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Headlines from week beginning 5 October 2015. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Green walls: a red card for office worker health? – University of
York New research by University of York academics reveals that living
‘green’ walls may have adverse health effects on office workers living
in hot, polluted climates.
Investigating levels of air pollutants in modern office buildings, Dr
Nicola Carslaw from York’s Environment Department led a modelling study
focusing on ultrafine particles (UFPs). Such particles are a health
concern as they can carry potentially toxic species into the lungs. Using a detailed chemical model for indoor air, concentrations of
UFPs were simulated for offices in Athens, Helsinki and Milan during a
heatwave across Europe in August 2003, and again during more typical
summer temperatures in August 2009. These three cities were selected to
compare contrasting climates and locations across Europe. The researchers found that indoor concentrations of UFPs were highest
in the Milan and Athens offices, reflecting high outdoor air pollution
levels in these cities. Such pollutants make their way indoors through
doors, windows and ventilation systems as well as through gaps in the
building fabric. Indoor UFP levels were also predicted to be higher during the 2003
heatwave compared with 2009, particularly in Milan which experienced the
highest temperature and pollution concentrations outdoors during this
event. However, indoor UFP concentrations were well above those expected
through penetration of outdoor particles alone. On further
investigation, the researchers found they were a result of high
concentrations of reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) outdoors,
emitted by plants and trees. These reactive VOCs include limonene, a naturally occurring compound emitted by plants and trees responsible for the citrusy smell in lemons and oranges, and pinene, emitted by pine trees. Once in the atmosphere, such compounds rapidly oxidise to form a range of gas-phase and particle-phase products, which exist in a dynamic equilibrium depending on the conditions.
Wild
salmon populations have fallen below 'safe' conservation limits in all
rivers in the Scottish west Highland salmon-farming zone - Salmon
and Trout Conservation Scotland S&TCS calls for immediate moratorium on salmon farming expansion Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland (S&TCS) has today (5/10/15)
called upon the Scottish Government to place an immediate moratorium on
further expansion of salmon farming in light of Marine Scotland's new
analysis showing the very poor conservation status of west Highland
salmon rivers. Scottish Government's newly published classification of the country's
salmon rivers puts all the rivers in the west Highlands and inner
Hebrides, including iconic systems such as the Awe and the Lochy, in the
worst-performing category, with wild salmon stocks not reaching what are
known as 'conservation limits' – a measure of the overall health of the
population. Andrew Graham-Stewart, Director of S&TCS, commented: "This new
analysis by Marine Scotland should ring alarm bells – fisheries
scientists have long warned of the impact of sea lice and escapes
emanating from salmon farms. The fact that no single river within salmon
farming's heartland of the west Highlands and Inner Hebrides has a
sufficient stock of wild salmon for any exploitation to be sustainable
cannot be a coincidence. Regrettably, Scottish Government has until now habitually downplayed
studies by third parties, but we believe it cannot ignore its own
fisheries scientists' analysis. The contrast between western Scotland
and the rest of the country is clear to see and the only major or
substantive distinction between the east and west coasts is, of course,
the presence of salmon farming in the west. We call on the Scottish
Government to halt any further growth in salmon farming until the
industry can definitively prove itself to be environmentally
sustainable."
Wildlife abundant at Chernobyl – University of Portsmouth
The results pose profound questions about both the effect of humans
on nature and of the safety for humans of sites devastated by nuclear
accidents. An international group of scientists coordinated by Professor Jim
Smith from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Earth and
Environmental Sciences published their findings in Current Biology today
(5/10/15). It is the first large scale study of mammal populations in the 4,200
square kilometre human exclusion zone around Chernobyl. The zone was
exposed to chronic radiation following the 1986 accident but, 30 years
later, the researchers found no evidence of a drop in the number of
animals. On the contrary, the number of large mammals, including elk, roe
deer, red deer, wild boar and wolves are similar to those in four
uncontaminated nature reserves in the region. Professor Smith said: “We know that radiation can be harmful in very
high doses, but research on Chernobyl has shown that it isn’t as harmful
as many people think.
Sparrow numbers rise at garden feeders - BTO With significant declines in both House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow
populations, things could not have looked worse for UK sparrows.
However, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden Bird Feeding Survey
data from the last two winters shows that more of them are turning to
our garden feeding stations.
