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Headlines from this week. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Stepping Stones for Surrey’s Small Blue –
Butterfly Conservation Patches of wildflowers are being grown in Surrey as part of a project to help join up areas of habitat where the county’s smallest butterfly is found. In Surrey, the Small Blue is restricted to just a handful of patches
of chalk grassland on the North Downs where Kidney Vetch is found - the
Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) is launching a project
to link up these habitats by growing additional areas of Kidney Vetch
and other nectar sources. Small Blue Butterfly by Rob Solomon Larger linked habitats will provide Surrey’s rare Small Blue with
more options to breed and feed and for its population to grow, spread
out and cope with the pressures of a changing climate. The project will focus on the area between Guildford and Dorking to
enhance and create a series of habitat ‘stepping stones’ that are rich
in Kidney Vetch and other nectar plants. BC is working in partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust, the National
Trust and local farmers to create this network of flower-rich patches.
Water vole revival at Malham Tarn – National
Trust Rare water voles are flourishing against the odds in England’s
highest freshwater lake following a reintroduction programme last summer More than a hundred water voles, which were the inspiration for Wind
in the Willows’ Ratty, were released onto streams around Malham Tarn
And, in an adventure worthy of Ratty, Mole and Toad from the Kenneth
Grahame classic, the water voles are spreading across the lake – in ways
that our rangers could never have dreamed. Volunteers help with the water vole release at
Malham Tarn (National Trust) Survey work has shown that the water voles – which are the UK’s
fastest declining land mammal – have spread up to a kilometre from the
original release site. Roisin Black, ranger at Malham Tarn, says: 'With a mild, wet winter,
we were worried that the water levels around the tarn may rise too high
and flood the burrows. But it turns out that the voles have spread out
across one side of the tarn.' Big
fish in big trouble in Europe – University of
Aberdeen An international team of scientists led by the University of Aberdeen
have discovered that large fish, which include many of the sharks, rays
and skates of Europe, are the most at threat from extinction. Marine fish are a diverse group of animals that play important roles
in marine ecosystems, but are also a major food source for marine and
terrestrial mammals, most notably humans. A new study, published today (Friday, May 26) in Nature Ecology &
Evolution, has shown that the bigger the fish, the more likely it is to
be threatened with extinction. This is because they are more susceptible
to threats such as overfishing due to growing slower, taking longer to
mature and having fewer offspring, as well as being more sought after
for food consumption or sport. The team, which was made up of 44 researchers from all around the
world, received funding from the European Commission (DG Environment)
and the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS)
to carry out the study. The study was part of a major effort to assess the extinction risk of
fish carried out by International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) to produce the European Red List of Marine Fishes and saw the
team assess over 1000 different species and the status of commercial
fish ‘stocks’. Further to this, the team aimed to find out if their data
agreed with advice received from other government fisheries agencies. Read the paper here: Fernandes, P. G.,
Ralph, G. M. & Carpenter, K.E. (2017)
Coherent
assessments of Europe’s marine fishes show regional divergence and
megafauna loss. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1
doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0170
Climate change can alter the impact of forest pathogens in trees
- University of Helsinki New research on projected climate changes from the University of
Helsinki indicates that climate change has an alarming potential to
increase the damage caused to Norway spruce trees by a naturally
circulating disease spreading fungus. – This study shows the potential for future climate changes to alter
the impact of forest pathogens, and the need to incorporate disease
effects into future forestry planning as of now. As this is one of the
first experimental tests of projected climate changes on a forestry
host-pathogen system, there is an urgent need for further research on
this topic, highlights Dr. Riikka Linnakoski from the department of
Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. While much research has addressed the effects of projected climate
changes on tree species distributions and their productivity, the
potential impacts of pests and pathogens have received far less
attention. However, these represent some of the most important threats
to global forest health, particularly in regions where climate change is
expected to be most severe, such as northern Europe. To mitigate the
impacts of climate change, understanding the factors that trigger the
development of forest tree disease epidemics and host susceptibility is
essential. The researchers found that future climate changes have the potential
to increase disease severity in fungal infected trees, with the most
distant projections likely to be the most detrimental to tree health.
