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Headlines from this week beginning 25 May 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Trust adds backing to beavers - National
Trust for Scotland Conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland is the latest
environmental organisation to say it supports the reintroduction of the
beaver. The Trust publishes its policy statement this week setting out its
position. This comes in advance of Scottish Natural Heritage submitting
their report on the reintroduction of the beaver to the Scottish
Government. The charity says that the reintroduction of the
Eurasian Beaver to Scotland will see a key element of native fauna
restored to its natural ecosystem and supports the conservation of
existing beaver populations in Scotland. Nature Adviser Mr Lindsay Mackinlay said: “Beavers are a native
species to Scotland and having carefully weighed up the pros and cons,
the Trust believes that they should be resident here. We would like to
see the existing beavers in Argyll and Tayside managed to permit their
natural expansion from these core areas and hope that other licensed
reintroductions in appropriate areas will augment the existing
populations.” Scotland is one of the few countries in Europe which does not have a
wild beaver population and many nations, including the Netherlands, have
reintroduced them in recent years. Lindsay explains: “People might think that the beaver disappeared from Scotland a long time ago and that it therefore no longer has a place here. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In wildlife terms, the beaver only just vanished from our countryside a few moments ago and the habitat we have now is much better than it was when it was a common species. The beaver is a crucial element in our countryside which plays an important role in the conservation of other wildlife. Conservationists call it a keystone species because its presence has such a major impact on the natural environment and its wildlife. Scotland is currently much the poorer without it.” Read the Trust's
policy statement
Project to save Scotland's red squirrels given a boost by RSPB Scotland
RSPB Scotland has joined the fight to save the red squirrel from
extinction by entering the pioneering Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels
project. The wildlife conservation charity has joined forces with
five other charitable, government and landowning bodies in a bid to
secure the future of the iconic woodland mammal. Since 1952, 95% of red squirrels in England and Wales have been wiped
out, and today 75% of the UK’s remaining population is found in
Scotland. However, greys still threaten the existence of the native reds
because they compete for food and habitat, and transmit the deadly
squirrelpox virus. The project aims to continue to prevent the spread northwards of grey
squirrels and squirrelpox via a programme of grey squirrel control in a
zone running coast to coast along the Highland Boundary Fault. It will
also define and map priority areas for red squirrel conservation in
south Scotland, and co-ordinate the delivery of the grey squirrel
control required to sustain healthy red squirrel populations. Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land
Reform, said: “Scotland has adopted a pioneering approach to protecting
our red squirrel population, which involves a number of organisations
working together. The numbers of red squirrels in Scotland are
increasing and are now returning to their former habitats. I am also
delighted that RSPB Scotland are now involved in Saving Scotland’s Red
Squirrels, who will bring a wealth of knowledge to the project, which
will benefit red squirrel conservation in Scotland.” Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “We are in the
privileged position of owning and managing more than 80 nature reserves
across Scotland, and we already possess a huge responsibility for
delivering on the conservation of our native red squirrels. We have been
very impressed with the work of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels
project, as it represents what we believe is the very best chance of
preventing the extinction of this species on the British mainland. We
are really pleased not only to be joining forces with the member
organisations to help contribute to this important work, but also to
commit hard-won charitable funds to this excellent project. We are
looking forward to a very productive and constructive partnership.” Project Manager for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, Mel Tonkin,
said: “Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has already been successful in
beginning to reverse the downward trend for red squirrels in Scotland,
but our work will need to continue for many years to really secure the
future of the species. We are therefore delighted with this new
partnership with RSPB Scotland. The RSPB has plenty of experience in the
challenges of long-term species conservation and brings with it the
opportunity to get a lot more people engaged in red squirrel
conservation.” CPRE argues national data and mapping are needed to protect most
tranquil parts of England New research from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE),
published today (26/5/15), shows that better data collection and a new
indicator of tranquillity are needed to increase protection for
England’s most peaceful areas. In surveying a range of authorities, from National Parks to borough
councils, CPRE’s Give peace a chance report shows that 90 per cent of
authorities would like better guidance and new data to develop
tranquillity policies. More than 90 per cent of respondents support the
case for new national tranquillity maps, which CPRE believes could
greatly help local authorities when new infrastructure projects are
