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Headlines from week begining 24 August 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Dive team survey seabeds this summer - The
Wildlife Trusts Secrets of the seabed are being revealed as divers undertake
exploratory scientific surveys in a bid to better understand the UK’s
marine environment and help protect it for the future Five professional divers and marine ecologists, commissioned by The
Wildlife Trusts, are gathering evidence and data from areas where
existing knowledge about marine habitats is limited. This summer, marine scientist Dominic Flint is leading the team of
divers in recording any interesting finds in five survey areas around
England. They are surveying and photographing the sands and gravels,
the rock types and forms, the seaweeds and animals attached to the
rocks, crabs and other creatures that crawl over the seabed and the fish
that swim above, round and through them. Joan Edwards, The Wildlife Trusts’ head of Living Seas, said: “By
deploying a dive team we hope to be able to propose new areas for
inclusion in the third phase of Marine Conservation Zones, which should
be designated in 2016. “Gathering data in the marine environment is notoriously difficult
and time-consuming. We hope our activity will help to strengthen the
existing evidence base and provide information about areas where little,
or nothing, is currently known. “We have to do this to ensure these places can be included in future
discussions over marine protection, and their conservation secured.
This will be our last opportunity to secure an ecologically coherent
network in England.” Find out which areas our dive team are surveying here.
Friends of the Earth mounts legal challenge over pesticide decision
- Friends of the Earth A Government decision to allow farmers to use ‘banned’ bee-harming
pesticides in England, is being challenged at the High Court by Friends
of the Earth. The environment charity notified the Government on Friday (21 August
2015) that it has applied to the High Court for a judicial review of
last month’s decision to allow farmers in England to use oil seed rape
seeds coated with neonicotinoid pesticides that are the subject of an EU
moratorium. Three neonicotinoids were restricted throughout Europe in December
2013 after European scientists warned that they harm bees. However,
following a request by the NFU, the Government controversially agreed to
allow farmers to use enough neonicotinoid seeds to treat five per cent
of the oilseed rape (OSR) crop in England. Seeds are being made
available to farmers in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and
Hertfordshire. This year's harvest has seen a good crop of oilseed rape despite the
restrictions on neonicotinoids, with yields 3-9% higher than the 10 year
national average. Friends of the Earth is challenging the Government’s decision on
pesticides because it believes it did not comply with EU law which sets
out the conditions under which governments can grant emergency use of
the restricted neonicotinoids.
We don’t like crickets – we love them! - Buglife One of Britain’s most endangered insects is set to have a new home in
Sussex thanks to work by South East Water and environment organisations
Natural England and Buglife. The Wart-biter cricket – which gets its name from the ancient Swedish
medical practice of using them to eat skin warts – was once found across
southern England. But their numbers have declined so dramatically, they
are now found only in five locations, three in Sussex.
Thanks to a working group led by Natural England this rare species of
cricket is set to be reintroduced into a carefully-created habitat
around Deep Dean Water Treatment Works, in East Sussex. It has taken
more than 20 years to make sure the site is suitable for the crickets.
The fussy creatures need a particular kind of habitat which includes
bare ground, short turf and taller clumps of grass. Wart-biter numbers have declined as a result of habitat destruction,
loss of suitable grassland and unsuitable grazing regimes. They are
considered to be endangered in the UK, and the threat they could die out
remains. But thanks to an intensive captive breeding programme by London
Zoo and partnerships with environmental groups, landowners and farmers,
the cricket now has a brighter future. South East Water’s Environmental Manager Emma Goddard said: “To be able to release wart biter crickets at Deep Dean is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are honoured to be able to play host to such a prestigious project. We have worked in partnership with other organisations and individuals over a long period of time to get to this point. We are all very pleased to be playing a part in saving the cricket from the very real prospect of extinction.”
Robot technology to measure UK’s marine wildlife - National
Oceanography Centre The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has launched robot technology
to measure marine wildlife in the Celtic Sea. This is the latest in a
series of ambitious marine robotic vehicle trials by the NOC as part of
the three-phase Exploring Ocean fronts project. Working in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the NOC
has deployed a submarine glider and C-Enduro, an autonomous surface
vehicle, into the Celtic Sea. These two robotic vehicles will now work
together over the next three weeks to investigate why this area is
particularly attractive to marine predators, such as dolphins and
seabirds.