However, an interesting result was that the effects of climate change on
disease severity can vary markedly among fungal strains i.e. genetic
variations of the same fungal species. Read the paper: Linnakoski R, Forbes KM, Wingfield MJ, Pulkkinen P and Asiegbu FO (2017) Testing Projected Climate Change Conditions on the Endoconidiophora polonica / Norway spruce Pathosystem Shows Fungal Strain Specific Effects. Frontiers in Plant Science doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00883
Golden eagle deaths. Extra measures to protect Scotland’s birds of prey
- Scottish Government Almost a third of golden eagles being tracked by satellite died in
suspicious circumstances, scientists have found. The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) research identified that the
majority of cases were found where land is intensively managed for
driven grouse shooting. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham confirmed to the Scottish
Parliament she will now set up an expert group to look at managing
grouse moors sustainably and within the law. Following a request
by the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee the group
will also advise on the option of licensing grouse shooting businesses.
Ms Cunningham said: “The findings of this research are deeply
concerning and will give rise to legitimate concerns that high numbers
of golden eagles, and other birds of prey, continue to be killed in
Scotland each year. There is every reason to believe that similar levels
of persecution affect untagged golden eagles, as well as those we are
able to track via satellite tags. We have already targeted
wildlife criminals, and those who sanction such crimes, by introducing
measures such as vicarious liability and restrictions on the use of
general licences. But Scottish Ministers have always said they would go
further if required – and that is what I am doing today. The continued
killing of protected species of birds of prey damages the reputation of
law-abiding gamekeepers, landowners and indeed the country as a whole.
Those who carry out these crimes do so in defiance of the will of
Parliament, the people, and their own peers. That must end. This report
identifies specific problem areas which will allow Police Scotland to
adopt a targeted approach and I would also encourage members of the
public to report any suspicious activity to the police."
Analyses of the fates of satellite tracked golden eagles in Scotland
- SNH Commissioned Report This report provides a major review of the movements and fates of
golden eagles satellite tagged during 2004 - 2016. It proposes reasons
for the disappearance of satellite tagged golden eagles by analysing
associated factors, including the impact of wind farms, natural
mortality of tagged birds, tag reliability, effects of tagging on bird
survival and illegal persecution. The report highlights illegal
persecution is a major factor in artificially restricting the golden
eagle population in Scotland, and provides a population model for
Scotland's golden eagles in the absence of persecution.
Download the report (PDF)
Golden
eagle satellite tagging review - Scottish Wildlife Trust response Susan Davies, Director of Conservation, Scottish Wildlife Trust said:
“We welcome the publication of this extensive investigation into the
fate of satellite tagged golden eagles in Scotland. The report leaves
little doubt that human interference is stopping golden eagles from
expanding into their full natural range. It is also highly likely that
illegal persecution is causing the disappearance of golden eagles around
some grouse moors in the Highlands. This is further proof of the need
for a step change in the way our uplands are managed, including the
introduction of a licensing system for driven grouse moor management to
address wildlife crime and encourage more sustainable stewardship of
these areas.”
