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Headlines from week beginning 3 September 2018 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
2018 Park Protector shortlist announced! -
Campaign for National Parks Campaign for National Parks has unveiled the shortlist for the 2018
Park Protector Award. Five projects ranging from teaching angling skills
to young people in the North York Moors to restoring woodland in the New
Forest represent the top nominees as selected by the judging panel. The shortlisted projects are as follows:
Andrew Hall of Campaign for National Parks said: “This tremendous
shortlist reflects the incredible quality of applicants and the
dedication of people across from across England and Wales to their
National Parks. The Parks face many challenges, but each year the Park
Protector Award reminds me of the depth of feeling out there for England
and Wales’ best landscapes.”
Cumbria habitats surveyed for first time -
Yorkshire Dales National Park Ecologists are for the first time assessing the condition of
‘priority habitats’ in the parts of Cumbria and Lancashire that became
part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2016. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has commissioned
Otley-based ecologists, Haycock & Jay Associates, to survey up to four
thousand hectares of vitally important habitats such as upland hay
meadow, native woodland and blanket bog. The firm began work in May, and by the end of next month will have
surveyed priority habitats in an area including the parishes of Tebay,
Firbank, Killington, Middleton, Barbon, Mansergh, Kirkby Lonsdale,
Casterton, Leck, Barrow-with-Burrow and Ireby where landowner permission
has been granted. To see how the ecologists carry out the work, read our
latest blog, which illustrates how an ancient semi-natural woodland
near Sedbergh was surveyed earlier this summer. YDNPA Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer, Tony Serjeant, who is
responsible for the survey, said: “It is exciting that for the first
time we are taking a close look at the state of the most important
habitats in the newest parts of the National Park. These areas have not
been surveyed in this way before, so we are breaking new ground."
Newly sequenced golden eagle genome will help its conservation
- Wellcome Sanger Institute The golden eagle is the first of 25 UK species to be completed as
part of the 25 Genomes Project
Conservation and monitoring efforts for the golden eagle will benefit
from the newly-completed golden eagle genome sequence – the first of 25
species’ genomes sequenced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in
collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. The golden eagle genome, released today (31 August), will help
scientists and conservationists understand the diversity and viability
of the species worldwide. It will ultimately aid the monitoring of
existing, reinforced and reintroduced populations of golden eagles, such
as those in the South of Scotland Golden Eagle translocation project,
which aims to bolster the protected species’ population. The genome will enable additional studies of golden eagles and will
help in the conservation and monitoring of the species. The genetic
information will aid in identifying populations or individuals that
might be best involved in any reintroduction or other conservation
projects. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of
Veterinary Studies sent golden eagle samples** to the Sanger Institute
near Cambridge. The sequencing teams extracted DNA from the samples and
used PacBio SMRT Sequencing technology to generate the first,
high-quality golden eagle reference genome. Dr Rob Ogden, Head of Conservation Genetics at the University of
Edinburgh and a scientific adviser to the South of Scotland Golden Eagle
Project
Asian hornet identified in Cornwall - Defra An Asian hornet has been found in Cornwall and surveillance activity
is underway.
Asian
hornet (Defra) This Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no
greater risk to human health than a bee. However, they do pose a risk to
honey bees and work is already underway to identify any nests, which
includes deploying bee inspectors to visit local beekeepers and setting
up monitoring traps.
Previous outbreaks of the Asian hornet have been successfully contained by
APHA bee inspectors who promptly tracked down and destroyed the nests.
The intention is to do the same in this instance. Nicola Spence, Defra Deputy Director for Plant and Bee Health, said:
"While the Asian Hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a
bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies.
That’s why we are taking swift and robust action to locate and
investigate any nests in the south Cornwall areas following this
confirmed sighting.
Hey, it's lots of little CJs!
10,000 snails
- BIAZA 250 years after Captain James Cook's expedition sailed to the ‘South
Seas’ and collected the first Partula snail, the 10,000th snail has made
the trip back.
(Image: Sian Addison) Jo Elliott, Animal Collection Manager at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said:
“We are proud to breed Partulasnails and help restore them back into
their native habitat. This is a wonderful conservation success
story and really helps to highlight the important role that zoos play in
protecting species against extinction. The results we are seeing are
made possible through the efforts of committed zoos working together as
part of an international breeding programme, which bodes well for both
Polynesian tree snails and wildlife conservation in general”. After nearly being wiped out in the 1980s by the introduced predatory
rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea) these fingernail-sized
snails are now on their way back from the brink of extinction thanks to
the global breeding programme coordinated by ZSL (Zoological Society of
London). With reintroductions taking place on the islands of Moorea and
Tahiti in the Society Islands, this year’s export, for the first time
ever, will also include a species that is currently Extinct in the Wild. ZSL’s Curator of Invertebrates, Paul Pearce-Kelly said: “This year
we’ll be sending out a species of Partula, the Navenave snail (Partula
mirabilis) that’s new to the reintroduction initiative and for
which we have strong hopes for. I believe through the collaborative
efforts of the international zoo community and French Polynesian
Government environmental agencies; this major conservation initiative
has an excellent chance of saving these fascinating species”.
