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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
With parts of the UK facing drought after a winter of low rainfall, a
new report by WWF finds so much water is being taken out of rivers and
groundwater for public supplies and agriculture that the environment and
economy is facing critical long-term damage More than 550 bodies of water in England and Wales are being
over-abstracted, affecting iconic rivers like the Itchen and urban chalk
streams like the Cray, which have seen their flow decrease and turn to
trickles, according to new Freedom of Information requests by WWF. WWF has also warned if too much water continues to be pumped from
rivers and streams we will see a decline in some of the UK’s most
favourite wildlife, including kingfishers and the water vole - Britain’s
fastest-disappearing mammal. A drought could push them to the brink. Extreme weather caused by climate change, poor river management and
over-abstraction of water has led to over half of the chalk streams and
nearly a quarter of the rivers in England being at risk of drying out.
April was one of the driest months on record, with less than half the
average rainfall for the month, indicating that parts of the UK might be
heading for a drought. These effects are already being felt across
rivers and chalk streams in the UK and are likely to get worse over the
next few months and years unless urgent action is taken. New polling by Populus has revealed that four out of five people
believe wildlife has as much of a right to water as people and nearly
70% are worried about the environmental impact of taking water out of
rivers. 83% of people think the UK Government should do more to
encourage homes and businesses to use less water in order to protect our
environment. 69% of people also think the UK Government should restrict
the amount of water taken from rivers. If new legislation is not introduced soon the effects of poor
management of water abstractions and dry weather are likely to have
devastating consequences for our rivers.
Click through for case studies. WWF, supported by rivers trusts and angling clubs across the country,
are asking the public to take action to help us safeguard our rivers.
Find out about WWF’s Nature Needs
You campaign
Scientists predict widespread invasion of harmful ragweed across
northern Europe - Centre for Hydrology &
Ecology Scientists at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) predict that
climate change may well lead to a widespread invasion of harmful ragweed
across Northern Europe in the next 60 years unless its path is halted by
policy-makers.
Common
ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
photo by Harry Rose CC by 2.0 via CEH Researchers at CEH have produced a scientific model – which is able
to take account of the effects of changes in temperature and length of
exposure to daylight – to see how in future ragweed could spread as far
as central UK and Ireland, Denmark, southern Sweden and most of the
southern Baltic coast. Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a serious concern because of its
harmful effects on agriculture as a crop weed but also on public health
as a major allergen. A single plant may produce a billion grains of
pollen per season – pollen which may remain airborne for days, affecting
people hundreds of miles away. Those sensitive to ragweed pollen
can suffer itching, burning, and swelling of the mouth and throat, runny
eyes and nose, hives, and, less commonly vomiting, diarrhoea, asthma and
anaphylaxis. It also affects crop production as a weed. Lead author Dr Daniel Chapman and Professor James Bullock, ecologists
at CEH, led an international team of researchers who found that
ragweed’s ability to adapt the timing of its lifecycle means the
invasion may extend northwards and increase the average suitability
across Europe by 90 percent in the current climate and 20 percent in the
future climate. Dr Chapman said, "This work shows that ragweed is adapting to cooler
conditions than were previously thought to be suitable for its invasion
in Europe. Building this effect into our models shows how much wider
areas may be at risk of its serious impacts." Professor Bullock said, "By combining powerful models with
experiments across Europe, we have been able to improve our predictions
of the spread of this harmful invasive." Read the paper (open access) Chapman,
D. S., Scalone, R., Štefanić, E. and Bullock, J. M. (2017),
Mechanistic species distribution modeling reveals a niche shift during
invasion. Ecology, 98: 1671–1680. doi:10.1002/ecy.1835 UK takes centre stage in global marine protection - defra Today (26 June) the UK and Ireland co-hosted the annual meeting of
OSPAR to protect the marine environment.
Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has today set out how the UK
continues to play a leading role in protecting the world’s oceans and
turning the tide on marine litter. Speaking in Cork for the 25th annual meeting of the
OSPAR Commission – an
international convention to protect the marine environment of the
north-east Atlantic – the Minister outlined how the UK is leading
international efforts to tackle plastic pollution, protect marine
species and habitats, and support cutting-edge marine science. Earlier this month the UK made a number of voluntary commitments at
the first-ever United Nations
Ocean Conference in New York. These include joining the UN’s Clean
Seas campaign to reduce the use of disposable plastic by 2022,
strengthening global ocean observations, and working with Overseas
Territories to protect the diverse range of marine life in their waters.