planned. Numerous studies show that immersion in nature is good for health and
wellbeing. Tranquillity is therefore a vital resource for people to
relieve stress and recharge their batteries. Yet, in 2007, CPRE’s
‘intrusion’ mapping showed that such areas are getting rarer: the
tranquillity of England is being increasingly fragmented by urban
development and new infrastructure. CPRE’s report finds that some planning authorities have successfully
developed policies to protect tranquillity since 2012, when the
Government’s flagship planning reform, the National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF), encouraged them to do so. Yet the report indicates
that few authorities outside of those set up to manage protected areas
like National Parks have implemented policies protecting tranquillity –
and 75 per cent of authorities without a current policy do not plan to
introduce one. Following recent speeches from senior Conservatives advocating the
importance of sensitive infrastructure design, and related manifesto
commitments, CPRE is calling for Government to invest in planning
guidance, an agreed definition of tranquillity, and a new “indicator” of
tranquillity - including maps and supporting data. Alongside investment from Government, CPRE would like to see
infrastructure providers and regulators set up design panels, as
demonstrated by HS2 and Highways England. The panels would develop good
design principles aimed at mitigating the impacts of new infrastructure
on rural tranquillity through methods such as putting power lines
underground, tunnelling and tree planting. To help people find their nearest tranquil spaces, and to see the
most disrupted areas, CPRE is also now releasing its 2007 tranquillity
maps in an interactive format. These maps are the best resource for
councils to identify tranquillity in their area - yet date back nearly a
decade. This highlights the urgent need for a new Government-backed
indicator with data to support it.
Access the report here (Info & PDF download link) And look at the 2007 Tranquillity Map here.
Mosaic Wales project draws to a close and starts a new chapter More than 2,200 people from black and minority ethnic (BME)
communities have been brought to Welsh National Parks for the first time
thanks to the three year Mosaic project run by the Campaign for National
Parks.
Call for help to combat spread of tree disease – Forestry Commission
Scotland Forestry Commission Scotland has urged members of the public to join
owners and managers of woodland in helping to combat a tree disease
hitting larch in the west and north of Scotland. Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum) is a fungus-like disease that
affects more than 150 plant species, including Rhododendron ponticum and
viburnum, but which is especially destructive on larch trees. Having badly affected larch in South West Scotland, the disease is
also affecting larch in West Argyll, Lochaber and Cowal & Trossachs. The Commission is asking that anyone visiting or working in larch
woodland to first of all ‘arrive clean’ and to also keep their eyes open
for tell-tale symptoms of the disease. Gordon Donaldson, for the Commission’s team in Cowal & Trossachs,
said; “This disease has been making itself felt in the north and west -
and although these areas haven’t been as badly hit as Galloway, the
impact is, none the less, highly damaging. It can kill infected larch
trees very quickly. Its impact is most obvious in amenity areas, but
larch timber has commercial uses and the disease can therefore also have
a harmful economic impact. Within a season, it can destroy decades of
effort from foresters and that’s heartbreaking. The only way of tackling
it is to reduce its rate of spread and this is best done by observing
good biosecurity – cleaning mud off boots, tyres and pets before going
to visit woodland – because dirt can carry these diseases from one place
to another. We can also reduce the rate of spread by felling diseased
trees as soon as possible to prevent the release of spores high up in
the canopy as these can then be carried to other woodlands in the air
and water. Unfortunately, these are the only practical ways of dealing
with this disease and the more quickly that infected trees are felled
the better our chances of keeping other forests healthier for longer.
That’s why we’re asking that people keep their eyes open and report - as
quickly as possible - any larch trees that look unhealthy this summer.” Anyone spotting larch trees that they think might be infected should
report their findings via the
Tree Alert facility
on the Forestry Commission website.
£750,000 cash boost for farmers and wildlife in Somerset – Somerset
Wildlife Trust Lord Fellowes of West Stafford, President of The Royal Bath & West of
England Society, will today (27 May) formally launch an exciting
£750,000 project, funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to
help farmers in Somerset to farm in a way that reduces flood risk while
enhancing wildlife and producing high quality food. The launch takes
place at the Royal Bath and West Show. The project, called "Hills to Levels" is a partnership between The
Royal Bath & West of England Society, Somerset Wildlife Trust, RSPB and
the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West (FWAG SW). The project will work in four key areas:
Edwin White of The Royal Bath & West of England Society said; "The
Levels and Moors are a special place, and all of us who are passionate
about its future want to see it farmed productively and safe from the
worst excesses of flooding while maintaining its internationally
important wildlife. We firmly believe this is possible, and through the
kindness of players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, we know we can
make huge strides towards securing a bright future for this unique
landscape, its people and wildlife."