New project seeks first major boost in Scotland’s red squirrel numbers
in decades - Trees for Life An innovative new project by conservation charities Trees for Life
and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife aims to secure a major increase
in the range of Scotland’s red squirrel populations for the first time
in decades. The Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project – which launches this summer –
has the ambitious goal of establishing 10 new populations of the species
in the Highlands over the next three years, with the long-term aim of
boosting red squirrel numbers in Scotland by more than 10 per cent. It
will also provide a unique opportunity for volunteers, including those
from remote communities, to take an active part in wildlife
conservation. The project will involve conservation experts carefully relocating
red squirrels from areas of Scotland where they are thriving to remote
forests in the north-west Highlands where there are no squirrels at
present, but good quality habitat for them.
The Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project will see squirrels transported
to carefully selected release sites in specially constructed nest boxes,
lined with hay for comfort and warmth, and provisioned with peanuts for
food and apple for hydration. These nest boxes will then be nailed to
trees and their exit holes filled with moss – so that the squirrels can
find their way out in their own time, once people have left, minimising
stress for the animals. Food will be provided for several months after
release, to help the squirrels settle easily into their new
surroundings. Situated far away from disease-carrying grey squirrels, the relocated
reds will quickly establish new populations.
Nature site set to see action to improve Scots pine woodland
- Scottish Natural Heritage The most northerly estuary on Scotland's east coast, Loch Fleet
National Nature Reserve (NNR) is set for work aimed at conserving and
enhancing its native Scots pine woodland. The reserve, managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a large
tidal basin surrounded by dunes, saltmarsh and pine woods. It is
particularly stunning during the autumn, but whatever the season, these
habitats support a variety of wildlife to see and enjoy. Loch Fleet Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) underpins Loch Fleet
NNR. It is designated in part for the native Scots pine which is
currently in ‘unfavourable condition’ due to deer grazing pressure and
the presence of non-native trees. SNH is committed to ensuring the woodland recovers, and is working
closely with the site owners, Sutherland Estates, and the Estate’s
forest managers, Scottish Woodlands, to manage deer numbers, remove
invasive species and cut out non-native tree species. This work will be
commenced in September, following the end of the bird breeding season. Adam Rose, SNH’s Loch Fleet NNR manager, said: “The removal of
non-native trees and invasive shrubs will focus on felling conifers,
such as lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce and fir species. We will also be
tackling the issue of invasive rhododendron and whins in Balblair
woods."
Government faces legal challenge after failing to protect some of
England’s most precious rivers - WWF The High Court has granted permission for WWF-UK, the Angling Trust
and Fish Legal to challenge Defra and the Environment Agency over their
failure to protect some of England’s most precious rivers, lakes and
coastal areas from agricultural pollution.
Click the map to see a bigger version (pdf) The focus of the court case is on habitats that are protected by law
and known as Natura 2000 sites. They include national treasures like
Poole Harbour and the Rivers Avon, Wye & Eden, where pollution is having
a harmful impact on species that should thrive in these habitats. The UK
government is required by law to take all the necessary steps to ensure
they are at good health by December 2015, but it is not going to achieve
this. Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive for the Angling Trust and Fish Legal,
said: “Poor land management is causing soils carrying nutrients and
pesticides to wash into our precious rivers, seriously harming some of
our most important fish species. We must ensure the necessary
measures are in place to stop this pollution, and give our rivers and
lakes a chance to recover and thrive.”
100th woodland management plan in The National Forest The 100th woodland management plan in The National Forest has been
approved by the Forestry Commission, the UK governing body for forestry. Woodland management plans are a vital part of the National Forest
Company’s (NFC) Forest & Woodland Management Programme. Approval of the
100th plan by the Forestry Commission marks a major milestone in the
programme, which started in September 2013, and sees over 5,000 hectares
of woodland with an approved management plan and undergoing active
management: approximately 50% of the total woodland within The National
Forest. Woodland management is an increasingly important aspect of creating
The National Forest. Over 8 million trees have been planted throughout
the 200 square miles of The National Forest since the 1990s, and
although new woodlands continue to be created and more trees planted,
managing the growing trees is vital to create healthy, resilient and
productive woodlands. Through the NFC’s Forest & Woodland Management Programme, landowners
can obtain advice on planning the future management of their woodland,
including taking out first thinnings to create space for the remaining
trees to thrive, and advice on how best to prevent and minimise the
impact of any pests and diseases that may affect the woodland. Charles Robinson, Woodland Management Officer for the NFC, explains
further: “Creating a woodland management plan is the first step in
managing woodland. The plan sets out the vision for the woodland and
creates objectives as to how this will be achieved over the following 10
years. By looking at all aspects of the woodland, including both the
opportunities and the threats that may face the site over the coming
years, the owner has a working document which will help them make the
right decisions in the future. By working with our partners at the
Forestry Commission, a plan will also provide a felling license for the
woodland so that all operations are approved and conform to the UK
Forestry Standard.”