Monitoring
changes in wetland extent can help predict the rate of climate change
- University of Exeter Monitoring changes to the amount of wetlands in regions where
permafrost is thawing should be at the forefront of efforts to predict
future rates of climate change, new research shows. Permafrost - frozen ground - holds huge amounts of carbon which may
be released into the atmosphere as the climate warms and these soils
thaw. For this reason it is critically important to know where thaw is
taking place and how much carbon is being exposed.
But
a new study says that the effects of thaw on the release of the powerful
greenhouse gas, methane, may be better predicted by monitoring changes
in the area of wetlands rather than by investigating how much carbon is
being exposed. The study measured rates of methane production from thawing
peatlands in the boreal region of northern Canada. (University of
Exeter) Permafrost thaw is caused by climate change which warms northern high
latitudes faster than elsewhere on Earth. The release of permafrost
carbon to the atmosphere could accelerate rates of climate change, with
some estimates suggesting that potential rates of release could rival
those from tropical deforestation. If even a small proportion of the
carbon is released in the form of methane, a more powerful greenhouse
gas than carbon dioxide, then the feedback becomes even more
significant. There are around 1 million km2 of permafrost peatlands on Earth and
they store approximately 20 per cent of the total permafrost carbon
stock which is predicted to thaw this century. The rate at which frozen
organic soils could potentially decompose is up to five times greater
than for frozen mineral soils, and peats are disproportionately likely
to be water-logged following thaw, the very conditions that promote
methane release.
UK hen harrier population suffers decline, according to latest figures
– RSPB Latest hen harrier survey reveals UK population in 2016 of 545
territorial pairs, a drop of 88 pairs since the last national survey in
2010. Scotland remains the stronghold for the UK hen harrier population,
with 460 pairs. In England the hen harrier remains on the brink of extinction as a
breeding species with just four territorial pairs in 2016. Northern
Ireland and Wales also both report a decline in numbers in the past six
years.
Longer
term figures show dramatic decline of 204 pairs (27%) in the last twelve
years.
The hen harrier population has suffered a decline of 88 pairs (13%)
over the past six years with a total UK population estimated to be 545
pairs, according to the latest figures from the fifth national hen
harrier survey. Scotland remains the stronghold for UK hen harriers with an estimated
460 pairs in 2016, around 80 per cent of the UK population. This
estimate is nine per cent below the best estimate in 2010 of 505 pairs.
The west Highlands continue to provide a home for the majority of
Scotland’s breeding harriers (estimated 175 breeding pairs), while
Orkney and the Hebrides were the only areas of the country to show a
slight increase in the number these birds.
Real action needed to save our vanishing meadows
- Plantlife New Plantlife study of road names shows cultural and social
significance of meadows... but most people living on Meadow View can't
view a meadow, even with binoculars. #NationalMeadowsDay (1 July 2017) has over 115 events across the UK:
learn how to scythe like Poldark, spot orchids or make a scarecrow The under-reported decline of our meadows - 97% lost since the 1930s
- is one of the biggest tragedies in the history of UK nature
conservation
UK's
largest grassland partnership is creating or restoring 6,000 hectares of
wildflower meadows in just three years Meadow View? Most streets with names containing
"Meadow" aren't actually near one (Plantlife) Nearly 2,000 roads in Britain include the words “meadow”
or “dôl” (Welsh for meadow), including Meadow Road, Meadow Lane and
Meadow Way. Yet the flower-rich fields they were named after - once a
feature of every parish - are increasingly rare. Plantlife research released today (Tuesday 27 June) demonstrates
meadows' special place in our social and cultural history: frequent
names include references to the size of the meadow (e.g. Long Meadow and
Little Meadow) or past owners (Church Meadow, King’s Meadow and Castle
Meadow). Other rare names include references to people who were probably
associated with the meadow in the past (Barbara’s Meadow, Hob’s Meadow
and Lawrence’s Meadow) and to wildlife (Buttercup Meadow, Sandpiper
Meadow, Badger Meadows). The three most common names are Meadow Road
(4.7%), Meadow Lane (2.8%) and Meadow Way (2.7%). Meadow View is 6th at
1.9%.
