and species-specific impacts of a neonicotinoid insecticide on
the ovary development and feeding of wild bumblebee queens
Osprey chicks return against the odds -
Cumbria Wildlife Trust Cumbria Wildlife Trust is delighted to learn that two osprey chicks,
which were raised at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve near Witherslack, have
survived into adulthood and returned to the north of England for the
summer.
A
male osprey was spotted flying above the South Lakes last month and was
identified by its leg ring as Blue 7A, one of three chicks raised by a
pair of breeding ospreys at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve three years
ago. Blue V3 (right) at Kielder, Northumberland.
Photo: Forestry Commission England
Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust explains
the significance of these sightings: “This is exciting and important
news for us as these sightings are the first confirmation we’ve had that
any of the osprey chicks raised at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve since
2013 have survived into adulthood. Unfortunately 60-70% of osprey chicks
don’t reach maturity - the arduous 2000-mile migration from the UK back
to Africa or Iberia claims most of them. We’re delighted to see that at
least two chicks have made it into adulthood, against the odds, and
returned to the north of England. It also shows how invaluable the leg
rings are, as they enable us all to identify the ospreys individually,
keep tracks of their movements and understand the life history of these
wonderful birds of prey.” The parents of Blue 7A (White YW and Blue 35) recently returned to
nest at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve and Paul thinks that Blue 35 has
laid at least one egg. Another female osprey (AK1) from Loch Eye, Easter
Ross in Scotland has also been seen at the nature reserve recently,
giving rise to speculation that she also may be looking for a future
breeding ground.
Countryside Alliance raises awareness of the risk of wildfires
- Countryside Alliance Wildfires have the capability to devastate farmland, wildlife and
protected habitats, as well as the lives of people living and working in
rural communities. The risk at spring time is particularly prevalent as
dead vegetation left over from the winter, higher temperatures and lower
humidity levels can come together with deadly affect. The Countryside
Alliance wishes to raise the awareness of the risk and potential damage
of wildfires, and educate on the measures that can be taken to reduce
those risks. Wildfires in the UK are fortunately few and far between; however,
their ability to start in rural locations under difficult conditions
adds a risk that rural fire and rescue services have to be prepared for.
Successful partnerships and groups have been formed in high risk areas
with great success; promoting cooperation and collaboration on wildfire
issues. Jack Knott, Countryside Alliance Campaigns Manager, said: “Wildfires
can have potentially devastating impacts on farming and local
communities, wildlife and protected habitats. It is essential that all
steps are taken to reduce the risk, this includes increasing education
for those that enjoy our beautiful countryside. Raising awareness is the
key to reducing risk. “Remaining vigilant, especially during spells of hot dry weather,
whilst enjoying the British countryside is essential. Furthermore,
disposing of litter correctly, in particularly smoking materials, can
help prevent wildfires.”
UK wildlife haven created at Chester Zoo - Act for Wildlife The Nature Reserve first opened in 2013 and is located outside the
boundary of the main zoo near the visitor entrance. It currently
spans around 10,000 square metres of land, and contains an amphitheatre,
a wildlife pond and a new woodland with 150 native trees. The site will
grow to more than 50,000 square metres, creating and enhancing important
fragile habitat. Surveys have shown that the site is already home to lots of British
wildlife, from rare polecats and the sharply declining hedgehog, to a
range of bee and butterfly species and the great crested newt. Birds
including reed-bunting, grasshopper warbler and skylark are already
known to nest in the area, and threatened harvest mice were introduced
to the area by conservationists at the zoo in 2002 and 2003. Sarah Bird, Chester Zoo biodiversity officer, said: “We’re
transforming land that has been used for agriculture into a more natural
landscape that will feature wildflower meadows, ponds, beetle banks,
trees and reedbeds. We will link into a strip of wetland along the
canal, which is designated as a Local Wildlife Site for the animals and
plants already present. We want to make a really great wildlife corridor
allowing species to live at the reserve, and move through the landscape
when they need to. “We hope visitors will enjoy this oasis for UK wildlife when it opens
in 2018. As well as helping threatened species, we want it to reconnect
people with the natural world and inspire further conservation action.” The Chester Zoo Nature Reserve is being part funded by WREN through
the FCC Community Action Fund via a Landfill Communities Funding
agreement.
Greenpeace ship sets sail on ocean plastic expedition around Scotland
- Greenpeace Today (5 May), Greenpeace’s ship the Beluga II sets sail on a
two-month scientific voyage around Scotland’s coastlines, investigating
the impact of ocean plastic pollution on some of the UK’s most beautiful
landscapes and iconic wildlife. With studies showing that 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic,
scientists and campaigners aboard the vessel will explore the front line
of plastic pollution, from gannets and razorbills on the Bass Rock, to
basking sharks in the Hebrides and seabird colonies on the Shiant Isles. Throughout May and June, the crew and scientists from Greenpeace’s
Research Laboratories, based at Exeter University, will be aboard the
Beluga II to carry out sea surface sampling for microplastics, survey
remote beaches for pollution and investigate seabird nests for plastic
during hatching season. The expedition will take in sites of stunning beauty and
biodiversity, including the Bass Rock, Gunna Sound, Mull, Rùm, Eigg,
Skye, and the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides. Along the way
Greenpeace will work in collaboration with organisations such as the
Scottish Seabird Centre, the Marine Conservation Society and others. Ariana Densham, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “With 12
million tonnes of plastic ending up in our oceans every year, there’s
never been a more important time for us to understand the impact of
plastic pollution on our most loved wildlife. We’re thrilled to be
working with some brilliant organisations as we tour some of the most
breathtaking locations in Scotland, and the research which we will be
doing – from sampling wildlife feeding waters for microplastics to beach
surveys and documenting plastic pollution in seabird nests – will add to
the growing body of knowledge on ocean plastic pollution. " Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre, added:
“As the world’s largest northern gannet colony, the Bass Rock is of
international significance and the ideal starting location for this
vital research and environmental campaign by Greenpeace. Controlling our
interactive live cameras on the Bass Rock from our Discovery Centre, we
often see plastics in the nests of gannets and other seabirds. It is
essential that action is taken to minimise marine litter and to better
understand the impacts to our seas and wildlife. This Greenpeace
expedition will help to highlight this threat to Scotland’s outstanding
marine environment and wildlife, and reinforce the need for change.”
