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Headlines from this week beginning 15 July 2019 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
People’s Postcode Lottery players help corn buntings
– RSPB New community project celebrates conservation success story RSPB Scotland has launched a new project as part of their long-term
work to help corn buntings. Thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the Postcode
Local Trust has awarded funding for a ‘Corn Buntings in the
Community’ project which aims to celebrate the corn bunting’s return
from the brink of local extinction and will create food, farming and
wildlife trails which RSPB Scotland believes might be the first of their
kind in Scotland. The wildlife conservation charity has been working with landowners
and farmers in Fife for several years to prevent the corn bunting from
disappearing in the region. Work has been focussed in the East Neuk area
as it is one of the remaining strongholds for the species in Scotland.
The others are Angus, NE Scotland and the Western Isles. The commitment of landowners and farmers to help corn buntings has
paid dividends as numbers of corn buntings have increased by 60% over
the past four years in Fife with birds recolonising areas where they
have not been recorded for decades. This increase is down to a collective effort from all partners
managing their land to support the species by ensuring the corn bunting
population has access to the Big Three: safe nesting sites late into the
season, availability of insects to feed their chicks and provision of
seed food especially during the winter months.
Scientists team up to study the spread and impacts of invasive pink
salmon – Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust AS it is anticipated that pink salmon will appear in UK rivers in
large numbers this year, ecologists across the UK are teaming up to
explore the presence of invasive pink salmon and their potential
impacts. This year-long preliminary study will use environmental DNA
techniques to detect and plot the distribution of this non-native
species and environmental tracers to explore their impact on our
riverine ecosystems. It comes after unprecedented numbers of pink salmon (also known as
humpback salmon) were encountered in UK rivers in 2017. Typically, pink salmon, which are native to the Pacific Ocean, have a
two-year life cycle. This means they are likely to re-appear in our
rivers in numbers this year. Some fish have already been caught in Ireland, Scotland and northeast
England, with more expected to arrive over the next two months. There are concerns that this invasive species could become
established in UK rivers. Anglers have been asked to report sightings of pink salmon, including
their spawning activity. The invading pink salmon spawn in August or
September, earlier in the year than Atlantic salmon. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and other project
partners, Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Science), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Marine Scotland
Science, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Environment Agency, ask
anglers to report any sightings of pink salmon. “For future management of this invasive species, it is important to
understand its distribution and the potential impact of pink salmon in
UK river ecosystems”, said Dr Rasmus Lauridsen, head of GWCT fisheries
research, and his partners Prof. Gordon Copp at Cefas and Dr Iwan Jones
at QMUL.
Most of the UK public are not getting their recommended daily ‘dose’ of
time in green space – Keep Britain Tidy New research by Keep Britain Tidy has found only 32% of the
population are getting their ‘20-minutes-a-day’ to give them
the two-hour-a-week minimum ‘dose’ of time, recently recommended by
researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School as the crucial
amount of time to spend in nature to help improve mental wellbeing. The extensive study of 2,000 adults found that 85% of people
experience a positive effect on their mental state after spending time
outside in a green space. Despite this, 8% of us have not visited a green space in the past
month and a further 7% can’t remember the last time they did, even
though more than half (53%) of us live within a mile of our local park. This news comes as a record number of parks and green spaces -
1,970 in total - are awarded a Green Flag, the international quality
mark for parks and green spaces. The Green Flag Award is a sign of a
well-managed, clean and safe park, as the same research reveals that
parks being clean and well managed is one of the most important
qualities people look for – as well as it being nearby to where they
live. More than three quarters (77%) of people say they would actively
avoid a park if it was poorly maintained or felt unsafe, showing the
importance of schemes such as the Green Flag Award to set
the quality standard. However, in Keep
Britain Tidy’s annual Love Parks Week celebration, (12- 21 July
2019) it is encouraging to see that the park came out at
number two (13%) when those taking part in the study were asked about
where they spend the most time outside, beaten to the top spot by
shopping (15%). Hopefully not for single use plastic packaged items.