Burly bird gets the worm - University of
Exeter The pecking order of garden birds is determined by their size and
weight, new research shows. In a study at bird feeders, researchers from the University of Exeter
and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) found larger species like
house sparrows and greenfinches monopolised the best food and spent
longer feeding than smaller birds. Meanwhile, smaller birds such as blue tits and coal tits had to feed
quickly and were left with lower-quality food. “Bird feeding has become increasingly popular in the UK and
throughout much of the world in recent decades,” said senior author
Professor Jon Blount, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the
University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall. “However, its impacts
are still poorly understood. Bird feeders create a concentrated food
source which can result in more quarrels between individuals of
different species, which we predicted would lead to the formation of a
dominance hierarchy. Our findings show that larger, heavier species get
better access to food – so if the aim of bird feeders is to benefit all
species, we need to investigate ways to achieve this, such as different
mixes of foods and feeder designs.”
Read the paper: “Effects
of supplementary feeding on interspecific dominance hierarchies in
garden birds”
New research throws light on factors associated with the decline of
Britain’s hedgehogs
- People's Trust for Endangered Species Results from the first systematic survey of rural hedgehog
populations in England and Wales using footprint tracking tunnels has
been published in Scientific Reports. Summary of findings:
Land Management and predation: The research, titled ‘Reduced
occupancy of hedgehogs in rural England and Wales: the influence of
habitat and an asymmetric intra-guild predator’, investigates the
effects of the availability of key habitat types and badger (Meles
meles) sett density on native hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). The
results show that while badger sett density is negatively correlated
with hedgehog presence, there was evidence of both species co-existing
and hedgehogs being positively associated with built habitat (e.g.
houses). More worryingly, both hedgehogs and badger setts were not
recorded at many of the sites surveyed, suggesting there is a much wider
land management issue in our countryside affecting both species.
CPRE’s ‘Green Clean’ gives litter pickers cash for trash
- CPRE
The reverse vending machine in Brigg,
Lincolnshire (image: CPRE) Throughout September, CPRE is organising a series of nationwide
litter picks to clean up the countryside ahead of the introduction of a
deposit return system – which will help prevent our countryside, towns
and cities from being littered with bottles and cans. CPRE will be taking its mobile reverse vending machine – which
collects drinks containers of all materials and sizes – to various
‘Green Clean’ litter picks being held across the country. Participating
volunteers will be able to dispose of, and receive 10p for, each of the
drinks containers collected, helping people become accustomed to the way
that a deposit system works, ahead of the introduction of such a scheme
in England.
New LIFE for Welsh raised bogs - Natural
Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is embarking on a major project to
conserve a rare habitat. The four-million-pound New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs project will
restore over 900 hectares, or about 3.5 square miles, of raised bog -
some of Wales’ rarest and most important habitats. NRW staff, partner organisations, local landowners and others met at
Cors Fochno in Ceredigion on Wednesday 5 September 2018, to discuss the
conservation work due to start later this year. The project will improve
the condition of seven of the most important raised bogs in Wales,
including Cors Fochno and Cors Caron in Ceredigion. Restoration work
will also take place at sites near Trawsfynydd, Fishguard, Crosshands,
Crickhowell and Builth Wells. The drive to repair them involve rewetting them, cutting invasive
species, removing scrub and introducing light grazing – all in
partnership with local communities, landowners and contractors. Carol Fielding, NRW Project Manager said: “To some, a bog may appear
rather dull and unimportant. But the complete opposite is true. A
healthy bog brings great benefits to wildlife and people. They are home
to rare plants and animals, including the large-heath butterfly and the
iconic bog rosemary. Restoration will help fight climate change by
storing vast amounts of carbon and improving water quality in local
rivers. And they’re great places to visit to enjoy nature and the
benefits of being active outdoors.” A video about the project has been published on NRW’s YouTube
channel: https://youtu.be/JvoRMGrtnrs
UKRI contributes to new Google search tool -
UKRI & NERC Experts from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have contributed to a
new Google search tool to help scientists, policy makers and other user
groups easily find the data required for their work and their stories,
or simply to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. There are many thousands of data repositories on the web, providing
access to millions of datasets; and local and national governments
around the world publish their data as well. As part of the UKRI
commitment to easy access to data, its experts worked with Google to
help develop the Dataset Search,
launched on 6 September. Similar to how Google Scholar works, Dataset Search lets users find
datasets wherever they’re hosted, whether it’s a publisher's site, a
digital library, or an author's personal web page.
