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Headlines from week beginning 18 January 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
'Blue
Belt' extended to protect 8,000 square miles of UK waters
- Defra Twenty-three new areas along the UK coast were today (17/1/16)
announced as the latest Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) to be awarded
environmental protection by the government, extending the country’s
‘Blue Belt’ to cover over 20% of English waters and providing vital
protection for the diverse array of wildlife in our seas. Marine Environment Minister George Eustice announced the new sites,
which will protect 4,155 square miles of our most stunning and rich
marine habitats and bring the total number of MCZs in waters around
England to 50, covering 7,886 square miles - an area roughly equivalent
to the whole of Wales, or 13 times the size of Greater London. The new MCZs will cover areas across the country from as far north as
Farnes East off the coast of Northumberland down to Land’s End in the
South West, and will protect 45 different types of habitat, geological
features and fascinating species - including stalked jellyfish and spiny
lobsters. Welcoming the designation of the new sites, Marine Environment
Minister George Eustice said: " As an island nation, the UK is
surrounded by some of the richest and most diverse sea life in the world
- from the bright pink sea-fan coral colonies off the south-west coast,
to the great chalk reef stretches in the east. It’s vital that we
protect our marine environment to ensure our seas remain healthy, our
fishing industry remains prosperous and future generations can enjoy our
beautiful beaches, coastline and waters. By designating these new Marine
Conservation Zones and creating a Blue Belt of protected areas around
the country, we can better protect our environment through careful
marine management in years to come." The 23 additional sites are the second of three planned phases of
MCZs; the first phase covered 3,731 square miles of water over 27 sites,
while a third phase of proposed MCZs will be put out to wider public
consultation in 2017, and designated in 2018. Today’s announcement supports further work by government to protect
the marine environment, as new consultations on Special Areas of
Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoise and Special Protection Areas
(SPAs) to protect feeding and bathing areas used by iconic birds, such
as spoonbills in Poole Harbour and puffins on the Northumberland coast,
are expected to launch later this month. This adds to the 37 SACs and 43
SPAs already designated in English waters. You can see where the zones are on
JNCC’s interactive map.
Marine conservation zones: January 2016 update
- defra Policy Paper An update on Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), covering the approach
and timings for the third phase of MCZs. This document provides an update on:
Access the full
Marine Conservation Zones: January 2016 update here (PDF)
Reactions to the announcement:
23 MCZs designated - Wildlife Trust Second wave of protection in place Today (17/1) we got the excellent news that the Government is
designating the 23 Marine Conservation Zones that it consulted on at the
start of 2015. Designation of these sites will secure protection for
some fantastic habitats, from deep mud habitat and sea pens in Fulmar
MCZ in the north east, to rock and sea fan habitat in Lands End MCZ in
the south west; from biogenic reefs and peat and clay habitats in
Allonby Bay MCZ off Cumbria to the longest chalk reef off the Norfolk
coast in Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds MCZ. These sites are not intended as no-take zones. They are intended to
protect the habitats and species for which the site has been designated
from the most damaging and degrading activity, whilst allowing
sustainable and non-damaging activity to continue. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to the comprehensive
network of sites needed to help our seas recover and thrive. But there
is still work to do- the Government have confirmed that they intend to
consult on a third tranche of sites in 2017 for designation in 2018.
These sites should be our final gap fillers, completing our MCZ network
and helping to complete the UK wide network of MPAs (made up of MCZ,
national sites from Wales, NI and Scotland and sites of European
importance). It is vital that this final tranche is ambitious and in
particular addresses some of the large gaps that still exist in our
network, for example for mud in the Irish Sea and seagrass in the south
of England.