The secretive smooth snake gets National Lottery lifeline
– Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (ARC) The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £412,000 to Amphibian
and Reptile Conservation (ARC) to help save the UK’s rarest reptile. The smooth snake is having a rough time. Its habitats are under
threat and its secretive behaviour means not enough is known to help the
species effectively. Using National Lottery funding, ARC and its partners will work with
hundreds of volunteers and citizen scientists to conserve habitats,
build a vital record of populations and find out what needs to be done
to secure the future of the species. The smooth snake is one of only three native snake species, the
others being the better-known adder and the grass snake. The RSPB’s 2016
State of Nature report warned that half of our native species have
declined, and some experts believe as many as 60% of the world’s reptile
species are threatened. The smooth snake was first identified in the UK in 1852 at Parley
Common in Dorset, a site now managed by ARC, but we still know so
little about the smooth snake that there are no records of their
numbers. There is no doubt that they are at risk however. Smooth snakes live
in southern England’s lowland heaths, predominately in Dorset, Hampshire
and Surrey with isolated populations in West Sussex and Devon. Since
1800, 85% of lowland heath habitats have disappeared and today remain at
risk from development pressures, scrub encroachment, accidental and
deliberate fires and erosion. ARC has launched its Snakes in the Heather project with support from
a number of other organisations including the RSPB, National Trust,
Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife and the Forestry Commission. All have
agreed to give access to their land for monitoring and surveys. Dr Tony Gent, ARC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We would like to
say a big ‘thank you’ to National Lottery players for helping us to
launch this exciting project. It is especially appropriate that we
are able to announce the project today on World
Snake Day.”
Our Future In The Land – RSA Food, Farming
and Countryside Commission The actions we take in the next ten years, to stop ecosystems
collapse, to recover and regenerate nature and to restore people’s
health and wellbeing are now critical. In this final report, the Food,
Farming and Countryside Commission sets out radical and practical ways
for policymakers, business and communities to respond to the challenges. The report makes fifteen recommendations in three areas: Healthy food is every body’s business
Farming is a force for change, unleashing a fourth
agricultural revolution driven by public values
A countryside that works for all, and rural communities are a
powerhouse for a fair and green economy
Download our future in the land report (pdf, 6.3mb)
Peatlands of Dartmoor could be crucial in fight against climate change
- University of Plymouth University researchers showed that areas with peat forming vegetation
are increasing in depth by up to 10mm each year The peatlands of Dartmoor could be an underestimated resource in the
fight against climate change as their ability to store carbon has not
diminished in almost 150 years, research shows. Scientists from the University of Plymouth investigated whether there
has been a reduction in the strength of carbon sinks in the moor’s
valley mires and blanket bogs. By taking a series of core samples they were able to analyse peat
age, bulk density and carbon content and calculate past rates of carbon
accumulation. The results show that both past and contemporary rates of CO2
sequestration were found to be at the maximum of those reported for
temperate peatlands. That, researchers say, suggests recent changes in climate appear to
have had minimal impact on the strength of peatland carbon sinks in
South West England. It suggests that recent bioclimatic envelope models may be
underestimating the potential future contribution that UK peatlands can
make to carbon sequestration under observed climatic trends. Read the full study: P.H. Lunt, R.M.
Fyfe and A.D. Tappin, Role
of recent climate change on carbon sequestration in peatland systems, is
published in Science of the Total Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.239.
Avian malaria behind drastic decline of London’s iconic sparrow?
– ZSL Study finds that 74% of London’s house sparrows carry avian malaria –
more than any other bird population in Northern Europe – and links the
intensity of individuals’ infections to sparrow decline. London’s house sparrows (Passer domesticus) have plummeted
by 71% since 1995, with new research suggesting avian malaria could be
to blame.
