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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Banned toxins passed from mother to young in European dolphins
– University of St Andrews Dolphins in the northern Adriatic contain high levels of PCBs –
highly toxic chemicals banned in the 1970s and 1980s – and are passing
the pollutant to their young, according to new research led by a marine
scientist at the University of St Andrews.
Image
courtesy of Tilen Genov; infographic courtesy of Genov et al, Morigenos
– Slovenian Marine Mammal Society (Slovenia) An international team of researchers evaluated PCB and other
organochlorine contaminants in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus) living in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea),
the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea and one of the most
human-impacted areas in the Mediterranean. They found that, overall, 87.5% of dolphins had PCB concentrations
above the toxicity threshold for the onset of physiological effects in
marine mammals, while 65.6% had concentrations above the highest
threshold published for marine mammals based on reproductive impairment
in seals. Such high contaminant levels are of concern, particularly in
combination with other threats to dolphins, including bycatch in
fisheries, disturbance by boat traffic, and prey depletion. The research, published in the journal Science of the Total
Environment, involved Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society
(Slovenia), the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews
(UK), the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology (UK), the
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS, UK)
and the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Italian National Research
Council (Italy).
Trees can help mitigate farm ammonia emissions
– Forest Research A new calculator and planting guidance have been developed to help
farmers decide which trees to plant, and in what formation, to mitigate
the impact of ammonia emissions from animal housing and grazing areas. The free, online tool and guidance are the result of a collaboration
between Forest Research scientists and the Natural Environment Research
Council’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), funded by the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Image:
Forest Research Agriculture is the main source of ammonia emissions in the UK, and
animal housing units are responsible for around a quarter of the total
ammonia produced by the industry. Effects of ammonia Locally, ammonia emissions can lead to excess nitrogen levels in
sensitive habitats, which can in turn lead to a decline in the diversity
of lichens, mosses and flora. It can also lead to acidification of soils, create an unpleasant
odour and combine with other pollutants to produce fine particulate
matter pollution, which is harmful to human health. Benefits of the new tool The calculator is designed so farmers, regulators and planning
authorities can maximise the benefits of planting tree shelterbelts for
ammonia recapture. It provides an estimate of the percentage of ammonia
that will be recaptured by the various planting options over different
timespans.
Public urged to have their say on National Parks and AONBs
– Defra The public have days left to have their say on what the future of
England’s cherished designated landscapes will look like.
In
October, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and writer Julian Glover
invited the public to respond to a Call for Evidence, which forms part
of the government’s Designated Landscapes Review. Credit: Lake District National Park The Call for Evidence, ending on December 18, gives businesses,
visitors, residents and community groups invested in our National Parks
and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) the opportunity to make
their voices heard. The public can input on whether England’s 10 National Parks and 34
AONBs meet the nation’s needs, and whether there is scope for the
current network to expand. The Call for Evidence also focuses on whether housing and transport
in protected landscapes could be improved, the role they play in our
cultural heritage, and how these iconic areas can boost habitats for
wildlife. The responses will form part of the ongoing review into protected
landscapes – led by Julian Glover – which is ensuring our National Parks
and AONBs can be fit for the 21st century. Lead Reviewer Julian Glover said: “This is a fantastic opportunity
for the public to help shape the very lay of the land when it comes to
the future of our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. By sharing your thoughts on what is and isn’t working in these
cherished landscapes you are ensuring that they can be best enjoyed by
us, and by generations to come.”
'Huge opportunity to change the future of our country' says Euan Hall as
Land Trust publishes 2017-18 annual review -
The Land Trust Land Trust Chief Executive, Euan Hall, says there is ‘a huge
opportunity to change the future of our country’ as the national land
management charity publishes its 2017-18 annual review. As the Land Trust looks back on a year which has seen 1.3 million
people spend time on their green spaces spaces, 40,000 volunteer hours
completed and 13,200 individuals taking part in educational and training
activities, the Trust is now turning its attention to areas such as
public health, economy and the environment. The review is available to read online
here. Writing in the review, the organisation’s chief executive, Euan Hall,
says: “As the 15th anniversary of the Land Trust rapidly approaches it
is incredible to see how far we have come and how many people’s lives we
are positively affecting. We are an organisation with big ambitions and
we recognise that we now have an opportunity to help tackle some of the
biggest issues currently being faced by our country. It has been well
documented that the NHS is struggling financially, crippled under the
growing weight of preventable, long term and non-communicable diseases,
caused in part by inactivity. In 2019 and beyond the Trust is committed
to working with our communities to help them take more responsibility
for their own health, thereby relieving the NHS of unaffordable
expenditure.”
Reports confirm importance of Orkney’s seas to waterbirds
- Scottish Natural Heritage The importance of Orkney’s seas for wintering waterbirds, including
ducks, divers, grebes and shags, is highlighted by Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH) surveys published today.