A step in the right direction for our marine wildlife
- RSPB
The RSPB welcomes today’s (17/1) Defra announcement of the creation
of 23 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) and the proposal of seven
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) around the English and Welsh coast as an
important step in protecting our coasts and seas. However, the job is
not yet complete and more needs to be done to protect the UKs seabirds. Bringing the total number of MCZs to 50, this is an important step
towards establishing a functioning network of marine protection for our
seas. The new MCZs will cover areas across the country from as far north
as the Farne Islands off the Northumbrian coast down to Land’s End in
the South West. Totalling 4,155 square miles of rich marine habitats,
these new protected areas bring the entire protected area around our
coasts to 7,886 square miles. Martin Harper said: “To save nature, we need the most important
places on both land and at sea to be protected and well managed. This
new announcement is an important step towards this goal. However, it is
disappointing to see that some of the UK’s marine jewels – sites for
seabirds – haven’t been used in the designation process. We hope that
the third round of marine protected designations, due in 2018 will offer
the chance to finally designate sites for that provide protection for
our seabirds.” Despite threats such as marine pollution and the impacts of climate
change, charismatic at risk species such as the puffin have not been
included in the current designations. Previous designations have
not included seabirds as it was thought too difficult to identify
important sites for highly mobile species such as seabirds. The RSPB also welcomes the proposal for the designation of seven new
or extended Special Protection Areas for seabirds under the European
Birds Directive. These sites will provide much-needed and long overdue
protection for a range of seabirds from the wintering grounds of
internationally important populations of divers, ducks and grebes to the
foraging areas relied upon by breeding tern colonies, and we look
forward to seeing the details of what is proposed. However, despite the
global importance of the UKs seas for seabirds, 34 years after the
European Birds Directive substantially strengthened protection for birds
in the UK; the network of SPAs remains substantially incomplete.
also see: Martin
Harper's blog-
The marine conservation wheels keep on turning (but very slowly for
seabirds)
Little protection for whales and dolphins in Government’s new UK Marine
Conservation Zones - WDC Whilst WDC welcomes the Government’s announcement over the weekend to
create 23 new Marine Conservation Zones, we remain critical of the
decision not to include any sites that would protect species of whale,
dolphin or porpoise. Thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) are
known to occur in UK waters, twelve of which are resident seasonally or
year-round in English waters, meaning that these waters are vital to
them for breeding, feeding and other biologically important activities. What is surprising is that the original consultation document states
that ‘The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (the Act) requires
government to establish a network of MPAs that protects habitats and
species which are representative of the range of habitats and species in
our seas’, yet none of the cetacean species living in UK waters have
been included. Scotland’s
sub-tropical oasis afflicted by tree disease
- National Trust for Scotland One of the world’s most renowned gardens, Inverewe, near Poolewe in
Wester Ross, has been affected by the nationwide spread of the tree
disease Phytophthora ramorum. National Trust for Scotland, announced today (18/1) that it is
embarking on the removal affected Japanese larch trees, as well as some
other susceptible plants, and introducing a containment zone to prevent
further spreading.
MPs targeted in myth busting mission -
Moorland Association Two leading conservation organisations have united to deliver a
series of messages to MPs following flawed and damaging claims about
grouse moors and flooding. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the
Moorland Association are distributing their Briefing Note as a major
upland hydrology conference gets underway today (January 18). Erroneous claims in the press and parliament that grouse moor
management has deliberately contributed to flooding in northern England
are addressed in the publication aimed at setting out facts and
dispelling myths. Director of the Moorland Association, Amanda Anderson, explained it
was important to set the record straight, adding good moorland
management could in fact prevent flooding. She said: “Grouse moor
managers are working hard across vast tracts of land in northern
England. They are rewetting peat by blocking up thousands of kilometres
of historic, ill-advised, agricultural drains, slowing and cleaning
water, revegetating hundreds of hectares of bare peat and reintroducing
the king of bog plants, Sphagnum moss. “Understanding the importance of
healthy peat, informed by science, has led to a step-change in attitude
and progress.” Moorland Association members, who manage a million acres of uplands
in England and Wales, have helped spearhead a new approach on areas of
deep peat, focused on outcomes set to benefit everyone. Mrs Anderson added: “The gains are widespread and apart from slowing
and cleaning water include carbon capture and storage, better
biodiversity, wildfire mitigation and economic stock grazing – while
safeguarding and improving the wild red grouse population. We are
determined that MPs, journalists and the public at large understand what
is happening on the ground and are not influenced by flawed and
damaging claims which have increasingly been levelled at grouse moor
management.” Read the Briefing Note – Grouse Moors and Flooding covers peatland restoration, explains why ‘wetter is better’ and the role of peatland in flood mitigation: here (PDF)
To clean up ocean plastics focus on coasts, not the Great Pacific
garbage patch – Imperial College London The most efficient way to clean up ocean plastics and avoid harming
ecosystems is to place plastic collectors near coasts, according to a
new study. Plastic floating in the oceans is a widespread and increasing
problem. Plastics including bags, bottle caps and plastic fibres from
synthetic clothes wash out into the oceans from urban rivers, sewers and
waste deposits.