Convictions for bat crime at Leamington Spa Magistrates Court
- Bat Conservation Trust On Tuesday 11th April 2017 Magistrates sitting at Leamington Spa
Court heard a case relating to the destruction of a bat roost. In
passing sentence, in the opinion of the Bat Conservation Trust, they did
great disservice to bat conservation and the wider fight against
wildlife crime. Mr Keith Marchington aged 72 years the owner of the property in
question and Mr Samuel John Taylor aged 33 years a builder contracted to
renovate the property both pleaded guilty to the offence and were fined
just £83 and £153 respectively. Both were ordered to pay £135 costs and
a £30 victim surcharge. BCT have not made public comment on this
case before now and instead have been trying to understand what factors
may have influenced the magistrates in their decision to impose what are
clearly inappropriate sanctions. The property in question was a bungalow and barn that were to be
demolished and replaced by a new dwelling. There was a lengthy planning
history relating to the site and survey work undertaken over a period of
years identified and confirmed roosts of brown long eared and soprano
pipistrelle bats. The owner of the property Mr Marchington was advised on a number of
occasions that he would need to obtain a licence from Natural England
and would have to provide a bat house to which the bats could relocate.
Despite this advice it seems that Mr Marchington decided to commence
works during the spring of 2016 and asked an ecologist to obtain the
required licence. When told that further survey work would be needed
before a licence would be considered Mr Marchington, it was said, asked
what the penalties for destroying a roost without a licence were and
that he would be prepared to accept a fine. It was later found that the
buildings had been demolished and the roosts destroyed. The matter was
reported to the Police. What this case does do is to demonstrate once again the need for
guidance on the sentencing of wildlife crime. Working with other
partners BCT are pressing the Sentencing Council to produce such
guidance. This sentence can only assist in making the case.
Nominations are now open for 3rd UK Awards for Biological Recording and
Information Sharing - National Biodiversity
Network Building on the success of the previous two years, the National
Biodiversity Network, the National Forum for Biological Recording and
the Biological Records Centre are launching the third UK Awards for
Biological Recording and Information Sharing. The Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions made
by individual adults and young people as well as by groups, to
biological recording – which is helping to improve our understanding of
the UK’s wildlife. These contributions can include anything from a significant number of
records made in a year, the number of participants at a BioBlitz,
plugging of gaps in knowledge in a specific area of the UK, through to
the number of datasets available for download, technical innovation in
recording wildlife or encouraging participation through the development
of apps or games etc. 6 categories this year. Nominating someone for an award couldn’t be simpler, you can even
nominate yourself! Just complete the
appropriate Awards nomination form and return it to the National
Biodiversity Network by 31 July 2017.
Scientific Publications Medl, A., Stangl, R., Kikuta, S. B. & Florineth, F. (2017)
Vegetation establishment on ‘Green Walls’: Integrating shotcrete walls
from road construction into the landscape. Urban Forestry & Urban
Greening. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.04.011 André Frainer, A., Polvi, L. E. Jansson, R. & McKie, B. G. (2017)
Enhanced ecosystem functioning following stream restoration: the roles
of habitat heterogeneity and invertebrate species traits. Journal of
Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12932
Dainese, M. et al (2017)
Managing trap-nesting bees as crop pollinators: spatiotemporal effects
of floral resources and antagonists. Journal of Applied Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12930
Connell, S. D., Fernandes, M., Burnell, O. W., Doubleday, Z. A.,
Griffin, K. J., Irving, A. D., Leung, J. Y.S., Owen, S., Russell, B. D.
and Falkenberg, L. J. (2017),
Testing for thresholds of ecosystem collapse in seagrass meadows?.
Conservation Biology. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/cobi.12951 Jingwei Zhao, Wenyan Xu, Rujia Li,
Visual preference of trees: The effects of tree attributes and seasons,
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Available online 30 April 2017, ISSN
1618-8667, doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2017.04.015.
Dorota Michalska-Hejduk, Michał Budka, and Bogumiła Olech
Should I stay or should I go? Territory settlement decisions in male
Corncrakes Crex crex. Bird Study doi:
10.1080/00063657.2017.1316700 Susanne Arbeiter, Elisabeth Franke, Angela Helmecke, and Franziska
Tanneberger.
Habitat preference of female Corncrakes Crex crex: implications
for the conservation of breeding sites in a secretive species Bird
Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2017.1318107
Christos C. Ioannou, Indar W. Ramnarine and Colin J. Torney
High-predation habitats affect the social dynamics of collective
exploration in a shoaling fish
Dennis, E. B., Morgan, B. J.T., Brereton, T. M., Roy, D. B. and Fox,
R.
Using citizen science butterfly counts to predict species population
trends. Conservation Biology. Accepted Author Manuscript.
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