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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Are you seeing Bullfinches in your garden? –
BTO Records from approximately 11,000 BTO Garden BirdWatchers indicate that Bullfinches are being seen in more gardens than ever this year! Bullfinches were seen by 19% of Garden BirdWatchers in April 2018, which is almost double the average (1995-2017) for this month. These figures follow on from a record high last winter, after a successful breeding season. Our Annual Results for 2017 show a 16% increase in the percentage of gardens reporting them compared to 2016. Access the report:
See the full Garden BirdWatch Annual Results.
Road verges: 20% drop in diversity of wild flowers puts bees at risk as
plant 'marauders' take over – Plantlife
A
marauding gang of invasive native plants including nettle and bramble
are thriving on a diet of ‘junk food’ and taking over our once
flower-rich road verges. © Trevor Dines Almost 90% of Britain’s wild flowers prefer lower-nutrient soil but
they are being crowded out of the countryside as a result of air
pollution creating unnaturally rich conditions, particularly on our road
verges. Analysing trends since 1990, Plantlife has identified that our
road verges are undergoing a dramatic change with plants that enjoy soil
rich in nitrogen - much of it deposited from vehicle exhausts -
spreading like wildfire including stinging nettle, bramble, rough
meadow-grass, cow parsley, Yorkshire fog and creeping buttercup.The boom
of these 'nitrogen guzzlers' is crowding out wild flowers that had found
a haven on our road verges, including some of our rarest and most
threatened species such as fen ragwort and wood calamint which are now
clinging on at a handful of verges, their last remaining habitat.
Victims of the changing verge include wild flowers like tufted vetch,
bugle, tormentil, red clover, lady's bedstraw, white campion and greater
knapweed. Air pollution combined with decades of poor management has
seen the floral richness of our verges decline by nearly 20%.
Grants for Peatlands Restoration -
defra England's iconic peatlands will benefit from new government funds
with an area the size of 10,000 football pitches to be restored to peat
forming condition
A new injection of £10m of government money will help restore more
than 10,000 football pitches-worth of England’s iconic peatlands. Peat bogs and fens are important habitats that provide food and
shelter for wildlife, help with flood management, improve water quality
and play a part in climate regulation. The new funding will help deliver
commitments in the Government’s flagship
25 Year Environment Plan to create a new ambitious framework for
peat restoration in England. The total area of 6,580 hectares of upland and lowland peatlands that
these grants will support work on is equivalent to 10,613 football
pitches. The work will be delivered through four local partnership
projects and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions making their way into
the atmosphere by creating a natural store for carbon. This vital work will abate and store an estimated 23,000 tonnes of
carbon per year contributing to the UK’s climate change goals. A
panel of experts and Defra officials assessed the projects and awarded
the funding based on the potential for carbon abatement. Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: "Peatlands are an iconic
aspect of the English landscape which are not only a haven for wildlife
but also provide us with clean water and help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out the Government’s
commitment to improve peatlands and grant schemes such as this one will
enable us to leave our environment better than we inherited it." Defra has allocated a total of £10 million between the four projects.
From Buxton to the Borders – £7m Government grant allows new moorland conservation work to get underway - Cumbria Wildlife Trust A new injection of Government cash will help support the restoration
of England’s iconic peatlands. Two successful bids in the north will fund peatland conservation from
the Peak District to the Scottish border. The vast project area spans
almost 4,200 hectares; the same size as more than 6,700 football
pitches.
Call for public to help wildlife conservation by monitoring mammals with
new app - Mammal Society The Mammal Society, the only organisation dedicated to the study and
conservation of all mammals in Britain and Ireland, launched its new
Mammal Mapper app today (15/5).