1976 drought revealed as worst on record for British butterflies and
moths - University of York Scientists at the University of York have revealed that the 1976
drought is the worst extreme event to affect butterflies and moths in
the 50 years since detailed records began. The summer of 1976 saw standpipes in the streets and billions of
seven-spot ladybirds swarming in search of food. It was the hottest
English summer since records began over 350 years ago - the mercury
topped 32 °C for 15 consecutive days across much of southern England,
and some regions received no rain for 45 days straight. Since then, the UK has warmed by a full degree Celsius and
experienced numerous bouts of extreme weather, from heavy rainfall and
flooding to heatwaves and drought; yet no single year has caused so many
butterfly and moth species to crash simultaneously. Measuring 50 years of butterfly and moth data against extreme weather
events since 1968, scientists looked for years in which an unusual
number of species responded in synchrony, with 1976 found to be the most
devastating. “It was the culmination of a two-year event.” said Dr Phil Platts,
Postdoctoral Research Associate in York’s Department of Biology and
co-author of the study. “Hot and dry conditions stretched back to the
spring of 1975. This was initially good for butterflies and moths, and
their numbers boomed. But then extreme heat and sustained drought in the
summer of 1976 tipped the balance, causing numbers to plummet across at
least 50 different species.” The study also looked at the impact of extreme weather on birds,
determining that the cold winter of 1981-82 had the biggest effect on
their numbers. A third of bird species crashed as temperatures fell as
low as -26 °C. Researchers concluded, however, that for many of our widespread
species, occasional extreme weather events have not, to date, had a
lasting impact on population trends. “This seems to be truer of short-lived species that can multiply
rapidly, like butterflies and moths, than of the birds we studied.” said
Professor Tom Brereton, co-author and Head of Monitoring at Butterfly
Conservation. “For most species, current evidence suggests long-term
declines are being dominated by factors such as habitat loss and
intensive farming methods.” Access the paper: Georgina Palmer, Philip J. Platts, Tom Brereton, Jason W. Chapman, Calvin Dytham, Richard Fox, James W. Pearce-Higgins, David B. Roy, Jane K. Hill, Chris D. Thomas. Climate change, climatic variation and extreme biological responses. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2017 372 20160144; DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0144.
Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the fantastic
contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. We all know how important volunteers are to the countryside sector,
doing everything from manning stalls at events raising funds and
awareness to litter picking and ditch digging. Find out more about countryside volunteering by reading some of our
in depth articles from CJS Focus on Volunteering dating back to 2005.
Articles cover everything from the benefits of volunteering to how
organisations can best set up volunteering programmes. When waders and bankers combine the results
can be wonderful says Steven Gauge writing about Employee Action Days
with The Conservation Volunteers
Volunteering needn't be a huge commitment
(unless you want it to be!). How about a stroll along a beach? And
while you're there look for nurdles - for what? Nurdles. Nurdles are small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil.
Countless billion are used each year to make nearly all our plastic
products but many end up washing up on our shores. Join The
Great Nurdle Hunt this weekend (2-5 June) We need your help to find out how widespread nurdle pollution is
around Scotland. New nurdles are washing up on our shores but we don't have detailed
evidence of where they are coming from or how widespread the problem
is. Findings from The Great Nurdle Hunt will help us show the local
plastics industry the extent of the nurdle pollution on our shores. So
please visit your local beach and join the Great Nurdle Hunt! If you're not in Scotland or near a beach never fear, there are
surveys for many different species being run nationwide.
Have a look
at our listings to see if there's something near you or in your area of
interest.
If small pieces of plastic are not your thing
how about invasive flatworms, puffins or butterflies & moths?
New Zealand flatworm (image: University of Aberdeen) Introduced to the UK on imported plant material in the 1960s, the New
Zealand Flatworm eats our native earthworms, which are essential for
good soil quality and the food chain. Since 2015, 1,500 people throughout the UK have contributed to our
knowledge of where the New Zealand Flatworm is residing by submitting
their observations via the OPAL New Zealand Flatworm survey. However,
the team from the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute
now want to gain an even better picture of how wide spread the problem
is.
Puffarazzi wanted to help puffin conservation efforts
- RSPB Scotland
This summer RSPB Scotland is asking visitors to puffin colonies
around the UK and Ireland to play a vital role in an innovative project
aimed at helping puffin conservation. The conservation organisation is
asking people to become Puffarazzi in aid of discovering more about what
puffins feed their chicks. Puffins are one of our best loved birds and over the summer months as
they breed along our shores many people visit their colonies to catch
sight of these birds, with their colourful bills and eye markings.
However, puffin numbers have plummeted in recent years across the UK and
Europe, leading to the species being declared vulnerable to global
extinction. Now, visitors to these colonies can play a part in a new citizen
science project by photographing puffins carrying fish for their chicks
in June and July and uploading the images to a dedicated webpage
www.rspb.org.uk/projectpuffin. Here RSPB Scotland will analyse the
photos and identify the fish to build up a picture of what puffins
around the UK and Ireland are feeding their chicks.