Shooting industry’s representative resigns from the Lead Ammunition
Group over ‘abuses of process' – Countryside Alliance The Executive Chairman of the Countryside Alliance, Sir Barney
White-Spunner, has resigned from the Lead Ammunition Group (LAG) in
protest at “abuses of process and evidence that render the group’s work
so flawed it can never reach any scientific conclusions”. The LAG was set up under the Labour Government in 2010 at the behest
of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the RSPB, on the back of
scientific evidence from America, to advise Defra on any risks to
wildlife, human health and livestock from the use of lead ammunition,
and how to mitigate them. It has not yet produced a report. Sir Barney
White-Spunner, Executive Chairman of the Countryside Alliance has served
on the LAG since 2013 and represents the shooting community on the
group. Sir Barney said: “The Chairman circulated a draft Lead Ammunition
Group Report in April in which the majority of the group had no part in
drafting. That document is very far from a reflection of the LAG’s
discussions and draws incorrect conclusions from that evidence which the
LAG has agreed. More seriously, many of those conclusions are based on
evidence that the LAG has simply not agreed and were presented to the
rest of the group as a fait accompli. I have submitted 172 detailed
comments of evidence and process on the Chairman’s draft report and I
cannot continue to serve as the representative of the shooting community
on the LAG due to my profound disagreement with the way process has been
conducted. However, neither I nor the Countryside Alliance will be
walking away from this issue. Given the failure of the LAG process we
will be consulting with the shooting community, other representative
shooting groups and public bodies as to the best way to proceed.” Reactions to Wednesday's Queen's Speech
Queen’s Speech Must Deliver Certainty and Confidence to Invest for Rural
Businesses – CLA
Our Chief Executive responds to the Queen’s Speech – Woodland Trust
Govt to give communities powers over wind farms - but not fracking –
Friends of the Earth
Ramblers reaction the Queen's Speech
Lack of active travel in Queen's Speech a disappointment - Sustrans
MSPs urged to end horticultural peat extraction
- Scottish Wildlife Trust The Trust is urging MSPs to send a message to the Scottish Government
that the damaging practice of horticultural peat extraction should end. The issue will be debated in Holyrood later today (28/5/15), after a
motion raised by the Rural Affairs and Climate Change Committee
Convenor, Rob Gibson MSP, received cross-party support. Peat bogs are increasingly being recognised for the ecosystem
services they provide - such as water filtration, flood mitigation and
carbon capture - and are much more valuable to society than their use
after being dug up. Commercial peat extraction is damaging and destroying some of
Scotland’s valuable raised bogs with applications for commercial peat
extraction continuing in the planning system. The Scottish Wildlife
Trust has recently objected to commercial peat extraction applications
for Springfield Moss in Midlothian and Mossmorran in Fife.
Unfortunately, the Springfield Moss application was granted, permitting
a further 25 years of peat extraction for horticulture. This will
involve removal of up to 3.5 metres of peat – which is likely to have
begun forming during the Bronze Age, 3500 years ago. Peat-free composts are commercially available and numerous
high-profile gardeners have moved to completely peat-free methods of
gardening, showing that peat usage is not essential for successful
horticulture.
People power to help tackle tree disease -
Forestry Commission New tree health ‘early warning system’ established Citizen science and new technology are being combined in the fight
against tree disease as part of Observatree, a new project launched this
spring aiming to help protect the UK’s trees, woods and forests from
harmful pests and diseases – existing or new. Over the past 12 months more than 200 volunteers across the UK have
been trained as part of the collaboration between Forest Research, the
Forestry Commission, Defra and Natural Resources Wales, FERA, APHA, the
National Trust and the Woodland Trust, funded by the EU’s Life
programme. The volunteers will, amongst other tasks, verify cases of tree
disease recorded via the Forestry Commission’s Tree Alert, an online
reporting tool which allows anyone to report trees showing signs of
ill-health. Reporting through Tree Alert is the fastest way to get tree health
concerns to scientists. Tree health officers and forestry professionals
are especially being encouraged to use Tree Alert to report possible
sightings of pests and diseases at an early stage. Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence, said: By focusing on pests and diseases which are of highest concern, the
volunteers will support Government agencies such as Forest Research,
enabling them to take appropriate action at locations of significance
identified by the volunteers and Tree health officers as quickly as
possible. Dr Joan Webber, Principal Pathologist at Forest Research, added: For further information about the project visit
www.observatree.org.uk
Who ate
the grain? It is now widely recognised that game and other struggling farmland
birds have a better chance of survival when over-winter supplementary
grain is provided to sustain them over the leanest times of the year.