The
charity wants members of the public to help record when and where they
see mammals. Most wild mammals, including rabbits and iconic species like
hedgehogs and mountain hares, are very poorly monitored. This makes it
difficult to know which regions or habitats are most important, or to
detect changes in their population sizes. The Mammal Mapper app is designed to record information on the
location and number of animals spotted on walks or bicycle rides. Rabbit (image: Mammal Society) Fiona Mathews, Chair of the Mammal Society and Professor of
Environmental Biology at Sussex University explains “What we need people
to do is to go on a walk or bike-ride (an evening outing of about 45
minutes is ideal) and record the mammals they see. By recording the
route taken, the App will let us work out the densities of animals in
different habitats. This is a unique feature of the Mammal Mapper app
and will be hugely valuable for conservation. Previously we had no way
of working out whether a sighting was submitted because an animal was
common, or because people were excited to see it because it was rare. It
was also difficult to pin down the precise habitat where the mammal was
seen. New technology means that this is all now really easy on a
smart-phone.”. The app is free to download and available on android and iOS in app
stores now. For more information and download from the Mammal Society
website go to http://www.mammal.org.uk/volunteering/mammal-mapper/. Our Surveys and Fieldwork section is a directory of surveys needing records and recorders, see what else you may be able to help with by browsing the directory here. Organisations can add details free of charge, click here to submit your listing.
Scheme helping thousands of schoolchildren access nature up for award
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust A scheme that has given thousands of disadvantaged school children
easy access to nature has been shortlisted for an award
WWT
and HSBC’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ programme which aims to give pupils
from poorer backgrounds the chance to experience nature has been
nominated in the ‘Charity Partnership: Financial’ category at the Third
Sectors Business Charity Awards.
Free school visits, new school resources, and building the
infrastructure around school visits are at the heart of the project,
which has been a huge success over the past five years. Over 68,000 pupils in the most deprived areas of the UK have
benefitted from free school visits to WWT Wetland Centres since
Inspiring Generations was launched. For many of these young people, this
is a rare opportunity to learn about, and spend time in nature. Lorna Fox, WWT’s Learning Advisor, welcomed the news. She said:
Understanding the role of large raptors in modified ecosystems
- British Ornithologists Union blog A need for further research on the influence of large raptors on
other predator species and their cascading effects at the ecosystem
level Linked paper:
Top-down limitation of mesopredators by avian top predators: a call for
research on cascading effects at the community and ecosystem scale.
Terraube, J. & Bretagnolle, V. 2018. IBIS. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12581
Tread softly: new guide for businesses working in important ecosystems
- BirdLife International A new handbook provides businesses with clear guidelines on how to
avoid harming habitats when working in highly important areas for
nature. Most businesses want to minimise their impact on the natural world –
but it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily, the process has just
got a whole lot easier with the release of a new roadmap for companies
operating in some of the most biologically significant places on the
planet. The report, Guidelines on Business and KBAs: Managing Risk to
Biodiversity, was released by the Key Biodiversity Area Partnership*: an
alliance of 12 of the world’s leading conservation organisations,
including BirdLife International. The guide, and its accompanying website, lays out 15 simple steps
that businesses of any size or sector can adopt in order to leave as
small a footprint as possible when working within Key Biodiversity Areas
(KBAs): sites that are deemed essential for the world’s species richness
to continue. These areas may, for instance, contain a particularly
staggering diversity of life, or house especially unique or threatened
species. "It is our hope that companies and governments will embed these
guidelines into their environmental policies" Read the, Guidelines on Business and KBAs: Managing Risk to Biodiversity report
Green light for project which puts Cumbria’s bees on road to recovery
– Cumbria Wildlife Trust A ground breaking new project to boost the number of bumblebees and
other wild pollinators in Cumbria, has been awarded development funding
by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Highways England. Cumbria Local
Nature Partnership has received development funding of £87,100*, made
possible by National Lottery players, to progress their plans to apply
for a full National Lottery grant at a later date. ‘Coastlines: The Cumbria Coast Pollinator Project’ will work with
communities along Cumbria’s coast, in Workington, Whitehaven and
Maryport, to restore and create pollinator havens in green spaces such
as parks, schools and around housing estates. Local people will have the
opportunity to volunteer, record bumblebees, participate in events, and
learn how to make their gardens friendly for wild pollinators. ‘Coastlines’ will also take an innovative approach to managing verges
on the main roads in west Cumbria such as the A66 and A595, for example
changing grass-cutting and removal systems, to create habitats that
provide food, shelter and nesting sites for bees and other pollinators.