National Park seeks to shape post-Brexit farming policy
– Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has today committed
itself to bringing forward detailed policy proposals for upland farming
by the end of this year. The chief executive, David Butterworth, told the authority’s annual
meeting that now was the time to seek to influence the government’s
policy on agriculture post-Brexit. He described farming as a “critical industry” to the Dales and said
the starting point should be to set an “extremely ambitious” target of
retaining the present number of farm holdings in the National Park. Upland farming in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
(Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority) Members agreed to set up a formal working group, made up largely of
Dales farmers, to develop proposals for new farm payment and
agri-environment schemes. Mr Butterworth said: “The Brexit negotiations have begun. The day
when the government puts in place a new agricultural policy for England
is getting nearer. We need to make sure that the voice of Dales
farmers is heard. One thing is for sure: a one-sized-fits-all policy
will not work for us. This is a time of great uncertainty for many
farmers. As they do more than anyone to conserve and enhance the
natural beauty of the National Park, it is an uncertain time for the
Authority, too. However, Brexit does represent a significant
opportunity to improve the profitability of farming and the
environmental outputs that are so critical to achieving our statutory
purposes.”
New proposals go on display to protect internationally important birds
and natural habitat along Devon’s Exe Estuary
– Devon County Council Conservation experts have looked at how the Exe Estuary is used by
visitors and businesses, and have recommended proposals aimed at
balancing tourism, business and leisure needs, with the estuary’s role
as a sanctuary for protected birds and other natural habitat.
New
proposals go on display to protect internationally important birds and
natural habitat along Devon’s Exe Estuary (Devon CC) Amended proposals are now being suggested following widespread public
consultation this year by the Exe Estuary Management Partnership (EEMP),
on behalf of South East Devon Habitat Regulations Partnership (SEDHRP). The consultation asked people’s opinion about dedicated areas,
‘Wildlife Refuges’, within the estuary that would request that certain
activities, such as water sports, allow space for birds. These ‘Wildlife Refuge’ areas will play an essential part in the
ongoing conservation of the estuary, providing areas of protection for
the most vital feeding and roosting grounds for internationally
important bird populations that rely on the estuary for survival on long
migratory journeys.
Marine Code Buoys Hit The Water -
Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, the company behind the Pembrokeshire
Marine Code, have developed an innovative way of protecting our
coastline.
Working
with local boat tour operator Tenby Boat Trips, Marine Code Buoys have
been deployed around Caldey and St. Margaret’s Island with the aim of
protecting the wildlife found along these coastlines.
Caldey Island is an SSSI and has a grey seal population of
approximately 100, whilst St Margaret’s Island is a designated Nature
Reserve, and is a nesting ground for many Atlantic sea birds. There have
been concerns surrounding the behaviour of some leisure users around
these areas and there have been reports of kayakers consistently getting
too close to the seals. Personal Water Craft have also been recorded
disturbing protected species. The buoys have been placed to mark the boundaries for key wildlife
areas around the island, to encourage water users to slow down and keep
their distance.
National Park reflects on first four months of camping byelaws
– Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National park
Authority Feedback gathered during the first four months of new National Park
camping seasonal byelaws is being used to help inform improvements to
the camping experience in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Three
Lochs Forest Drive Permit Area (LLTNPA) The Park Authority has welcomed the positive response from campers so
far and is taking proactive steps to address any teething issues and
negative feedback. Since the byelaws were introduced on 1st March, the Park Authority
has been gathering feedback through online surveys sent to everyone who
books a permit and through on the ground engagement with visitors,
communities and partner organisations. The byelaws are in effect from
1st March and 30th September each year. Online surveys have received a strong response rate, and show that
85% of respondents would recommend staying in one of the new permit
areas and 92% found it easy to buy a permit.* The Park Authority’s Rangers are also experiencing a largely positive
response from visitors to the Camping Management Zones with the vast
majority adhering to the new byelaws. Communities in some of the
areas have also passed on observations of changing attitudes and
increases in day visitors. As well as inviting and acting on the feedback from visitors
throughout the first four months, the National Park Authority has been
continuing dialogue with key partners on the operation of the byelaws.
Conflict between yield maximization and species conservation in
agriculture appears reconcilable The intensive management of grasslands is bad for biodiversity.
However, a study by the Terrestrial Ecology Research Group at the
Technical University of Munich (TUM) has brought a ray of hope: If
different forms of management are optimally distributed within a region,
this can lead to higher yields without the loss of insect species. In
ideal cases, this will allow even more species to find habitats that are
optimal for them. What is crucial here is that management is planned at
the landscape level. For this study, data for more than a thousand species of arthropods
were evaluated. This data was collected from over a hundred grassland
sites (meadows and pastures). The dataset comes from the years 2008 to
2012 and were sampled in the study regions of the Biodiversity
Exploratories: Swabian Jura, Hainich-Dün, and Schorfheide-Chorin. Along
gradients typical for grassland management in the region — from
intensive agriculture to medium-level and extensive management — it was
observed how the populations of frequently encountered insects and
spiders change. Read the paper Nadja K. Simons &
Wolfgang W. Weisser:
Agricultural
intensification without biodiversity loss is possible in grassland
landscapes, Nature Ecology and Evolution 6/2017,
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0227-2.