The
surveys covered the Scapa Flow proposed Special Protection Area (pSPA)
and the North Orkney pSPA. The population estimates for the species
surveyed were the highest yet recorded, totalling over 11,460 birds in
North Orkney and 9,680 birds in Scapa Flow. Reports confirm importance of Orkney’s seas to waterbirds: Eiders The surveys confirm the international importance of these waters to
wintering waterbirds indicated by previous surveys, dating back as far
as the 1970s. In fact, the work found that Orkney holds more than 40% of
great northern divers, Slavonian grebes and long-tailed ducks wintering
in Great Britain. Sally Thomas, SNH’s Director of People & Nature, said:
Scientists identify 66 alien species that pose the greatest threat to
European biodiversity - Centre for Ecology
and Hydrology Scientists have identified 66 alien plant and animal species, not yet
established in the European Union, that pose the greatest potential
threat to biodiversity and ecosystems in the region. The research, led by Professor Helen Roy of the UK’s Centre for
Ecology & Hydrology and involving 43 people from across Europe and
funded by the European Commission, is due to be published on 13 December
in the journal Global Change Biology. Species considered included plants, terrestrial invertebrates, marine
species, freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates. The research provides a basis for full risk assessments that can
comprehensively evaluate the threat posed by these species to EU
biodiversity. Professor Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said:
“Preventing the arrival of invasive alien species is the most effective
way of managing invasions. Predicting which species are likely to arrive
and survive in new regions involves considering many interacting
ecological and socio-economic factors including climate but also
patterns of trade. Read the paper: H.E.Roy, S. Bacher et
al. (2018).
Developing a list of invasive alien species likely to threaten
biodiversity and ecosystems in the European Union. Global Change
Biology. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14527 (open access
Survey reveals record number of UK’s tallest bird
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust 2018 has been the most successful year for Britain’s tallest bird –
the Eurasian crane – since the 17th Century, according to figures
released today.
The success is the result of a near decade-long conservation plan to
bring back the species – the Great Crane Project. This involved creating
new wetland habitat, better managing existing wetlands, and hand-rearing
birds to release into the wild to kick start the British population
again. Baz Hughes, WWT’s Head of Conservation Action said: “As part of the
Great Crane Project, we reared 93 young cranes in purpose-built
facilities at WWT Slimbridge and released them at the Somerset Levels
and Moors over five years. The cranes adapted to life in the wild more
successfully that anyone predicted and by the end of 2018, we have had
nearly 60 nesting attempts events from which 18 chicks have successfully
fledged, effectively doubling the UK population.”
Tree TLC on the radar for iconic Grantham Oak
- Woodland Trust One of Grantham’s iconic trees is getting some Tree-LC to keep it
safe for future generations. The Woodland Trust and South Kesteven District Council are working
together to install a protection zone around the Grantham Oak on Belton
Lane after concerns were raised about vehicles parking too close and
damaging its roots. As part of that work Peter Barton, one of only four expert root radar
surveyors in the country, has been mapping the spread of the tree’s
roots.
Denise
Tegerdine and Joseph Coles from our street trees team are shown the
radar survey by expert Peter Barton, watched by South Kesteven District
Council's senior enforcement officer for planning, Jonathan Short, and
housing officer Robin Atter. (Photo: Patrick Astill) Last year a utility company parked vans and stored equipment against
the tree, resulting in concerned residents contacting the Trust. The
charity got in touch with the council, who sent a tree officer to
inspect the site and ordered the company to remove its equipment. Joseph Coles, who leads on the Trust’s Street Trees project, said:
Grouse moor regulation vital to end illegal killing of Scotland’s
raptors - RSPB A new RSPB Scotland report published today has further reinforced the
need for grouse moor regulation to be introduced in order to bring to an
end to the widespread persecution of raptors in Scotland. The Illegal
Killing of Birds of Prey in Scotland 2015-17 details the clear
associations between the decline or absence of these birds in parts of
Scotland’s uplands, intensive grouse moor management and wildlife crime. The report brings together evidence from police investigations,
scientific research and eye-witness accounts and shows that the vast
majority of these raptor persecution incidents are occurring in areas of
Scotland’s uplands managed for intensive driven grouse shooting.
Poisoned
Buzzard (image: RSPB) During the three-year period covered, there were 38 confirmed,
detected incidents of illegal killing of protected birds of prey,
including shooting, trapping, illegal poisoning and nest destruction.