© Adrian Walls Researchers collected data between November 2006 and September 2009
at 11 sites across London. Each site was centred around a single
breeding colony and spaced at least four kilometres apart to ensure that
birds from different groups didn’t mix. The team estimated changes in
bird numbers by counting the mature males and took tiny blood and faecal
samples from sparrows, carefully caught and soon released, to monitor
infection rates and severity. Of the 11 colonies studied, seven were declining. On average 74% of
sparrows carried avian malaria – a strain that only affects birds - but
this differed between groups with some as high as 100%. However, it was
infection intensity (i.e. the number of parasites per bird) that varied
significantly and was higher on average in the declining colonies. Former ZSL Institute of Zoology researcher and lead author Dr Daria
Dadam, now of the BTO, said: “Parasite infections are known to cause
wildlife declines elsewhere and our study indicates that this may be
happening with the house sparrow in London. We tested for a number of
parasites, but only Plasmodium relictum, the parasite that causes avian
malaria, was associated with reducing bird numbers.”
The Emperor Returns - Norfolk Wildlife Trust Once extinct butterfly confirmed in Norfolk wood This is the first sighting in Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Foxley Wood
since the 1970s, following a handful of sightings over the last few
years in Sheringham Park. Foxley Wood was the breeding stronghold for purple emperors, before
large parts of the wood was converted to a conifer plantation in the
1960s. The felling of large oaks triggered the decline and disappearance
of the butterfly.
SNH launch General Licence consultation
- Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage has announced it will launch a 12-week
consultation about wild birds today. The consultation covers circumstances when wild birds can be controlled under General Licence. All wild birds are protected by law. But in some circumstances, SNH allows wild birds to be controlled – for example, to prevent serious damage to crops, protect public health, and ensure air safety when flocks of birds are liable to get in flight paths. Robbie Kernahan, SNH’s Head of Wildlife Management, said: “Our role
is to help wild birds thrive, but we must balance this with making sure
the public is safe from health and safety risks, as well as ensuring
that farmers can protect their crops. We have brought forward our
planned consultation in light of the ongoing legal challenges in
England. We want to ensure that our licences take into account the
implications of those challenges and remain clear, proportionate and
fit-for-purpose. The consultation, along with our ongoing work, will
provide us with valuable feedback - this will allow us to consider if we
need to make changes to the current set of licenses for 2020.” General Licences cover relatively common situations – such as
preventing agricultural damage and protecting public health and safety –
when there’s unlikely to be any conservation impact on a species. They
avoid the need for people to apply for individual licences for these
specific situations. General Licences must strike the appropriate
balance between species conservation and a range of other legitimate
interests.
Species on the move
- ZSL Social media posts help researchers to discover climate change is to
blame for displacement of 55 species in UK. A total of 55 animal species in the UK have been displaced from their
natural ranges or enabled to arrive for the first time on UK shores
because of climate change over the last 10 years (2008-2018) – as
revealed in a new study published today (18 July 2019) by ZSL
scientists. Making use of a previously overlooked source of data, the team turned
to social media to search for rare species sightings. The researchers
conducted searches both on Twitter and Google, attributing 10 out the 55
species identified to people posting images online of the animals in
unusual places. The study led by Dr Nathalie Pettorelli, published in the Journal of
Applied Ecology, explains that, due to regular sightings from
environmentalists, UK wildlife is one of the most intensively monitored
in the world, but there is very little centralised tracking of species
arriving for the first time in the country or moving to places outside
of their known UK range, due to climate change. The analysis also considered UK Government environment reports as
well as 111 scientific papers, leading to a total of 55 species (out of
39,029 species in the UK) being identified. The research focused solely
on species which have established sustainable populations through
natural, rather than human-assisted movement. Access the paper: N. Pettorelli, J.
Smith, G. Peel, J. K. Hill, K. Norris
Anticipating arrival: tacking the national challenges associated with
the redistribution of biodiversity driven by climate change. J Appl
Ecol. doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13465
Rare plant blooms on Cornish Urban Buzz site
- Buglife
Catchfly (c) Laura Larkin Last year, Buglife’s Urban Buzz project, funded by Biffa Award and
the Eden Project, worked with local councils and communities to create
new wildflower-rich habitats for pollinating insects across Falmouth,
Truro, Wadebridge and St Austell. As part of Urban Buzz, several new wildflower meadows were created in
each town, and they are just starting to flower for the first time. Upon
surveying the Falmouth meadows, Buglife volunteer Charlotte Rankin and
Kevin Thomas from Falmouth Nature discovered the rare and endangered
plant, Small-flowered Catchfly. Charlotte said “Discovering Small-flowered Catchfly
at two Urban Buzz sites in Falmouth was greatly exciting! This arable
plant is a rare sight to see both in Cornwall and nationally, so I
certainly wasn’t expecting to see it in an urban setting on my doorstep.