Pilot project aims to help great crested newts
- Natural England An innovative new approach to protecting great crested newts could
enhance their population and reduce delays to major building projects.
Natural England is launching a pilot project that will bring more
flexibility to the licensing system for great crested newts, while
providing more of the weedy ponds which they favour. The aim is to take a more strategic approach to the conservation of
newts, ensuring that resources are focused on newt populations and
habitat that will bring the greatest benefits to the species. At the
same time it will make the licensing process much more straightforward
for developers on sites where newts are present. The ground-breaking approach, to be trialled by Natural England and
Woking Borough Council in Surrey, will involve survey work to establish
the size, location and connectivity of great crested newt populations.
For this purpose, testing for traces of newt DNA in pond water has
already been undertaken across Woking to establish where these
amphibians live. This is a new survey technique, which will both improve
knowledge of the species and save time and money on survey costs. The survey information will be used to produce a local conservation
plan for the newts, which will retain, enhance and link up the most
significant populations of newts, identify areas where development will
have the least impact and specify where new habitat will be created to
ensure a healthy overall population. The council will put in place the new habitat, so that when
development results in habitat loss, the habitat gains will already be
in place to compensate. Where there are sites of high conservation value
for great crested newts it is likely that developers will seek to avoid
those areas. This system will not only improve the habitat legacy for
great crested newt, it will radically reduce delays and cost to
developers of survey and setting up their own schemes to protect newts. Andrew Sells, Chairman of Natural England, said: "This innovative pilot in Woking is an exciting opportunity that I hope will bring significant benefits for conservation. The current licensing system for European Protected Species in England is quite a rigid way of protecting great crested newts, placing the emphasis on individual newts, rather than the species as a whole. By making the system more flexible and strategic, it will enable us to establish habitat for great crested newts, where their populations will most benefit from being in a wide network of habitat, rather than being squeezed in around development."
National Peatland Plan published - Scottish
Natural Heritage A fresh vision for Scotland’s peatlands is outlined in a new plan
published today (28/8/15) by Scottish Natural Heritage. The National Peatland Plan highlights actions to protect, manage, and
restore these precious natural resources. The plan covers the range of public benefits resultant from
well-managed peatlands, and focuses on work calculated to support
development planning, conservation, and land management activities. Its publication follows a public consultation in which many helpful
comments came from a range of organisations and individuals. Welcoming the report Dr Aileen Mcleod, Minister for Environment,
Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “Scotland is a peat-rich nation,
and our peatlands are now recognised globally for their outstanding
biodiversity and carbon storage. I am delighted to see the publication
of a plan which sets out what we are doing, and where we are heading, in
our programme to conserve and restore peatlands and so support the
multiple benefits they deliver. I thank the many organisations and
individuals who have contributed to the plan which sets a firm
foundation for action. I am also greatly heartened by the
significant roles played by land managers and NGOS in improving the
state of our peatlands.” The publication of the plan follows the Minister’s statement on
Scotland’s Green House Gas targets in which the Scottish Government
committed a further £3million for peatland restoration this year. It
will also help deliver the recently published Biodiversity Route Map. A National Peatland Plan: Working for our future is available here. Details of SNH's Peatland Action programme available here. Reaction from
Scottish Wildlife Trust:
Trust welcomes the launch of the National Peatland Plan The Trust is welcoming the launch of the National Peatland Plan by
Scottish Natural Heritage that sets out a strategy for protecting some
of Scotland’s most important habitats. For the first time, Scotland will have a strategy to secure the
sustainable use, management and restoration of peatlands – an
internationally important type of habitat and vital natural capital
asset. . Head of Policy for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Dr Maggie Keegan,
said: “The Scottish Wildlife Trust welcomes this plan. Peatlands are
some of Scotland’s most valuable natural capital assets and it is very
encouraging to see the Scottish Government taking this issue seriously.