‘Coastlines’ has been developed by the Cumbria Local Nature Partnership
and will be delivered by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. The
wonderful world of wood pasture and parkland
– PTES
Wood
Pasture and and Parkland is one of our most important habitats but it is
one we are only beginning to understand. As a part of the Wood Pasture
and Parkland Network (WPPN) we have made a series of videos to shine a
light on this forgotten habitat. Oak with large limb loss Moccas Park (image:
PTES) The WPPN, is a new national network of organisations working together
to promote the value of wood pasture and parkland habitat. This
precious, ancient habitat shaped by generations of people working in
harmony with nature is home to many endangered species from bats and
birds to deadwood insects and fungi. The WPPN shines a spotlight on this
forgotten part of our landscape. Jeremy Dagley, the City of London Corporation’s Head of Conservation
at Epping Forest (who also presents the videos) explains: “Wood pasture
and parkland habitats combine big old trees and their full spreading
crowns with open heaths and grasslands and all other ranges of
vegetation in between. Wood pastures are especially rich in ancient and
hollowing trees, each of which provides its own wealth of micro-habitats
for hundreds of species. Many of these species are entirely dependent on
these trees and the more open conditions in which they grow. Trees grow
an entirely different shape and structure if they have grown in the
open, rather than in dense woodland. This structure makes them better at
supporting wildlife and often means that they live a lot longer. These
trees often with the help of people harvesting their wood can live out
their full life potential. This, in turn, means they provide more of the
rare habitat of natural wood decay. The last stages of this decay
process are now so uncommon that many of the species that rely on it are
at risk of extinction.”
Colliery’s new life for people and nature –
Lancashire Wildlife Trust A former colliery is part of a plan to attract more people to green
spaces in Salford.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Land Trust are embarking on a
new 10-year partnership to manage a series of green spaces in Salford
for the benefit of communities, businesses and nature. The Wildlife Trust has been appointed as the managing partner by the
Land Trust, which owns the land, and will be responsible for the
management these areas, including the eight hectare Ashton’s Field. The former colliery has been transformed over many years to create a
vibrant green haven within a predominantly built up urban area. Many
local people use the site and it includes a section of the Linnyshaw
Loopline, a walking and cycling route between Little Hulton and Walkden.
There is a series of locks but no canal! The canal is underground and
part of a 52 miles of a subterranean network in the area. The Wildlife Trust will work with schools and community groups to
increase the number of individuals benefitting from Ashtons Field. The
Trust will support and engage more local people to play an active role
in managing habitats at the site to help improve the wildlife value at
the site whilst also bringing people together to gain new skills,
ownership and confidence.
Red squirrel babies at Wildwood give boost to national rewilding project
– BIAZA
Red
squirrel babies, born 3 weeks ago, are now venturing out of their nest
boxes. After maturing at the Wildwood Trust park they will be
transported to two sites in Wales and released into the wild as part of
Wildwood's red squirrel conservation project aimed at preventing their
nationwide extinction by re-introducing red squirrels back to the UK.
After efforts to reintroduce pine martens over the last 3 years by the
Vincent Wildlife Trust, it is now hoped the red squirrel can out compete
invasive grey squirrels from North America to once again become part of
lives, eventually being restored across Southern Britain. (image: Wildwood) The distribution of red squirrels has declined drastically in the
last 60 years and they are now extinct in southern England except for a
few on the Isle of Wight and two small islands in Poole Harbour. The
main cause of this decline is competition with the introduced American
grey squirrel. The grey squirrel is larger than the red and better able
to survive harsh weather and periods of food shortage. It breeds more
successfully and quickly out-competes the red squirrel for food. Peter Smith of Wildwood Trust's said: "Red squirrels are one of the most beautiful animals in the U.K. and visitors can watch these playful animals over the summer until they have grown up enough to be released to the wild. If we can help restore areas of woodland to a native state, reintroduce animals like Pine Martens to control invasive grey squirrels, we might just be able to tip the balance back in the Red Squirrel's favour. Our eventual plan is to once again see them back across Southern Britain.”