The House Sparrow population has declined by over two-thirds since
the late 1970s, and the Tree Sparrow population suffered from a dramatic
population crash in the early 1980s, and as a result both species are
red-listed birds of conservation concern. There are many theories behind
the decline of House Sparrow, but lack of food in winter due to
agricultural intensification and an associated reduction in first-year
survival rates have been important drivers behind both declines. The
huge losses of these once-familiar sparrows are an example of how land
use changes can affect common birds, but garden bird surveys can help us
to understand these effects. While the UK Tree Sparrow population is a fraction of what it was in
the 1970s, results from the BTO Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS) reveal
that numbers at garden bird feeders have been increasing since the late
1980s. Winter 2014/15 saw the highest number of Tree Sparrows at
suburban garden feeders since the survey began in 1970, and their
highest average numbers at rural garden feeders since 2010. Whether
these results reflect the increasing importance of supplementary feeding
remains to be seen but the importance of seeds outside of the breeding
season suggests that this could be a factor.
NERC and EPSRC announce new Centre for Doctoral Training in smart
observation - NERC NERC and the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
are launching a new £2·5m Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in the use
of smart and autonomous observation systems (SAOS) for the environmental
sciences.
Known as NEXUSS - 'NEXt generation Unmanned System Science' - the CDT
will provide specialised training in this increasingly vital area,
creating a community of highly skilled people whose expertise will
contribute both to scientific breakthroughs and to economic growth. The consortium behind NEXUSS is led by the University of Southampton,
in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey, Heriot-Watt
University, the National Oceanography Centre, the Scottish Association
for Marine Science and the University of East Anglia. It will fund
training for three annual intakes of ten PhD students each, starting in
2016. Professor Duncan Wingham, NERC chief executive, said: "Smart
observation systems are an exciting and innovative field in which the UK
has world-class capabilities; I am delighted that NERC is investing in
the skills needed to maintain this position. We have made major
investments in SAOS in recent years, and this CDT will produce the
expertise to ensure future researchers can take advantage of these
investments, using new technologies to address the environmental
challenges we face and support growth across the UK economy."
Edible love gifts may influence female behaviour, suggests cricket study
– University of Exeter Edible gifts given by male crickets to their female partners during
mating contain unique proteins which could affect the females’ behaviour
according to research from the University of Exeter and Max Planck
Institute for Chemical Ecology, published today in the journal PLOS ONE.
Many insects mate by transferring their sperm in a capsule, or
ampulla. In decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, an additional
edible present, known as a nuptial gift, is offered to the female during
mating in the form of a large gelatinous ball of protein attached to the
ampulla which the female eats while the sperm are being transferred. The scientists believe that some of the proteins contained in the
nuptial gift prevent digestive enzymes in the female’s gut from breaking
down other active proteins in the gift. These protected proteins may
then alter her reproductive physiology and make her less likely to mate
with further males. Professor Richard Ffrench-Constant from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus said: “It has long been thought that the purpose of the edible love gift was so that male crickets could be sure their sperm wouldn’t be eaten by the female. However our study suggests that the story may actually be more complex and that the gift not only functions to feed the female but it may also affect her behaviour. It's a bit like the old cliché of offering a box of chocolates to oil the wheels of courtship – in this case on the understanding that the crickets’ sperm will be met by a receptive reproductive system.”
Rare spider discovered in Northern Ireland - Buglife
Image: Mick Massie The little spider had been found at Whitehead north of Belfast and is
completely harmless. In England and Scotland it is normally found in
damp woodland, but lives in caves in Europe. Unusually this specimen was
found hiding out on a warm sunny coastal cliff where it was living in a
silk-lined tube in a rock crevice.
Support for Scottish Seabird Centre's ‘National Marine Centre’ project
- Heritage Lottery Fund
It is announced today that conservation and education charity, the
Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, has been awarded development
funding of £290,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to progress
plans to create the ‘National Marine Centre’. HLF has also given its initial support for a £3.5million bid for the
project. The ‘National Marine Centre’ is the working title for an innovative
and exciting project to diversify the Scottish Seabird Centre, expanding
the conservation and education work of the charity. The aim is to build
on the charity’s existing activities and share more widely the
importance, value and issues affecting Scotland’s unique and fascinating
marine environment and wildlife. The project will involve the extension and upgrade of the existing
building to include a vital new education and interactive exhibition
space. Some initial design work has been undertaken, but the Centre will
now be conducting further research and developing plans in consultation
with the local community, partners, members, visitors and funders. The Scottish Seabird Centre opened in May 2000. It has won multiple
awards for tourism, sustainability and its green credentials. It has led
a range of high profile conservation projects and provides a well-used
facility for both locals and visitors all-year-round as well as
supporting artists with commissions and displays. Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre,
said: "Over the last fifteen years our staff, volunteers and trustees
have worked hard to develop and deliver an award-winning visitor
experience and education programmes that have informed and inspired
people about seabirds. Now we look forward to building on this success
by also providing enhanced conservation and education programmes about
the amazing marine environment and wildlife all around Scotland.
We recognise the importance of working at both local and national levels
and collaboration will be vital in taking the project forward. We will
work with the local community as well as with organisations all over
Scotland to enthuse people across the country to conserve and protect
our precious marine wildlife and environment for future generations."