The Trust has been at the forefront of peatland restoration work in
Scotland, using our own Wildlife Reserves such as Carsegowan Moss in
Dumfries and Galloway to demonstrate pioneering techniques to restore
lowland raised bogs. To help meet our peatland goals we will also
need the Scottish Government to align other policies so that we end
commercial peat extraction for horticulture, refuse consent to
developments that damage peatland sites and stop burning on peatlands."
Two more red kites found illegally killed in North Scotland
- RSPB Scotland Two more red kites have been confirmed by Scottish Government testing
to have been illegally killed in north Scotland. Both of these incidents
took place in 2014 and are now being made public as the Police have
concluded their enquiries. The first victim was found last June near Beauly, and was
subsequently confirmed by post-mortem, at the SAC Veterinary laboratory
in Inverness, to have been shot. The second red kite was found in September 2014, some 5 kilometres
south-east of Cawdor village in Nairnshire. It was confirmed by Scottish
Government testing to have been illegally poisoned with a banned
pesticide. This female bird was part of a successful breeding pair which
bred at Cawdor Castle in Nairnshire in 2014, representing the first
breeding record of red kites in the county for over 100 years. Both of these birds had been fitted with satellite tags by RSPB
Scotland as part of a wider project to follow the movements of these
birds and look at factors influencing their survival. It is doubtful
whether either of the corpses of these birds would have been found if
the satellite tags had not been in place. Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management for RSPB
Scotland said: "Since red kite reintroductions began in Scotland in
1989, over 100 birds have been confirmed as illegally killed, with a
significant majority of the victims found poisoned. The real figure will
be much higher as the finding of these satellite tagged birds
demonstrates. Our scientific modelling work has shown that illegal
persecution of red kites, particularly in the north of Scotland, is
having a significant impact on population growth and range expansion."
New proposals to protect livestock from bovine TB
- defra Announcement of further steps to help tackle bovine TB. Further steps to help tackle bovine TB in England have been announced
today as part of the Government’s comprehensive strategy to beat the
disease. Bovine TB costs taxpayers £100m each year. It is a significant threat
to the future of our beef and dairy industries, directly affecting one
in five of all herds in the worst affected parts of the country. New proposals include:
Farming Minister George Eustice said: Further information and documents:
Advice to Natural England on setting minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be culled in 2015 These papers set out Defra’s advice to Natural England on setting
minimum and maximum number of badgers to be culled in 2015. The advice
covers West Somerset, West Gloucestershire and Dorset. It includes a
description of the methods used by Defra for estimating the badger
populations in these areas. Reactions
Badger culls confirmed in Dorset - Dorset
Wildlife Trust
Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is shocked and deeply saddened to learn
the news that there will be a badger cull in Dorset this year, in a
misguided attempt to control the spread of the devastating disease
bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The conservation charity, with over 25,000 members will not allow
badger culling on any of its 44 nature reserves throughout Dorset. DWT’s Chief Executive, Dr Simon Cripps said, “The decision to carry
out a badger cull in Dorset flies in the face of scientific evidence,
public opinion and the wishes of parliament. The culls in Somerset and
Gloucestershire have already shown to be neither effective nor humane,
and as a result, a failure. The cost of culling is also high, at £3353
per badger during the trial culls of 2013*, and this doesn’t include
policing costs. Dorset Wildlife Trust owns a herd of cattle
itself, so we understand how deeply concerned farmers in Dorset are for
their livestock contracting this terrible disease, but we will continue
to support alternatives to culling that have a far better chance of
restricting the disease. Culling badgers is not the answer.”
Inhumane badger cull must stop says
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust who are two years into a five year
badger vaccination programme.
Scientific Paper Curtis, R J, Brereton, T M, Dennis, R L H, Carbone, C & Isaac, N J
B.
Butterfly abundance is determined by food availability and is mediated
by species traits. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI:
10.1111/1365-2664.12523
Bombaci, S. P. et al (2015)
Using Twitter to communicate conservation science beyond professional
conferences. Conservation Biology
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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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Image:
Buglife
Urgent
conservation action is needed to secure the long-term future of the red
squirrel, which is increasingly rare in Britain and is recognised in the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan as a priority species. Only an estimated
138,000 reds are left in the UK, and their populations – devastated by
disease and competition from the introduced grey squirrel – are still in
decline.
Great
crested newt © Jim Foster
Badger
© Stewart Canham