But until now there has been no systematic research on how much of this
costly, but life-saving food is wasted on rats and other undesirable
pests. For the first time, a new study, carried out by researchers from the
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and published in the Journal
of Wildlife Management, has identified how much food is consumed by
desirable and non-desirable species as well as finding clever ways of
reducing this problem.
Shockingly, the study revealed that more than 67 per cent of the food
provided was consumed by pest species, particularly rats, pigeons and
corvids – all of which are rapidly increasing in number in the UK. This two-year study, carried out by Dr Carlos Sanchez-Garcia and
supervised by Dr Francis Buner from the GWCT, involved putting camera
traps on nearly 260 game feeders containing wheat grain on three lowland
farms in Southern England in Oxford and Hampshire during the winters of
2012 and 2013. Over this period more than 160,000 photographs showing
the various visitors to the feeders were taken and analysed as part of
the study. Carlos Sanchez-Garcia, explains the significance of this study, “Our
previous research has shown how much gamebirds and declining farmland
bird species benefit from this important activity and how it improves
their breeding performance later in the year. However, over-winter
feeding is both time-consuming and costly, and without mitigation
measures being applied to control unwelcome visitors, more than half of
the food may be consumed by non-target species.” As part of the study, the researchers wanted to identify whether
location made a difference to the amount of food consumed by non-target
species, whilst not deterring game and songbirds. In the trial, feeders
along hedgerow cover were attractive to all species except corvids who
preferred more open fields. Interestingly when the feeders were moved
and only available in open fields the gamebirds and songbirds used these
feeders but not the rats. Additionally when the feeders were located in
the hedgerow and periodically moved 25 metres from the original location
the gamebirds and songbirds located them at the new locations within 1-3
days, whereas the rodents needed 2-4 days to locate the feeders. Carlos Sanchez-Garcia says, “As this study identifies, over-winter
feeding can be a costly and time-consuming exercise when pest control is
not carried out at the feeders. This large scale study identifies that
current feeding practices used by farmers and gamekeepers need to be
revised to ensure that mainly target species and not pests are the
beneficiaries of this important food source. Our previous studies stress
the need to continue feeding in late winter and we would recommend that
feeders are placed along hedgerows when efficient control of rats is
maintained and to place feeders in open fields when no efficient rat
control is carried out. A regular change of the feeder location (every
7-10 days) is also recommended to reduce the impact of rodents and other
unwelcome visitors.” Access the paper: Sánchez-García, C.,
Buner, F. D. and Aebischer, N. J. (2015),
Supplementary winter food for gamebirds through feeders: Which species
actually benefit?. The Journal of Wildlife Management.