The Land Trust goes wild for wildflowers on National Meadows Day 2017
– The Land Trust We're taking part in National Meadows Day on Saturday 1st July to
highlight the importance of the country’s wild and wonderful habitats. We manage over 278 hectares of wildflower meadows at dozens of sites
across the UK. In its own way, each one supports local populations of
native pollinators such as butterflies and bees, and provides a home and
food source for a wide variety of insects, small mammals and even
reptiles. Notable wildflower areas managed by the Land Trust include:
Many of the Land Trust sites were former coalfield, landfill or
industrial sites and sustainable management by the charity and our
partners has seen them transform into vibrant and beautiful community
and wildlife spaces. Corn chamomile, corn flowers and field poppies at Haig. (image: © Chris Gomersall, via Land Trust). The Land Trust is encouraging people to celebrate National Meadows
Day by heading out for a walk in their local meadow, grassland or
wildflower area and taking time to appreciate the natural space. Alan Carter, Director of Portfolio Management at the Land Trust,
said: “From road verges and garden corners to emerging grasslands and
established meadows, there’s wildflower wonder all around us.
Fruit-full Communities reaches finals of Lottery Awards
– International Tree Foundation We’re very excited to be one of the
National Lottery Awards finalists for our project
Fruit-full Communities, which works with young homeless people in
the UK. Alongside our partners in the project Learning
through Landscapes, the
YMCA and
The
Orchard Project, we’re working with thousands of young people. Through training sessions including lots of outdoor learning,
Fruit-full Communities gives young people the skills to cultivate their
own produce whilst improving their skills, confidence and health. The
project also raises the awareness of residents to questions such as
where their food comes from, and the importance of trees for communities
globally. Sue Pitt, ITF’s Fruit-full Communities Officer, is really excited
about reaching the finals of the National Lottery Awards. “I have met some wonderful young people through this project – they
are very aware of the need to take action on the environment and welcome
the opportunity to do something really positive for themselves, their
local communities and the planet”, says Sue. “It has also been great to
see them connecting with young people on some of our projects in Kenya
and Uganda and realising that they are part of a global movement for
change.” Situated in 50 centres for the homeless across the country,
Fruit-full Communities is also engaging with communities in the
localities by transforming the grounds into beautiful and inspiring
places to visit. Local residents are getting involved in activities with
the young people, which breaks down the stigma of the homeless in
society.
First pan-European field study shows neonicotinoid pesticides harm
honeybees and wild bees - CEH Researchers from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) publish
results of a large-scale, field-realistic experiment to assess
neonicotinoid impacts on honeybees and wild bees across Europe, in the
peer-review journal Science today (29 June 2017). The experiment – undertaken in the UK, Germany and Hungary – exposed
three bee species to winter oilseed rape crops treated with seed
coatings containing neonicotinoid clothianidin, from Bayer CropScience,
or Syngenta’s thiamethoxam. Neonicotinoid seed coatings are
designed to kill pests such as the cabbage stem flea beetle, but were
effectively banned in the EU in 2013 due to concerns regarding their
impact on bee health. The researchers found that exposure to treated crops reduced
overwintering success of honeybee colonies – a key measure of
year-to-year viability – in two of the three countries. In Hungary,
colony number fell by 24 percent in the following spring. In the UK,
honeybee colony survival was generally very low, but lowest where bees
fed on clothianidin-treated oilseed rape in the previous year. No
harmful effects on overwintering honeybees were found in Germany. Lower reproductive success – reflected in queen number (bumblebees)
and egg production (red mason bee) – was linked with increasing levels
of neonicotinoid residues in the nests of wild bee species buff-tailed
bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and the Red Mason Bee (Osmia
bicornis) across all three countries. According to the CEH lead author, Dr Ben Woodcock, "The
neonicotinoids investigated caused a reduced capacity for all three bee
species to establish new populations in the following year, at least in
the UK and Hungary." He suggests the differing impacts on
honeybees between countries may be associated with interacting factors
including the availability of alternative flowering resources for bees
to feed on in the farmed landscape as well as general colony health,
with Hungarian and UK honeybees tending to be more diseased.