Larger plastics are broken down into smaller fragments that can
persist for hundreds or even thousands of years, and fragments of all
sizes are swallowed by animals and enter the food web, disrupting
ecosystems. One area of open ocean in the North Pacific has an unusually large
collection of microscopic plastics, or microplastics, and is known as
the Great Pacific garbage patch. The patch is enclosed by ocean currents
that concentrate the plastics into an area estimated to be larger than
twice the size of the United Kingdom. The patch has gained international attention, and there is now a
project called The
Ocean Cleanup that plans to deploy plastic collectors to clean up
the region. However, a new analysis by Dr Erik van Sebille and
undergraduate physics student Peter Sherman from Imperial College London
suggests that targeting the patch is not the most efficient way to clean
up the oceans. Dr van Sebille, from Imperial’s Grantham Institute, and Sherman used
a model of ocean plastic movements to determine the best places to
deploy plastic collectors to remove the most amount of microplastics,
and to prevent the most harm to wildlife and ecosystems. The study is
published today in Environmental Research Letters. They found that placing plastic collectors like those proposed by The
Ocean Cleanup project around coasts was more beneficial than placing
them all inside the patch. The project proposes a system of floating
barriers and platforms to concentrate and collect plastics and remove
them. Access the paper here: Sherman, P. &
van Sebille, E. (2016)
Modeling marine surface microplastic transport to assess optimal removal
locations. Environmental Research
Letters doi:10.1088/1748-9326/11/1/014006
More Plastic than Fish in the Ocean by 2050: Report Offers Blueprint for
Change – World Economic Forum
Read the full report here
South Downs Way becomes first fully inclusive National Trail
- South Downs National Park The South Downs Way has become the first National Trail in the
country to become fully inclusive now that anyone in any wheelchair can
travel on any part of it from Eastbourne to Winchester. Simon Mulholland of Pony Access has designed a special pony cart
which enables any wheelchair user to access rough terrain anywhere along
the National Trail. “It’s very exciting to be able to see people able to enjoy everything
that makes the South Downs special for the first time,” says Simon.
“People will be able to turn up, have a go and leave again without
leaving any trace on the protected landscape. They don’t even have to
get out of their wheelchairs, which some people just aren’t able to do.
This is just the start of my aim to make the whole UK countryside
inclusive and accessible to all.” Vehicles are forbidden on UK bridleways and footpaths so the pony
cart has had to be specially designed to both take a wheelchair and be
allowed on the trail. Andy Gattiker, South Downs Way Trail Officer, said: “More than 20,000 walkers, cyclists and horseriders travel the South Downs Way each year. We’re really pleased that it can now be opened up to even more people to enjoy.” UK
Biodiversity Indicators - JNCC publication The UK is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
and is committed to the biodiversity goals and targets ‘the Aichi
targets’ agreed in 2010 and set out in the
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. We are also
committed to developing and using a set of indicators to report on
progress towards meeting these international goals and targets.
There are related commitments on biodiversity made by the European
Union, and the UK indicators may also be used to assess progress with
these. The UK indicators were comprehensively reviewed during 2011 and 2012
to ensure they continued to be based on the most robust and reliable
available data; and remained relevant to the new international goals and
targets1. Since then the indicators have been refined to improve their
relevance/quality, and new indicators developed to fill gaps. In this
version of the publication each of the indicators has been updated with
the most recent data wherever possible. In some cases, however,
development work is ongoing, and where this is the case, the work to
develop them has been described briefly. Download
full report here (PDF)
Nature Improvement Areas: Thousands more hectares for our wildlife
- defra A final report published today (20/1/16) showcases the achievements
of the 12 Nature Improvement Areas established in 2012 Habitat Restoration in context at Park End (image: © Bart Donato via Natural England) Nearly 20,000 hectares of natural habitat – the equivalent of almost
23,000 football pitches – has been created, restored or preserved across
England over the past three years thanks to an innovative £7.5 million
government project. Published today, the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of Nature Improvement
Areas: Final Report’ showcases the achievements of the 12 Nature
Improvement Areas – established in 2012 with funding from Defra – in
helping protect wildlife and connect people with nature, while providing
a boost to rural economies. From the vast green plains of the Humberhead Levels to the glacial
landscapes of the Meres and Mosses wetlands and the urban backdrop of
the Greater Thames Marshes, the three-year initiative saw local
authorities, communities, conservation groups and the private sector
come together to change and improve local areas in both rural and urban
locations. This unique partnership approach means these natural spaces
now not only provide a sanctuary for wildlife to thrive, but also ensure
people can enjoy them for generations to come. In total, work across the areas has preserved or enhanced over 13,500
hectares of habitat, such as the 1,700 hectares of woodland and wetland
in Morecambe Bay, while an additional 5,000 hectares of habitat has been
created, providing much-needed homes for our precious wildlife. The Nature Improvement Areas have also helped people reconnect with