Find the UK’s most pollinator-friendly county
- Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation is trying to discover which UK county is home
to the most butterfly-friendly gardens after it was revealed that
butterflies are declining faster in urban areas than in the
countryside.
The wildlife charity is urging nature lovers and gardeners to take
part in their ‘Plant Pots for Pollinators’ campaign and provide nectar
sources for pollinating insects in their outdoor spaces. To take part visit:
www.plantpotsforpollinators.org
New poll reveals city-dwellers love nature but don’t get enough of it
- The Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild challenge from The Wildlife Trusts helps people enjoy
nature every day
Go wild in June! Image (c) Ben Hall / 2020
Vision The survey comes at a time when we have stronger evidence than ever
before that nature is good for us and makes us happy. However, people
feel increasingly disconnected from nature and large numbers want cities
- the places where most people actually live and work - to have more
wildlife. The poll reveals:
The poll results are released as The Wildlife Trusts launch their 30
Days Wild challenge which runs throughout June encouraging people to
commit Random Acts of Wildness – daily connections with nature – every
day for thirty days. More than 40,000 have pledged to do this so far
including 3,000 schools and 1,000 businesses. Lucy McRobert of The Wildlife Trusts says:
Most comprehensive ever North-East mammal atlas launched
- Scottish Natural Heritage The most comprehensive description ever of land mammals in North-East
Scotland was launched in Aberdeen this week, showcasing animals as
varied as pine martens, wildcats, bats, deer, seals – and even humans.
NE Mammal Atlas - Grey Seal haulout at River
Ythan photo by Martyn Gorman
The information gathered is depicted in distribution maps for 43
mammal species covering the time periods 1960-2000 and 2001-2015. Each
map is accompanied by a photograph of the mammal and a short account of
its ecology, conservation and status, in both the local and British
Isles contexts. The book also includes information on mammal habitats,
species conservation and analysis of distribution patterns.
Northumberlandia gets tops marks for educational efforts at the Land
Trust Awards 2017 - Northumberland Wildlife
Trust Northumberlandia has been named Educational Site of the Year at the
Land Trust Awards 2017.
(Image: Northumberland Wildlife Trust)
The Land Trust acquires new sites to protect and enhance valuable
community green space across the UK - The
Land Trust
Wildflower verge - green infrastructure (image: The Land Trust) Spanning over 16 hectares, the green space at Ketley is an area
enhanced as part of Telford Millennium Community which includes a
stream, grassland, woodland and a network of paths to explore.
Acquisition by the Land Trust means that this site next to the new
residential development will continue to remain as public open space
with long term management and funding plans in place. The Omega
Greenheart has been added to the extensive portfolio of public open
space that the charity already manages in Warrington. The 22 hectare
site, in the centre and edges of the new Omega development to the south
of the M62, will initially continue to be used by the developers, but
over the next three years will be remodelled to create a new park,
providing valuable green space to local residents and workers alike. Additionally, at the end of March, the charity signed agreements with
Harworth Group Plc and Drummond Estates to manage the greenspaces around
new residential developments at Waverley in Rotherham – Yorkshire’s
largest ever brownfield redevelopment that includes 350 acres of public
open space and New Lubbesthorpe a completely new community west of
Leicester which includes 75 acres of woodland and 250 acres of public
open space and parkland.
Scientists reveal: Floodplains face uncertain future
- University of Salford Experts predict that flooding will worsen unless we act to reverse
the damage, as 90% of floodplains no longer exist in their natural
state. 90% of floodplains across the country have been so severely changed
that they no longer work properly, according to a new report, released
today by Co-op Insurance and The University of Salford. Having been on the ground in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, which
disrupted five thousand homes and hundreds of communities, Co-op
Insurance has seen first-hand the impact floods can have on lives. For that reason, Co-op Insurance has funded environmental experts at
the University of Salford to find out why flooding is getting worse and
what impact this has on communities. The study, the first of its kind conducted across Cumbria reveals
that as 90% of floodplains are no longer able to withhold water, water
now flows downstream more quickly. This puts greater pressures on towns
and villages, where flood defences are now not able to cope. How floodplains have changed:
Highlighting the impact that floods have on communities, Co-op’s
latest claims data reveals that the average buildings claim due to the
effects of Storm Desmond amounted to £44,000.