New project: Connecting the Dragons - Cysylltu’r Dreigiau
- Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Amphibian and Reptile Conservation are delighted to announce that our
‘Connecting the Dragons’ project (www.arc-trust.org/connecting-the-dragons)
has been awarded National Lottery funding. The grant will allow
the project to bring together key partners including volunteer Amphibian
and Reptile Groups, NGOs and local Wildlife Trusts, to protect and
conserve some of our most vulnerable native species of amphibian and
reptile including: great crested newts, adders, toads, and grass snakes.
Tony Gent, CEO of Amphibian and Reptile Conservatin, commented, “We are delighted to have secured National Lottery funding for this important project, which will enable us to improve the conservation status of our declining herpetofauna species." We are also thrilled to count on the support of Iolo Williams who
says “It is essential to engage with our Welsh communities to create
more ponds, increase wildlife monitoring efforts and improve the image
of species like the adder. ARC has a proven track record of delivering
ambitious landscape scale projects and exceeding targets.”
Northumberlandia wins Site of the Year at Land Trust Awards 2018
– The Land Trust Northumberlandia was the big winner at the Land Trust’s 2018 annual
awards, picking up the prestigious Site of the Year prize. Based in Northumberland, ‘The Lady of the North’ was recognised for a
year which has seen over 85,000 people visit the site and over 700
children attend school visits. The Site of the Year award is the latest in a long list of awards won
by Northumberlandia since it opened its doors to the general public in
2012. Over the last 12 months alone the site has also been voted ‘Best
Family Day Out’ at the Northumberland Tourism Awards as well as picking
up the award for Best Parks Partnership at the Horticulture Week
Custodian Awards. Held in Newcastle, the Land Trust Awards 2018 was attended by many of
the rangers and volunteers who look after sites on behalf of the
charity.
Court confirms neonicotinoid ban was legal
– Buglife
Today
the EU Court of Justice confirmed that the 2013 European Commission
decision to protect bees by introducing a ban on the use of three
neonicotinoid insecticides on flowering crops, was proper and legal.
Bayer and Syngenta had challenged the decisions, throwing everything at
the cases and claiming that: the EC exceeded its remit; the economic
cost to the pesticide industry should have been a key factor in the
decision; the bee pesticide risk assessment document should not have
been used (because all member states had not endorsed it); the science
showed neonicotinoids were safe to bees; and that there were several
other grounds. (image: Buglife) Buglife and a number of European NGOs stepped in to support the EC in
the court room, intervening by sending experts and lawyers to
participate in the cases held in February 2017. On the other side
of the room the pesticides companies were bolstered by legal teams from
seed distributors and farmer’s unions. The decisions of the court, rejects the pesticide companies’ claims
and ensures that not only does the 2013 partial ban decision stand, but
that in the future bees should only suffer ‘negligible’ exposure to
harmful pesticides. The decision also means that the recent vote by EU Member States to
introduce a more comprehensive ban on the three neonicotinoid seed
treatments, should also result in a legally robust ban.