Robust statistics explain findings of neonicotinoids field experiment
CEH blog by Dr. Peter Andrew Henrys Access the paper: Woodcock, B A,
Bullock, J M, Shore, R F, Heard, M S, Pereira, M G, Redhead, J, Ridding,
L, Dean, H, Sleep, D, Henrys, P, Peyton, J, Hulmes, S, Hulmes, L,
Sárosspataki, M, Saure, C & Pywell, R F.
Country-specific effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honeybees and
wild bees, Science, VOL 356, ISSUE 6345, DOI:
10.1126/science.aaa1190, published online 29 June 2017.
UK Government urged to re-examine support for bee killing pesticides
- Buglife Two new scientific studies published today in the top ranking Science
journal throw further light on the profound damage that neonicotinoid
insecticides are doing to wildlife and beneficial insects. Buglife
is calling on Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove to consider the new
evidence of harm and undertake a review of the Government’s opposition
to measures to protect bees from pesticides. What emerges from the two studies is a picture of a global
agricultural landscape heavily contaminated with persistent toxins that
are destroying populations of wild bees and harming captive honeybee
health. (The first study is above. The second paper, a Canadian study on neonicotinoid treated maize
(Tsvetkov et al. 2017), found that neonicotinoids killed honeybee
workers, reduced bee hygiene activity and resulted in queenless hives.
The bees were not getting poisoned primarily by crop pollen and nectar
however, the main route of acute exposure was neonicotinoid contaminated
dust and the biggest exposure throughout the year was from
neonicotinoids in wild flowers. The Canadian study also found that the
common fungicide boscalid almost doubled the toxicity of neonicotinoids
to bees. This is significant because a recent paper showed that
70% of the plants that people buy from garden centres to help garden
bees contain neonicotinoids, and 48% also contain boscalid (Lentola et
al. 2017). This suggests that gardeners may be unknowingly
poisoning pollinators in their efforts to try to help them, a factor
that may be associated with recent declines in numbers of urban
butterflies (Dennis et al. 2017). “The horror story is clear, we have contaminated our land and water
with persistent neonicotinoid pesticides, already 40% of UK wild bees
have been effectively exterminated across large parts of their range.
We are calling on Michael Gove to review the Government’s position and
to get fully behind international efforts to secure a global ban on the
use of these toxins; let’s get them out of our meadows, streams and
gardens and give our bees, butterflies and birds a chance to recover.”
Said Matt Shardlow, Buglife CEO.
Strengthening deer management - Scottish
Government Actions to improve practices and protect the environment. Improvements will be made to the way wild deer are managed in
Scotland, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has confirmed. The Scottish Government will take steps to protect habitats and help
biodiversity, including:
SNH Board approves new deer management approach
- Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) today considered proposals to
implement a stronger approach to deer management in light of damage to
fragile habitats and the consequences of vehicle collisions on our
roads. The proposals considered are in direct response to a recent review
concluded by the Environment Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR)
Committee of the Scottish Parliament on deer management in Scotland. In
some areas of Scotland, deer populations are sufficiently large that
deer affect forest re-growth and cause damage to important natural
heritage sites. Reducing deer numbers is an effective way to protect
trees, wildlife and crops in some parts of Scotland, as well as to
reduce road accidents. Measures agreed by SNH include further use of statutory powers in
support of collaborative deer management. This will see an increased
pace of change, combining continued support for good deer management
practice with a greater willingness to use regulation where required.
These measures are designed to lend further help and support to those
responsible for managing Deer populations across Scotland to sustainable
levels.
Smart detectors to monitor urban bat life -
Bat Conservation Trust The activity of urban bats in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) in
London is being monitored in real-time using new, automated smart
detectors that have been developed and installed by UCL and Intel
scientists in collaboration with Arup, the Bat Conservation Trust, and
the London Wildlife Trust. Bats are a good indicator species, so are often used to measure how
healthy our environment is. By detecting bat ultrasonic calls, the
monitors will track species present and their activity levels and
display the information to the public. This will provide an insight into
the wildlife health of the park over the next year, and help to inform
its management. “We are trialling a network of smart bat monitors that listen to the
environment, and figure out what species are present, all in real time.
It’s a ‘Shazam’ for bats! It’s a huge step forward for detection
technology - an Internet of Wild Things, and we hope it will help
understand how wildlife is being impacted by rapid environmental
change,” said Professor Kate Jones, project lead and Chair of Ecology
and Biodiversity at UCL. The detectors are the result of a project called Nature Smart Cities,
which brought environmental, statistical, and computing researchers
together with technologists to develop this pilot of the world’s first
end-to-end open source system for monitoring bats.