‘Lucky escape’ for cygnet who swallowed 7cm-long hook
- RSPCA The bird was rescued from a lake in Rotherham, on Wednesday last week
(29 August), with a 7cm-long fishing hook in his throat and fishing line
wrapped around his esophagus. He was taken to a local vet but was transferred to the RSPCA’s
Stapeley Grange wildlife centre in Nantwich, Cheshire, as his injuries
needed more specialist care.
Fortunately he is now recovering in the centre’s isolation unit and
it is hoped he will be released back into the wild soon. Cygnet in recovery (image: RSPCA) The cygnet isn’t the only bird to be at Stapeley Grange because of
fishing litter injuries – there are currently four other birds in
isolation who are also being treated there after getting tangled in
fishing line or swallowing hooks. The centre also has a number of birds
in its outdoor enclosures that are also recovering from fishing litter
injuries. Last year, the RSPCA rescued 678 animals from fishing litter, of
which 463 were wild birds.
WDC joins new project helping to prevent whale and dolphin entanglement
in fishing gear - Whale and Dolphin
Conservation WDC has joined up with other organisations to help with a new
research project looking into the problem of marine mammal entanglement
in fishing gear in Scottish waters, which has just been launched. The first of its kind in Europe, the Scottish
Entanglement Alliance (SEA) brings together fishing industry
representatives, researchers and conservation and welfare charities to
assess the scale and impact of the issue. By engaging directly with the fishing industry, SEA partners hope to
raise awareness of entanglements among fishermen and other marine users,
to better understand the extent of entanglements and to encourage better
reporting of these incidents.
Over the next 12 months, SEA project co-ordinator Ellie MacLennan,
will be visiting piers and harbours around the coast looking for as much
input from the fishing community as possible, with creel fishers being
asked to participate in short, informal and anonymous interviews.
Ellie said: “Marine animal entanglement in all types of fishing gear is
a global problem that poses a threat to marine life and fishers wherever
the two overlap. Here in Scotland, our inshore waters not only provide
world-class fishing grounds for creel and trawl fishers, but also
habitat for a diverse array of large marine animals including whales,
basking sharks and turtles.” Sarah Dolman from WDC said; “We are pleased to be a member of the
Scottish Entanglement Alliance and would encourage all fishermen to
report entanglement cases, historic and current, to British Divers
Marine Life Rescue or to Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme. We
want to work together to learn from and prevent entanglements from
happening.“
Study reveals impact of habitat fragmentation on migrant birds
- University of Stirling Experts at the University of Stirling have shed new light on the
impact of habitat fragmentation on migrant birds. Scientists used audio technology to analyse the behaviour of willow
warblers, after spring migration, in 23 woodland patches across Scotland
and England. While the patches were of a similar size, the landscapes in
which they were located had differing amounts of available habitat. Significantly, the
study found that migrant male willow warblers arrived earlier in
woodland patches when there was less habitat in the surrounding
landscape, within a 2km radius. The team also found that an individual’s decision to remain in a
patch after initial colonisation depended on patch quality, as measured
by vegetation characteristics. In particular, birds preferred to stay in
woodlands with a relatively open understorey, also known as undergrowth
“Habitat fragmentation and loss has changed how animals move through
landscapes and use the remaining habitat,” said lead researcher Dr Robin
Whytock. “Whether an animal colonises a fragmented habitat patch – for
example, a small woodland – depends on a variety of factors, including
the content of the surrounding landscape and the quality of the patch
itself. This study gives a valuable insight into how habitat
fragmentation affects the behaviour of even very mobile species, such as
migrant birds. Our results support prior research in aquatic study
systems that have looked at colonisation of artificial reefs and ponds –
and, as far as we know, this is the first time that the patterns
observed in our study have been observed over such large spatial scales
and with such a highly mobile species.” Forest Research and Natural England collaborated with Stirling on the
research,
Context-dependent colonisation of terrestrial habitat ‘islands’ by a
long-distance migrant bird, which is published in Proceedings of the
Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Peatland work kick-starts multi-million pound project
- Environment Agency A programme of peatland restoration has kick-started a £2.1million
natural flood management (NFM) project in the North East. Weardale residents are reaping the benefits of a project which has
kick-started a £2.1million natural flood management (NFM) project. A programme of peatland restoration over last winter on a Weardale
hillside will help reduce flooding further down the dale, as well as
encouraging carbon capture and improving the land for nature. The
North Pennines AONB Partnership worked with East Allenheads Estate to
restore extensive areas of bare peat on Wolfcleugh Common, above
Rookhope. It’s the first step for the Weardale Natural Flood
Management pilot project which will see the Environment Agency and its
partners investigate the potential for a much bigger initiative.