Protected species: new licensing system saves customers time and money
- Natural England Natural England's changes to protected species licensing have led to
£1 million of customer savings over the past 3 years. The range of innovative measures, designed to reduce both the volume
of licence applications and the associated costs, marks a significant
step by Natural England towards its goal of cutting red tape and
creating a more efficient organisation. Savings have been made chiefly via the introduction of an ‘annexed
licence’ system for works affecting bats, great crested newts and
dormice – which has reduced the number of applications and subsequent
rejections and reapplications; and a new ‘class licence’ - which has
reduced applications for individual mitigation licences for low impact
works affecting bats. The drive to reduce red tape extends beyond saving money for
smaller-scale customers. Organisational licences – removing the need for
large organisations to apply for individual licences which can often
result in costly last-minute project delays – are also being rolled out. James Cross, Natural England’s Chief Executive said: "This landmark
saving for our customers is a key milestone on our journey to reduce
regulatory burdens and improve real-world impact. We are saving
customers time and money, providing a slicker, more efficient process,
observing environmental law and achieving great things for nature. Our
organisational licences are a win-win for large organisations and for
the environment, supporting economic progress, whilst ensuring that
there is no impact on species conservation. The changes to our system
have the added bonus of reducing time spent by Natural England staff on
advising and processing individual licences, meaning that we can
usefully divert those resources elsewhere."
The introduction of the new bat low impact class licence system has
removed the requirement for individual bat mitigation licences at a site
– saving the accompanying costs.
In general terms, class licences are a ‘middle-way’ between general
licences and individual licences. Class licences do not follow the
standard individual mitigation licence application, but users must be
registered with Natural England and provide frequent reports. In the
case of bat low impact class licences, once registered with Natural
England, consultants can apply to register individual sites. Where
licensing tests are achieved, low impact works can begin. As a basis for this new licence, Natural England provided training
workshops and mandatory assessments for existing bat consultants. Almost
70 consultants have completed the training so far, registering more than
94 individual sites. A second training round is currently underway, with
the number of registered consultants expected to top 100.
Forest storm resilience improved with latest software
- Forest Research
Software to help protect forests from storm damage is being released
today by Forest Research.
The latest version of the computer-based tool ForestGALES uses data
about the trees and the site (species, soil type) then works out the
‘windiness’ to estimate the level of risk to trees from uprooting or
stem breakage. The information will help forest managers to create more
resilient woodlands reducing the heavy economic cost of timber damage. Defra Minister Rory Stewart commented: ‘Major storms in the UK not only damage our forests and woodlands,
but impact on local economies and communities on those areas. This
software is an excellent example of how the latest technologies and use
of data can help us to protect our natural environment’ Forest Research estimates that over 11 million cubic metres of timber
has been lost over the last 50 years as a result of storm damage. Using
ForestGALES, managers can adjust the type of cultivation, timing of
thinnings and the age at which trees are felled to make woodlands as
wind resistant as possible.
Pipistrelle bats increase in Scotland -
Scottish Natural Heritage Bat populations have declined substantially in Scotland over the last
century, but one bat is making quite a comeback, according to a recent
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) report.
Bat surveys have found that soprano pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bat
populations have been stable since 1999, but the common pipistrelle
population is estimated to have increased by around 79% since 2009. The
statistics were commissioned by SNH and calculated by the Bat
Conservation Trust using data from the National Bat Monitoring
Programme. The common pipistrelle population has also been increasing across
Great Britain as a whole since 2009. Contributing factors to this
increase are likely the legal protection for bats, fewer roost losses
due to development, and less harmful timber treatment chemicals in roof
voids from the 1990s onwards. Robert Raynor, SNH’s mammal expert, commented: “Although this is
certainly good news, many threats still exist for bats. There are nine
or ten species of bat in Scotland, and we still need to improve our
survey coverage so we can better understand what is happening with their
numbers – not just the most common three. Everyone can play their part
to help encourage healthy bat populations. Bat boxes can provide safe
roosts, as will letting bats make use of your roof for the part of year.