As its name suggests, it is a really small plant and easily overlooked,
so it was only when I knelt down to photograph a visiting pollinator
that I discovered it amongst the meadow’s annuals. When visiting the
other Urban Buzz meadows in Falmouth, I kept my eyes peeled and to my
delight, another was found! It’s amazing what species can be discovered
when they are given a chance".
Unsustainable fishing and hunting for bushmeat driving iconic species to
extinction – IUCN Red List Overfishing has pushed two families of rays to the brink of
extinction, while hunting for bushmeat and habitat loss have led to the
decline of seven primate species, according to the latest update of The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The update also reveals further evidence of the perilous state of
freshwater fishes globally. This is shown by high numbers of species
threatened by the loss of free flowing rivers, habitat degradation,
pollution and invasive species in Japan and Mexico. The IUCN Red List has broken through the 100,000 species barrier; it
now includes assessments for 105,732 species, of which 28,338 species
are threatened with extinction. “With more than 100,000 species now assessed for the IUCN Red List,
this update clearly shows how much humans around the world are
overexploiting wildlife,” said IUCN Acting Director General, Dr Grethel
Aguilar. “We must wake up to the fact that conserving nature’s diversity
is in our interest, and is absolutely fundamental to achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals. States, businesses and civil society must
urgently act to halt the overexploitation of nature, and must respect
and support local communities and Indigenous Peoples in strengthening
sustainable livelihoods.” “This Red List update confirms the findings of the recent IPBES
Global Biodiversity Assessment: nature is declining at rates
unprecedented in human history,” said Jane Smart, Global Director of the
IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group. “Both national and international
trade are driving the decline of species in the oceans, in freshwater
and on land. Decisive action is needed at scale to halt this decline;
the timing of this assessment is critical as governments are starting to
negotiate a new global biodiversity framework for such action.” Invasive alien species: management measures for widely spread species in England and Wales - Defra Open consultation Seeking views on proposed management measures for invasive alien
species (also known as invasive non-native species) which are widely
spread in England and Wales. Consultation description There are 14 species identified as being widely spread in England and
Wales and requiring management.
Spot a once in a decade butterfly phenomenon
- Butterfly Conservation Chris Packham is urging wildlife lovers to take part in the world’s
largest insect citizen science survey to help reveal if the UK is
experiencing a once in a decade butterfly phenomenon. Unusually high
numbers of Painted Lady butterflies have been reported across Europe
over the spring and early summer with large numbers now spotted crossing
over into the UK. The butterfly is a common immigrant that migrates in varying numbers
from the Continent to the UK each summer, where its caterpillars feed on
thistles. But around once every 10 years the UK experiences a Painted
Lady ‘summer’ when millions of the butterflies arrive en masse.
Butterfly Conservation Vice-president and wildlife broadcaster Chris
Packham is calling on nature lovers to take part in the Big Butterfly
Count over the next three weeks to help reveal if we are experiencing a
Painted Lady year. The last mass immigration took place in 2009 when around 11 million
Painted Ladies descended widely across the UK. Chris said: “The Painted Lady migration is one of the wonders of the
natural world. Travelling up to 1km in the sky and at speeds of up to 30
miles per hour these seemingly fragile creatures migrate hundreds of
miles to reach our shores each year. The Big Butterfly Count,
celebrating its 10th birthday this year, is the world’s largest
butterfly survey. Participants are encouraged to spot and record 17
species of common butterfly, including the Painted Lady, and two
day-flying moths in the UK during three weeks of high summer. Last year more than 100,000 people counted over one million
butterflies in total during the Count.