The ambition is to deliver natural features across 100km2 area to reduce
the risk of flooding to 141 properties and create a haven for wildlife
to thrive. Alistair Lockett, Field Officer at the North Pennines AONB
Partnership, said: "We have been working with Natural England and East
Allenheads Estate for the past three years and it is fantastic to see
the work completed. It will make a big difference to the valley, by
improving carbon storage and mitigating flooding downstream. We’re also
pleased that we have been able to support local contractors within the
North Pennines." The peatland restoration work at Rookhope includes installing coir
rolls and stone dams to slow down the flow of surface water over bare
peat. Steep sided erosion gullies have been reshaped to encourage
revegetation, and heather and mosses have been harvested and spread over
the bare peat. This helps protect it from further damage from wind,
rain, frost and ice and also creates an ideal environment for seeds to
germinate. There are a couple of videos as well, a film of the work capture the
pioneering Weardale project throughout and there is also an introductory
video about the whole project and what it aims to achieve. With
more video updates to follow.
National Trust responds to record visitor numbers with ambitious plans
to improve visitor experience - National
Trust The National Trust today (Fri 7/9) announced plans for an ambitious
programme of improvements to facilities such as car parks, cafes and
shops at sites – in response to record breaking visitor numbers.
Around £20m will be spent on average each year, over the next five
years, on expanding, improving and upgrading facilities as well as
tackling a backlog of repairs to farm buildings, homes and modernising
holiday cottages.
Scientific Publications Schrieber, K. , Schweiger, R. , Kröner, L. and Müller, C. (2018),
Inbreeding diminishes herbivore-induced metabolic responses in native
and invasive plant populations. J Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript.
. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13068 Lucie M. Bland, Kate E. Watermeyer, David A. Keith, Emily Nicholson,
Tracey J. Regan, Lynne J. Shannon,
Assessing risks to marine ecosystems with indicators, ecosystem models
and experts, Biological Conservation, Volume 227,2018, Pages 19-28,
ISSN 0006-3207, DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.08.019. Willoughby, J. R. and Christie, M. R. (2018),
Long-term demographic and genetic effects of releasing captive‐born
individuals into the wild. Conservation Biology. Accepted Author
Manuscript. . doi:10.1111/cobi.13217 Piotr Sikorski, Marzena Wińska-Krysiak, Jarosław Chormański, Kinga
Krauze, Katarzyna Kubacka, Daria Sikorska,
Low-maintenance green tram tracks as a socially acceptable solution to
greening a city, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, ISSN 1618-8667,
DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2018.08.017.
Hart A G, Carpenter W S, Hlustik-Smith E, Reed M, Goodenough A E. Testing the potential of Twitter mining methods for data acquisition: Evaluating novel opportunities for ecological research in multiple taxa. Methods Ecol Evol. 2018;00:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13063
Hill L, Hemery G, Hector A, Brown N.
Maintaining ecosystem properties after loss of ash in Great Britain.
J Appl Ecol. 2018;00:1–12.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13255
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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The National Bee Unit has confirmed a sighting of the Asian hornet in
the Fowey area of south Cornwall.
In
a collaborative effort BIAZA zoos including ZSL London Zoo, Bristol Zoo,
Chester Zoo, Marwell Wildlife and RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, and other
collections from around the world, have bred more than 10,000 Polynesian
tree snails for one of the world’s largest reintroduction initiatives.
Larger
species like greenfinches spent longer feeding than smaller birds such
as blue tits (image: University of Exeter)
With
a deposit return system on the way, come and help the Campaign to
Protect Rural England (CPRE) clean up the countryside and get money for
any bottles and cans you find.
Vets
at the centre put a camera down the cygnet’s throat and managed to
untangle the 7cm hook and 15cm-long line which had left deep and
infected wounds in the bird’s throat.
Porpoise
protection from bycatch is inadequate (image: © Nick Davison via WDC)
The
new study looked at the impact of habitat fragmentation on willow
warblers. (image: University of Stirling)
Visitors
at Dyrham Park (image: John Millar / National Trust)