doi: 10.1002/jwmg.889
Forty years since white-tailed eagles were re-introduced to Scotland
these magnificent birds have reached the important milestone of 100
breeding pairs. As revealed by Iolo Williams on this evening’s edition
of BBC Springwatch (28.05.15, BBC2, 8pm) the 100th pair nested on Hoy,
the first white-tailed eagles to nest in Orkney for 142 years. This milestone comes in a year of significant anniversaries for the
re-introduction programme. It is 40 years since the first young
white-tailed eagles from Norway were released on Rum in 1975 and 30
years since the first wild chick fledged on Mull in 1985. The
white-tailed eagles on Hoy have been seen in the area every spring and
summer since 2013 and are both thought to be young birds between four
and five years. This was their first known nesting attempt and although
they were unsuccessful in raising chicks this year the pair have gained
vital experience for future nesting attempts. Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland said: “The 100th breeding
pair marks a huge milestone for the re-introduction of white-tailed
eagles, and to reach it in this important anniversary year for the
programme makes it even more special. The success of bringing
white-tailed eagles back to Scotland over the last 40 years owes a great
deal to the partners involved, as well as the support of Police
Scotland, landowners, farmers, local community groups and organisations,
and to Norway who gifted the young eagles. It’s fantastic to see how
these magnificent birds have captured the public’s imagination and that
the sight of a white-tailed eagle soaring in the Scottish sky is no
longer a thing of the past. We’re delighted to celebrate the
100th breeding pair with BBC Springwatch.” Susan Davies, SNH’s chief executive, said: “What a great conservation
achievement - everyone in Scotland should be proud of this! Thanks to
the many land managers and communities for all their hard work. Now
these spectacular birds are back, bringing new tourism opportunities to
fragile areas. Given their geographical spread, there's growing chances
of seeing these magnificent birds in your local area. It’s particularly
wonderful that the birds have spread so far that we have the 100th pair
nesting in Orkney, now restored to an area where sea eagles reigned so
many years ago. This is one of nature's brilliant success stories.”
Meirionnydd Oakwoods revealed to be more botanically significant than
originally thought. The woodlands of the ancient kingdom of Meirionnydd in north west
Wales, are as important as some tropical rainforests, Plantlife can
reveal. The conservation charity has just finished an 18-month project,
funded by Natural Resources Wales, to map the Meirionnydd Oakwoods and
has discovered that it is more internationally significant than had been
previously thought. Mossy stones in Meirioneth Oakwoods, © Dave Lamacraft/Plantlife The Meirionnydd Oakwoods Important Plant Area is temperate
rainforest; part of the Celtic Rainforest of Western Britain and
Ireland. This habitat is rarer around the globe than tropical
rainforest; beyond Britain and Ireland it is found mainly in the redwood
forests of North America, the beech forests of southern Chile, in
south-east Australia, New Zealand, China and Taiwan. What makes it so important in Wales are the plants and fungi that
grow there – internationally important populations of mosses, liverworts
and lichens, the tiny plants and fungi that give woodland like this its
luxurious green covering. Dave Lamacraft, Plantlife lower plants and
fungi officer for Wales, and three other intrepid experts surveyed an
area of woodland equivalent in size to 1,000 football pitches and made
some important new discoveries. "Whilst it is always exciting making new discoveries, the best bit
for me", says Paul Rutter, project leader, "was the return of grazing to
the woodland. Seeing Highland cattle grazing tree saplings might alarm
some conservationists, but they’re doing exactly what’s needed – opening
out the canopy so the lichens can thrive again". Sam Bosanquet, moss and lichen ecologist from Natural Resources Wales says: “The discovery of these new species is a significant find, and highlights the importance of this area of woodland as a rich habitat, home to a diverse range of plants, lichens and mosses. Mosses soak up rain, prevent erosion and reduce soil run-off into rivers, and lichens take in nutrients from the atmosphere and help to feed the forest ecosystem. Insects that provide food for birds and other animals also thrive in these mossy areas. “The Plantlife surveys have increased the depth of information we have about this special area, and armed with this knowledge, we can make sure they are protected for the future and that sustainable development takes place in appropriate areas.”
Scientific Publications Kathrin Tarricone, Gerhard Wagner, Roland Klein,
Toward standardization of sample collection and preservation for the
quality of results in biomonitoring with trees – A critical review,
Ecological Indicators, Volume 57, October 2015, Pages 341-359, ISSN
1470-160X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.012.
Rufus B. Sage, Sue Wilson, Tony Powell,
Using fledged brood counts of hedgerow birds to assess the effect of
summer agri-environment scheme options, Ecological Indicators,
Volume 57, October 2015, Pages 376-383, ISSN 1470-160X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.04.041. D'Amico, M., Clevenger, A. P., Román, J. and Revilla, E. (2015),
General versus specific surveys: Estimating the suitability of different
road-crossing structures for small mammals. The Journal of Wildlife
Management. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.900
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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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Red
squirrel in Scots pine tree
A
new study by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust has revealed that
more than 67 per cent of the food provided through hoppers for game and
farmland birds was consumed by pest species, particularly rats, pigeons
and corvids. 
Adult
white-tailed eagle in flight, image: Niall Benvie, RSPB-Dave-Lamacraft-Plantlife.jpg)