However, the evidence makes clear that the crimes being recorded are a
fraction of what is actually taking place, despite claims by some in the
grouse moor industry that raptor persecution is falling. Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s Head of Investigations said: “Scotland’s
birds of prey are for many a source of national pride, but there are
some who are persistently intent on doing them harm, in flagrant
disregard of the law and the public interest. There is clear and
repeated evidence that this criminal activity is largely taking place on
Scotland’s grouse moors, but the grouse industry has not addressed this
long-standing and endemic problem; instead we are seeing increasing
signs of a culture where some grouse moor managers feel, and act, as if
they are untouchable. We believe that the majority of the Scottish
public have had enough; repeated warnings from Government have not been
heeded, and the time must be right for tougher action”. The report can be downloaded
here.
Reaction: Our Director of Conservation Susan Davies explains why a new report
on crimes against birds of prey highlights the need for targeted action
including a new system of licensing for moorland management.
Response:
Statement on RSPB call for grouse moor licensing regime
- Scottish Land and Estates David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “The
Scottish Wildlife Crime Report published annually by the Scottish
Government has reported a significant decline in raptor persecution." He
continued: “There is an independent review of grouse shooting ongoing
and that should be allowed to take its course. We do not believe that a
licensing system is the most effective away forward and such a scheme
could put rural livelihoods at risk without achieving what it is
intended to do.”
New project could help young people make lifelong connection to nature
- North York Moors National Park The North York Moors National Park Authority has been given initial
National Lottery support* for a grant to help encourage families and
young people to learn more about nature. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
grant, made possible by National Lottery players, would allow the Park
to double its current outreach provision, reaching more than 300
additional children over the duration of the project. The North York Moors Explorer Club provides families with the
opportunity to learn more about the special habitats of the North York
Moors, whilst undertaking practical conservation work to protect and
enhance them. The Club has been so successful that a waiting list has
been introduced. For older children and teenagers there’s the Young
Ranger initiative, which combines practical volunteering tasks (such as
clearing vegetation and path repair) with fun activities and learning.
Again, the popularity of the group means it now needs to expand, so the
National Park Authority is delighted to have been given the green light
from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to further develop its Education
programme. Heather McNiff, Head of Education and Youth Engagement at the
National Park, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this initial development grant
of £13,300 from the HLF will allow us to reach out to schools and
community groups who might benefit from our youth engagement work, so
this is really excellent news. We’ll also be providing additional
training to staff and gathering further evidence of just how much
difference these groups make to families living in North Yorkshire and
Teesside.”
Spotted ray given second chance at Kimmeridge Bay
- Dorset Wildlife Trust When we found a Spotted ray egg case at Kimmeridge recently we
weren’t at all surprised… until we took a closer look. It seemed
really fresh and in good condition and upon examination we couldn’t find
any openings; it was still sealed, which meant the embryo must still be
inside. Further inspection revealed a slight movement, so not only
was the embryo still inside, it was still alive! To return the egg
case to the sea at this point wouldn’t have helped as it was floating
due to a small amount of air inside and would have only washed on again
on the next tide. The decision was made to take the egg case back
to the Wild Seas Centre where it could be placed in a tank to continue
its development and hopefully hatch into a healthy juvenile Spotted
ray. A bit of research on the species discovered that Spotted rays
typically lay their eggs between April and July in shallow waters around
our coastline and the embryos take around 5 to 6 months to develop (Read
more here). Without knowing exactly when the egg case was laid, we
weren’t sure when it was likely to hatch. It’s been amazing to
watch the embryo developing inside the eggcase. We’ve seen its
tail wriggling to pump oxygenated sea water through the egg case (watch
this here) and by the end of October we could also see that its body
was nearly filling entire the egg case so knew it must be close to
hatching! Two months after discovering the stranded eggcase, the wait was
finally over and the ray hatched on 23rd November. Measuring in at
12cm long (including the tail) and 7cm across its wings this miniature
ray was already an expert at camouflage and with a little flutter of the
wings it would disappear into the sand of its tank. When the weather
conditions settled, the ray was released back into the sea at a
sheltered site known to be a ray nursery area and we captured the moment
the ray swam to freedom after being given a second chance.
See the video here. Scientific Publications Eric Harvey, Isabelle Gounand, Emanuel A. Fronhofer and Florian
Altermatt.
Disturbance reverses classic biodiversity predictions in river-like
landscapes Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
DOI:1098/rspb.2018.2441 (open access) Zorrozua, N. , Aldalur, A. , Herrero, A. , Diaz, B. , Delgado, S. ,
Sanpera, C. , Jover, L. and Arizaga, J. (2018),
Breeding Yellow‐legged Gulls increase consumption of terrestrial prey
after landfill closure. Ibis. Accepted Author Manuscript.
doi:10.1111/ibi.12701
Rush, G. P., Clarke, L. E., Stone, M. & Wood, M. J. (2018)
Can
drones count gulls? Minimal disturbance and semiautomated image
processing with an unmanned aerial vehicle for colony-nesting seabirds.
Ecology & Evolution DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4495 (open access)
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