Climate-threatened animals unable to relocate
– University of Exeter Many of the European mammals whose habitat is being destroyed by
climate change are not able to find new places to live elsewhere. 30 of the 62 mammal species in the University of Exeter study will
have their habitat substantially affected by climate change, but don’t
have the traits that could allow them to colonise a new habitat
somewhere else in Europe. These included at-risk species such as the wolverine (classified
as “vulnerable”in Europe), and others not classified as under threat,
such as the Eurasian elk, the Iberian wild goat and the Pyrenean
chamois. Most current assessments do not take account of climate change and
species’ ability to react, and the researchers say this means many
species may be at greater risk than their official status shows. “Some species that will need to move long distances due to climate
change are simply not going to be able to,” said senior author Dr Regan
Early, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn
Campus in Cornwall. “Unfortunately, many of the species most at risk from climate change
are also will have the most difficulty in colonising new areas.” The researchers studied two sets of characteristics to see how well
each species could relocate to the places where climate will be suitable
in the future. One important characteristic is whether the animals are “generalists”
that can live in many kinds of habitats and eat a wide variety foods. The other important characteristic was the animal’s reproductive
strategy – species that breed young and have many offspring have a
better chance of establishing themselves in a new area. However, the complexities of climate change mean that some species –
even those that could move relatively long distances – will struggle to
move because possible new habitats are just too far from current ones. Access the paper: Lisbeth Morrison
Alba Estrada Regan
Early Species traits suggest European mammals facing the greatest
climate change are also least able to colonize new locations Diversity and Distributions https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12769
High risk of deer on roads in May and June –
Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is warning motorists to slow down and
be on the lookout for deer on the road, especially in May and June. Vehicle accidents involving deer peak at this time of year as young
deer disperse to look for their own territories. To help reduce the risk
of accidents SNH has arranged with Transport Scotland for warning
messages on variable messaging signs on high-risk trunk roads across
Scotland from Monday 21 May to Monday 11 June. The VMS messages are targeted on roads with higher rates of
deer-vehicle collisions, covering the Central Belt around Glasgow and
Edinburgh, as well as around Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and areas
within Perth and Kinross. The signs display the warning message: High
Risk of Deer on the Road. The highest number of collisions occur in early evening through to
late at night, with a slightly lower peak from 6 am to 9 am. The VMS
campaign ensures that the warning messages are used during these times. The most recent deer-vehicle collisions research shows there are up
to 9,000 collisions between motor vehicles and deer every year in
Scotland, with on average of 65 of these likely to result in human
injuries. Across the UK, it’s estimated there are between 42,000 and
74,000 deer-vehicle related accidents a year, resulting in 400 to 700
human injuries and about 15 deaths.
Could our obsession with mobile technology destroy wildlife?
- Buglife A scientific review of the impacts of electromagnetic radiation
launched today reveals our limited understanding about how changes we
are making to the environment may be damaging wildlife. Pollution
levels have been rapidly rising, and plans for saturating coverage of
wi-fi and 5G will push levels higher still. Despite concerning
evidence that such radiation could harm plants, insects, birds and other
species, there is very little work underway to understand the impacts or
to apply even basic pollution limits. Following a proposal by Buglife a review of the impacts of
electromagnetic radiation on wildlife was undertaken by EKLIPSE, an EU
funded mechanism that considers policy relevant knowledge relating to
human interactions with biodiversity and ecosystems. The review found evidence that electromagnetic wireless signals,
including from powerlines, radar, TV/radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi and
2G/3G/4G communications pose a credible threat to wildlife. While
surprisingly few studies have been published, from the 97 useable papers
the scientists highlighted electro-magnetic radiation as a potential
risk to bird and insect orientation and movement, and to plant metabolic
health. Serious impacts on the environment could not be ruled
out. The authors of the EKLIPSE review conclude that there is “an urgent
need to strengthen the scientific basis of the knowledge on EMR and
their potential impacts on wildlife. In particular, there is a need to
base future research on sound, high-quality, replicable experiments so
that credible, transparent and easily accessible evidence can inform
society and policy-makers to make decisions and frame their policies.”
Scottish Natural Heritage to transfer land to South Uist community
- Scottish Natural Heritage A proposal from Scottish Natural Heritage for a South Uist community
group to establish a new Nature Reserve within an active crofting estate
has been approved by the Scottish Government.
Druidibeg
(image: Lorne Gill / SNH) With 1,100 ha of land at Loch Druidibeg, South Uist brought back into
community ownership, local group Stòras Uibhist, in partnership with
RSPB Scotland, plan for the site to include visitor facilities; habitat,
goose and deer management; enhanced drainage and water quality and
improved access to the loch. David Maclennan, Area Manager for Outer Hebrides and Argyll said: “We
have been working closely with Stòras Uibhist and RSPB Scotland on this
proposal for some time, and we are delighted approval is now in place to
proceed with the transfer. As well as creating an opportunity for a new
Nature Reserve in South Uist, this transfer is making a significant
contribution to meeting the Scottish Government’s target of having 1
million acres of land in community ownership by 2020.” Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I would like to
congratulate Stòras Uibhist who are one of the first community groups to
have a loch transferred into their ownership. “The transfer provides a unique opportunity for the community trust,
working in partnership with RSPB Scotland, to showcase its commitment
and vision for the Loch and surrounding area.