Alleged illegal tree felling investigation report: Sheffield’s Streets
Ahead programme - Forestry England decision An investigation report by the Forestry Commission into alleged
illegal felling of street trees by Sheffield City Council Having reviewed the evidence, the Forestry Commission has concluded
that, on balance, there is insufficient evidence to say that an offence
of felling without a felling licence has been committed by Sheffield
City Council (SCC) and its contractor, Amey. However, the Forestry
Commission has identified a number of lessons to be learnt regarding the
Streets Ahead programme, which it urges SCC and other local authorities
to note and reflect in future operations. The Forestry Commission has also published an
operations note on highway tree management to provide an updated
good practice guide for highway tree management.
Countryside access – who is your winner? -
Open Country Yorkshire charity Open Country is urging people to nominate
countryside sites and attractions across the county going the extra mile
to improve access for disabled people. Open Country’s Good Access Scheme award recognises the best
countryside ‘access for all’ projects across Yorkshire. Outdoor sites
can be nominated by the disabled people who use them or by the staff or
volunteers who manage them. Previous winners have included a number of
nature reserves as well as landowners such as Yorkshire Water who are
working creatively to unlock the countryside for people of all
abilities. Launched in 2015, the Good Access Scheme awards are
judged annually by Open Country’s Advisory Group, made up of disabled
members alongside volunteers and Trustees of the charity. Chief Officer of Open Country, David Shaftoe, says: “Whether it’s a
scheme to improve pathways or innovative projects for people with a
sensory impairment, we’d love to hear about countryside sites going the
extra mile to welcome disabled people. On your trips into the Yorkshire
countryside this year keep in mind our award scheme and if you have an
idea for a worthy winner, please do let us know." Anyone who would like to make a nomination for this prestigious award
should contact Open Country by email at
info@opencountry.org.uk by
the end of October outlining the ways in which the outdoor site or
project has enhanced their disabled access. For more information visit
www.opencountry.org.uk or
call 01423 507227. Scientific Publications Zhao, Q, Arnold, TW, Devries, JH, Howerter, DW, Clark, RG, Weegman, MD. Land-use change increases climatic vulnerability of migratory birds: Insights from integrated population modelling. J Anim Ecol. 2019; 00: 1– 13. doi:.1111/1365-2656.13043 Balestrieri, A. , Remonti, L. , Saino, N. and Raubenheimer, D.
(2019),
The ‘omnivorous badger dilemma’: towards an integration of nutrition
with the dietary niche in wild mammals. Mam Rev.
doi:10.1111/mam.12164 Alaniz, AJ, Perez-Quezada, JF, Galleguillos, M, Vásquez, AE, Keith,
DA.
Operationalizing the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems in public policy.
Conservation Letters. 2019;e12665. doi: 10.1111/conl.12665 Open Access John Calladine, David Jarrett & Mark Wilson Breeding bird assemblages supported by developing upland shrub woodland are influenced by microclimate and habitat structure, Bird Study, DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2019.1635986 Bartlett, LJ, Rozins, C, Brosi, BJ, et al. Industrial
bees: The impact of apicultural intensification on local disease
prevalence. J Appl Ecol. 2019; 00: 1– 11.
doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13461 John W.Redhead, Marek Nowakowski, Lucy E.Ridding, Markus Wagner,
Richard F.Pywell
The effectiveness of herbicides for management of tor-grass (Brachypodium
pinnatum s.l.) in calcareous grassland Biological Conservation
doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.009
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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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Once
ubiquitous across the capital city, the sudden, and unexplained decline
of the iconic birds led a team from ZSL, the RSPB, the British Trust for
Ornithology (BTO) and the University of Liverpool to investigate if
parasite infections were involved.-Laura-Larkin-B.JPG)
Nature
conservationists are surprised and excited by the unexpected appearance
of a rare plant in parks in Falmouth and St Austell. The
Small-flowered catchfly is an endangered plant in the UK, and to find it
in a park is very unusual.
Painted
Lady (image: Bob Eade, Butterfly Conservation)