Planting your garden with flowering plants, trees and shrubs that
attract insects can also help.” Anne Youngman, Bat Conservation Trust Scottish officer, added: “We’d
like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers taking part in this
citizen science project across Scotland. We really appreciate them for
donating their time to help us find out how Scottish bats are doing. We
are delighted to be able to show that their hard work and dedication
allows us to produce a positive picture for the population of common
pipistrelle. It’s difficult to say why common pipistrelle appear to be
recovering from the large historical decline.” Download Trends of Bats in Scotland (pdf)
Trust launches vision for Scotland in 50 years
- Scottish Wildlife Trust The Trust is calling for 50 changes over the next 50 years to
dramatically restore Scotland’s natural environment including the
reintroduction of lynx, restoring all peatlands and designating
Scotland’s first urban National Park, in a new publication. ‘50 for the Future’ lists 50 actions that could transform Scotland’s
natural environment for future generations. It is divided into five
sections: uplands, lowlands, urban, marine and Scotland-wide. From
saving the Scottish wildcat in our uplands, to bringing back beavers to
our lowlands for good, de-paving our urban areas and ending the
overfishing of our seas, the final 50 cover a wide range of issues,
species and habitats. ‘50 for the Future’ was born last year at the end of the Scottish
Wildlife Trust’s 50th Anniversary, when members, supporters and experts
were asked by the Trust to submit their ideas on "What one thing would
most help Scotland's wildlife in the next 50 years?”. Chief Executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Jonny Hughes, said:
“Fifty years ago, otters were on the brink of extinction in Scotland,
there were no protected areas for marine wildlife and beavers had been
absent from the landscape for almost 350 years. Fifty years on – this is
not the case. We can have a huge impact to Scotland’s natural
environment over the next 50 years if we work together. To download 50 for the Future please click here
EU Natura 2000 Award 2016: Call opens for top conservation initiatives
- European Commission The European Commission launched the 2016 edition of the EU Natura
2000 Award on 5 October. The annual Award, now in its third year,
honours leading nature conservation achievements connected to Europe’s
Natura 2000 Network of protected areas. “The Natura 2000 Network is not only the centrepiece of European
nature and biodiversity policy, it is also a hugely effective framework
to connect the thousands of Europeans working and volunteering to
conserve our precious protected areas,” Environment, Maritime Affairs
and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said on the occasion of the
launch. “For the past two years, the Natura 2000 Award has highlighted
the top conservation achievements of these dedicated citizens and
groups. In 2016, we will once again recognise the best of the best and I
encourage organisations and individuals involved in the Natura 2000
network to apply now!” The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/Birdlife Bulgaria
(BSPB), winners in the Conservation category, note, “Winning the Natura
2000 Award in 2014 has helped create a positive public image of our
organisation, especially among the local communities and municipalities.
Significantly, it also really enhanced our relations with the state
authorities and socially responsible businesses.” About the Natura 2000 Award 2016 The Award is open to any organisation or person involved in Natura
2000, including public and local authorities, businesses, NGOs, land
owners, educational institutions and individuals. The application period
runs from 7 October to 1 December 2015 and the Award comprises five
categories: Conservation; Socio-Economic Benefits; Communication;
Reconciling Interests/Perceptions and Cross-Border Cooperation and
Networking as well as a European Citizens’ Award. Introduced for the
first time in 2015, the Citizens’ Award received an enthusiastic
response from the public with 25 000 votes being cast. Following the application deadline on 1 December 2015, the
submissions will be assessed and a shortlist of finalists will be drawn
up in March. The winners will be announced at a high-level ceremony in
Brussels in May 2016. For further information about the EU Natura 2000 Award 2016, please
contact:
info@natura2000award-application.eu
Scientific publications Caryl, F. M., Lumsden, L. F.van der Ree, R. & Wintle, B. A. (2015)
Functional responses of insectivorous bats to increasing housing density
support ‘land-sparing’ rather than ‘land-sharing’ urban growth
strategies. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12549 Houle, J. E. et al (2015)
Effects of seal predation on a modelled marine fish community and
consequences for a commercial fishery. Journal of Applied Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12548 Carroll, M. J. et al (2015)
Ecological impacts of climate change are increasingly well-understood,
with changes in species’ ranges and phenology predicted and observed in
both terrestrial and marine environments. Climate Research doi:
10.3354/cr01332
Brusatte, S. L., O’Connor, J. K. & Jarvis, E. D. (2015)
The Origin and Diversification of Birds. Current Biology
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.08.003
Dunn, J. C., Hamer, K. C. & Benton, T. G. (2015) Anthropogenically-Mediated Density Dependence in a Declining Farmland Bird. Plos One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139492
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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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Green
wall in Milan, Biber Architects (credit: inhabitat.com)
Humans
are worse for wildlife than nuclear disaster, according to the first
long-term study at Chernobyl, site of the world’s worst nuclear
accident, which found wildlife was thriving.
Tree
Sparrow by Tommy Holden/BTO
RSS
Discovery with its fleet of autonomous vehicles (NERC)
%20Mick%20Massie-buglife-07.jpg)
Scottish
Seabird Centre, North Berwick (Image: Sean Bell, via HLF)
Bat
low impact class licence
Corsican
pine (planted 1867) sample plot devastated by gale Location: Knightwood,
New Forest, England.
Common
pipistrelle bat. (copyright Scottish Natural Heritage).