The Proportion of Scotland's Protected Sites in Favourable and
recovering Condition 2018 - Scottish Natural
Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage has released the latest figures tracking
the proportion of Scottish natural features in favourable or recovering
condition. The main findings show that 79.7% of Scotland’s natural features on
protected nature sites are either in or recovering towards a favourable
condition. This figure represents a 3.7 percentage point increase since
the current protocols were established in 2007, despite a 0.6 percentage
point decrease since last year. The report draws on annual monitoring of the condition natural
features carried out by SNH and includes 5,295 natural feature
assessments from across Scotland, divided into three categories:
habitats (79.3% in favourable condition), species (74.6%) and earth
sciences, which includes geographical outcrops and landforms, fossil
beds, and caves (97.9%). Overall, the condition of 72 features has improved to favourable or
recovering condition. This demonstrates effective targeted remedial
management by SNH, its partners, and private landowners at certain
heath, grasslands, and upland feature types, including work to restore
upland habitats at Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Access the full statistical publication here.
CPRE call fracking announcement ‘outright assault on local communities’
- CPRE CPRE have condemned Thursday's (17/5) joint announcement from the
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government which
proposes to streamline the process for fracking applications. These plans pose huge environmental risks to our landscapes and
threaten the tranquillity of the countryside. On top of this, the
ministerial statement also sets out plans for fracking to be considered
as ‘permitted development’ and as Nationally Significant Infrastructure,
which would diminish the abilities of communities to influence local
proposals. Daniel Carey-Dawes, Senior Infrastructure Campaigner at the Campaign
to Protect Rural England said: ‘This announcement signals an outright assault on local communities’
ability to exercise their democratic rights in influencing fracking
applications. It reads like a wish list from the fracking companies
themselves. The government may want to provide “sweeteners” for
communities affected, but nothing will change the fact that this will be
a bitter pill to swallow. ‘Simplifying the shale gas application and exploration process will
have disastrous effects for the health and tranquillity of our
countryside, landscapes and environment. Our countryside is the
breathing space for us all - it must not become an industrial testing
ground for a fracking industry that has no environmental, economic or
social licence.’ A consultation will be held on fracking being considered as permitted
development and as Nationally Significant Infrastructure. CPRE look
forward to responding with the aim of protecting the rights of local
people and preventing fracking from destroying our beloved countryside. Read the Energy Policy: Written statement
by Greg Clark ( Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy)
Natural England sets out licence charges proposal
- CIEEM Following the consultation earlier this year on charging for
licences, Natural England has responded to the consultation and set out
their proposed pricing structure.
Read the full response from Natural England to the consultation
National Bat Monitoring Programme Annual Report 2017
- Bat Conservation Trust The latest results of the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP)
with data up to the end of September 2017 are now available. Last year nearly 1,000 dedicated volunteers carried out NBMP bat
surveys at a total of 1,867 sites across the UK. The survey results
allow BCT to provide population trends for 11 out of the 17 species of
bat which breed in the UK. Unfortunately, at present we are not able to
produce population trends for some of the rarer and more
habitat-specialist bat species such as barbastelle or Bechstein’s bat as
they are difficult to monitor or rarely encountered. Results of the NBMP show that from the baseline year of monitoring
(1999 for most species) to 2017, GB populations of all 11 species of bat
surveyed appear to be either stable or increasing, though a few results
need treating with caution at present and there are regional and/or
country differences. Species considered to have increased in Great
Britain since the baseline year of monitoring are greater horseshoe bat,
lesser horseshoe bat and common pipistrelle, all of which often use
buildings to roosts in. Download the report
here.
Scientific Publications Parker, S. S., Pauly, G. B., Moore, J. , Fraga, N. S., Knapp, J. J.,
Principe, Z. , Brown, B. V., Randall, J. M., Cohen, B. S. and Wake, T.
A. (2018),
Adapting the bioblitz to meet conservation needs. Conservation
Biology. . doi:10.1111/cobi.13103
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