Sea level rise may drive coastal nesting birds to extinction
- Australian National University Rising sea levels and more frequent flooding events may drive coastal
nesting birds around the world to extinction, a team of international
researchers say following their 20-year study of Eurasian
oystercatchers. Lead researcher Dr Liam Bailey from The Australian National
University (ANU) said one of the main reasons for the strong decline in
birds that used coastal habitats was because they had shown no response
to tidal floods, which are predicted to become more frequent and severe
due to climate change. He said this view was corroborated by other
international research. "Sea level rise and more frequent flooding are major drivers of this
steep decline in coastal birds," said Dr Bailey, a PhD graduate from the
ANU Research School of Biology. "Our study species, the Eurasian
oystercatcher, lives in an area where flooding is becoming more common,
posing a threat to the survival of the population. Our study found no
evidence that Eurasian oystercatchers have increased the elevation of
their nests, even among birds that lost a nest during a flood. Factors
including the presence of predators or unsuitable vegetation might
discourage birds from nesting higher." Read the paper: Liam D. Bailey, Bruno
J. Ens, Christiaan Both, Dik Heg, Kees Oosterbeek, Martijn van de Pol.
No phenotypic plasticity in nest-site selection in response to extreme
flooding events
Scientific publications Crosti, R., Arcangeli, A., Romeo, T. et al. Assessing the relationship between cetacean strandings (Tursiops truncatus and Stenella coeruleoalba) and fishery pressure indicators in Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. Eur J Wildl Res (2017) 63: 55. doi:10.1007/s10344-017-1111-8 Watts, G. (2017)
The effects of “greening” urban areas on the perceptions of tranquillity.
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.010 Threlfall, C. G. & Kendal, D. (2017)
The distinct ecological and social roles that wild spaces play in urban
ecosystems. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.012
Daniel Wohlgemuth, Martin Solan, Jasmin A. Godbold Species contributions to ecosystem process and function can be population dependent and modified by biotic and abiotic setting Proc. R. Soc. B 2017 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2805
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only
plant the butterfly’s caterpillar will feed upon.
in
the Yorkshire Dales in August last year. It was the first time water
voles had been seen on the lake in 50 years.
Scientists
at the University of Aberdeen need members of the public to help them to
better understand how far the New Zealand Flatworm has spread and what
effect this species is having on the local environment. 
Gardeners
are being asked to help the UK’s beleaguered butterflies, bees and moths
by making their county the most pollinator-friendly in the UK.
A
new poll of over 2,400 people living in major cities across the UK
reveals that city-dwellers have a strong affinity for nature and think
that it’s important to help care for it. But the poll also highlights a
conflict: while city-dwellers feel that nature is important to them,
they struggle to connect with it as much as they’d like and a high
proportion of people want to see more nature in cities.
The
Mammal Atlas of North-East Scotland and the Cairngorms, compiled by the
North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) and supported by
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Aberdeenshire Council, is a
fully-illustrated atlas. It maps 43 mammals found in the North East,
using 77,592 records from 1,472 observers from all over the area and
beyond.
The
19-hectare park, which features a unique piece of human landform
sculpture known as The Lady of the North, was recognised for the broad
range of activities and events it organises and hosts to help people
learn about the world around them.
National
land management charity, the Land Trust is delighted to announce the
acquisition of new public open spaces in Warrington, Cheshire; Ketley,
Telford and has confirmed contracts to manage the substantial green
space around new housing developments at Waverley, South Yorkshire and
New Lubbesthorpe, Leicestershire.