LEAF and FACE merger confirmed The merger between two of the leading farming and food educational
charities, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and FACE (Farming and
Countryside Education), has been confirmed and will take effect from
30th June 2017. LEAF Chief Executive, Caroline Drummond said: “We are absolutely
delighted to be able to confirm the merger between LEAF and FACE.
It will deliver multiple benefits to our partners and stakeholders and
enable us to further strengthen LEAF’s public engagement activities and
the vital work the FACE team do in taking agriculture into schools.
I am looking forward to working with the new team to deliver an
efficient and effective strategy, that will increase and improve the
public’s education, understanding and appreciation of farming, food
production and the environment.” Caroline Drummond will continue as Chief Executive of LEAF and a new
Director of Education and Public Engagement will be appointed this
summer, to replace Dan Corlett, who is leaving FACE to pursue another
career. Commenting on the merger, FACE Chairman, Ian Pigott said: "Since the
inception of FACE in 2001, it has achieved outstanding results. Through
the training of teachers and farmers, advising industry on the code of
practice and leading the on-line resource portal ‘Countryside
Classroom’, huge numbers of young people have benefitted. The
opportunity to merge with LEAF heralds a new dawn for public engagement
and education; we look forward to delivering even greater results for
all involved in two of Britain's proudest sectors, farming and
education.”
New
assessments on state of the marine environment in OSPAR waters
- JNCC The OSPAR Commission has just launched a
major new assessment of the state of our marine environment and the
pressures caused by marine activities. JNCC has played a key part in helping to assess the biodiversity
elements of the report. The parties to the
OSPAR Convention for the Protection and Conservation of the North-East
Atlantic produce an overview report every ten years on trends in
pressures and impacts and the quality status of the North-East Atlantic
and its Regions. This intermediate report, which will help some
countries to report against the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in
2018, is the culmination of a six-year research and development process
to both produce and define new indicators of the state of the marine
ecosystem. JNCC helped to develop a suite of marine biodiversity indicators,
including:
Wild bird populations in the UK (update) - defra Official Statistics Annual trends in wild bird populations in the UK.
Bird populations have long been considered to provide a good
indication of the broad state of wildlife in the UK. This is because
they occupy a wide range of habitats and respond to environmental
pressures that also operate on other groups of wildlife. In addition
there are considerable long-term data on changes in bird populations,
which help in the interpretation of shorter term fluctuations in
numbers. The bird population indices have been compiled in conjunction with
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the British Trust
for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee
(JNCC). Download the:
Wild bird populations in the UK, 1970 to 2015 report (PDF) Full data sets available here.
Butterflies in the wider countryside UK (updated data)
- defra Official Statistics These indicators on butterflies in the United Kingdom contribute to a
suite of indicators in the UK Biodiversity Indicators. Early data
availability allows their release ahead of that publication. Two
measures of annual butterfly population abundance are presented: the
first for specialist butterflies (species strongly associated with
semi-natural habitats such as unimproved grassland) and the second for
butterflies found in both semi-natural habitats and the wider
countryside. The measures are multi-species indices compiled by
Butterfly Conservation (BC), the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH),
and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) from data collated
through the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UK BMS) and the Wider
Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS).
Scientific Publications Hossaini, R. et al (2017)
The
increasing threat to stratospheric ozone from dichloromethane.
Nature Communications doi:10.1038/ncomms15962 Esetvo, C. A., Baldy Nagy-Reis, M. & Redrigies Silva, W. (2017)
Urban parks can maintain minimal resilience for Neotropical bird
communities. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.06.013 McHugh, N. M. et al (2017)
Agri-environmental measures and the breeding ecology of a declining
farmland bird. Biological Conservation.
doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.06.023
Christiana Figueres, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Gail Whiteman, Johan Rockström, Anthony Hobley, Stefan Rahmstorf. Three years to safeguard our climate. Nature DOI: 10.1038/546593a Methorst, J., Böhning-Gaese, K., Khaliq, I. and Hof, C. (2017),
A framework integrating physiology, dispersal and land-use to project
species ranges under climate change. J Avian Biol.
doi:10.1111/jav.01299
Jukka Jokimäki, Vesa Selonen, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Marja-Liisa
Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki,
The role of urban habitats in the abundance of red squirrels (Sciurus
vulgaris, L.) in Finland, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, DOI:
10.1016/j.ufug.2017.06.021.
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