nature, with volunteers contributing over 47,000 days, school children
earning their green fingers by planting trees, and communities getting
involved in decision making. Thanks to work carried out through the initiative, the areas could
now see a boost to tourism, helping to generate jobs and enhance our
valuable rural economy which is worth £210 billion to the UK’s growing
prosperity. Natural England Chairman Andrew Sells said: "I warmly congratulate
all 12 Nature Improvement Areas on the enormous contribution they have
made to conservation in such a short space of time. It is clear that
this approach to coordinated landscape scale activity in England has
delivered multiple benefits. The positive lessons learnt from this
initiative serve as shining examples of what can be achieved by an
‘outcomes focused partnership approach’ and I hope that inspires others
to follow suit in the future." Learnings from the Nature Improvement Areas will now help to inform
Defra’s 25 year plan for action on the environment which will be
published later in the year as part of a comprehensive, long-term vision
to protect the country’s natural heritage. Access all the reports and summaries including the final report from here.
Fifty years counting ducks - BTO January 16th was the 50th anniversary of the International Waterbirds
Census (IWC) in which volunteers from over one hundred countries will
get out in search of their waterbirds. The IWC is the most globally
extensive, and one of the longest running, biodiversity monitoring
programmes in the world and UK birdwatchers have been there from the
start.
This winter the volunteer effort is even more impressive, as a
special Non-Estuarine Waterbird Survey (NEWS) is taking place along the
British and Irish coastlines. This will increase our knowledge of
species such as Turnstones and Great Northern Divers that depend on our
beaches and inshore waters. Why is the IWC important? Thanks to WeBS volunteers we now know that
populations of some of the birds counted in the UK are changing.
However, the situation in other countries can be very different and it
is vital to get a more complete assessment of the populations that use
the whole East Atlantic Flyway which extends from Arctic Greenland and
Russia to southern Africa. This international context helps us
understand, for example, that whilst declining UK trends in the numbers
of wintering Dunlin may be due to climate change-related
'short-stopping' of birds over-wintering closer to their breeding
grounds, Oystercatchers - in contrast - are declining throughout Europe. David Stroud, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), commented,
“Data and information from the IWC underpins so many aspects of the work
of governments to conserve waterbirds and their wetland habitats – from
conservation status assessments; to the identification, designation and
monitoring of important sites; and the provision of essential
international contexts for species management issues. It is imperative
that we maintain the IWC and continue to develop and enhance its
activities as the basis for the next 50 years of waterbird
conservation.”
Tagging project confirms Sea of the Hebrides importance to basking
sharks - Scottish Natural Heritage A pioneering three-year project to learn some of the secrets of
Scotland’s basking sharks by using satellite tag technology has shown an
area off the west coast to be truly important for these giant fish. Sharks tracked during the Basking Shark Satellite Tagging Project
tended to spend most of their summer in the Sea of the Hebrides and
returned to the same area the following year, according to the final
project report published by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) today
(12/1/16). Between 2012 and 2014, 61 basking sharks were tagged in the project,
a partnership between SNH and the University of Exeter (UoE), and the
first known to use a variety of satellite tagging technologies and to
track the near real-time movements of basking sharks.
Tags were attached to the sharks near the islands of Hyskier, Coll
and Tiree, where each summer large numbers of basking sharks can be seen
feeding near the surface. The tagged sharks were particularly drawn to
the waters around these islands which are an exciting place for wildlife
watchers. Scientists at SNH and UoE believe the sharks return each year
to feed in the area’s plankton-rich seas. The sharks’ behaviour suggests
the waters could also be important to the sharks for other reasons and
that they could benefit from a proposed MPA off the west coast. Suzanne Henderson from SNH, who is managing the project said: “It’s
been really exciting to learn that the same individual basking sharks
return in consecutive years to use Scottish waters. It’s something we
thought happened - but we now have the first proof that this occurs. It
really does emphasise that the Sea of the Hebrides is highly important
for this migrating species.” Protecting highly mobile species, such as basking shark and whales,
is difficult due to the large areas they cover. So identifying and
managing areas where the animals gather to feed, or for important
life-cycle events, such as courtship, can play an important role in
their conservation. As part of the Scottish MPA Programme, SNH has recommended that an
area of the Sea of the Hebrides from Skye to Mull be designated an MPA
to protect the basking sharks, and also minke whales. Scottish Ministers
are currently considering the proposal. Read the final report:
SNH Commissioned Report 908: Basking shark satellite tagging project:
insights into basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) movement, distribution
and behaviour using satellite telemetry - Final report Several defra consultations on potential
Special Protection Areas All close 21 April, use the links below to read the proposals, see
the supporting information and submit your comments.
Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary Special Protection Area changes:
comment on proposals
Northumberland Marine potential Special Protection Area: comment on
proposals
Solent and Dorset Coast potential Special Protection Area: comment on
proposals
Poole Harbour Special Protection Area extension: comment on proposals
Hamford Water Special Protection Area extension: comment on proposals
Outer Thames Estuary Special Protection Area extension: comment on
proposals
SEPA publishes guidance on natural flood management The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published a new
handbook to help local authorities and landowners implement natural
flood management measures. The
Natural Flood Management Handbook was launched at an event held by
the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. The
impact of recent flooding has shown that new ways to manage flooding are
needed, and the handbook details how natural flood management can
contribute, as part of a suite of measures, to help reduce the impact of
frequent flooding on a smaller scale. A key element of sustainable flood risk management involves finding
ways to manage flooding at its source, rather than solely focusing on
traditional engineering further down the catchment. This can include,
for example, riparian planting, reinstating flood plains, restoring
coastal areas or returning watercourses back to their natural shape. These measures can play an important role in reducing flooding during
smaller, more frequent, events while simultaneously delivering many
other benefits. SEPA has responsibility, under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland)
Act 2009, for co-ordinating the delivery of sustainable flood management
in Scotland, and in particular to set objectives and identify actions to
manage flood risk with relevant partner organisations, including natural
flood management. Heather Forbes, Senior Policy Officer in SEPA’s Flood Risk Management
team, said: “Flooding has caused devastation and misery for many people
across Scotland in recent weeks, and highlighted the increasing pressure
on flood risk defences. To continue to focus only on managing flooding
through these traditional means is not sustainable. By managing the
sources and pathways of flood waters further up the catchment, we can
help to reduce the impacts on any defences downstream. This new handbook
has been produced to guide those responsible for implementing natural
flood management approaches, and provide them with the necessary
information. This document will be updated as our understanding of
natural flood management develops.”
Land management could help wildlife beat the challenges brought by
climate change - University of Exeter The harmful effects of climate change on wildlife habitats can been
counteracted by localised land management, a new research paper has
suggested. Scientists from the University of Exeter have suggested that habitats
could be controlled through various focused practices to help ‘buffer’
species against the worst effects of continued climate change. The research team, based at the
Environment and Sustainability
Institute (ESI) at the University’s
Penryn Campus in
Cornwall, acknowledge that some species can adapt to changing conditions
to meet new challenges, such as moving to cooler habitats as
temperatures rise. However, the team believe that mankind can provide crucial assistance
to species across the globe by manipulating the nearby region to suit
the needs of the local wildlife. The review paper features in the respected scientific publication,
the Journal of Applied Ecology. Owen Greenwood, a Bioscientist at the University of Exeter and lead
author of the paper said: “We know that climate change has a huge impact
on biodiversity, and one aspect is that many species are unable to
migrate to less hostile habitats due to unfavourable conditions, such as
farmlands providing a barrier for example. “What we have shown in this paper is that, by managing the land in a
smarter way, we can help species adapt and survive despite the problems
associated with climate change. And these are all things that can be
done on a local level, and so could be acted upon in a relatively short
space of time.” Access the paper: Greenwood, O., Mossman, H. L., Suggitt, A. J., Curtis, R. J., Maclean, I. M. D. (2016), Using in situ management to conserve biodiversity under climate change. Journal of Applied Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12602
Exmoor Rural Crime Initiative arrests -
Exmoor National Park and National Wildlife Crime Unit A joint wildlife crime operation took place in North Devon recently
under the auspices of the Exmoor Rural Crime Initiative. On 20 January officers from both Avon & Somerset and Devon & Cornwall
Police along with staff from Devon and Somerset Trading Standards,
Environmental Health and the National Wildlife Crime Unit visited nine
premises in the Barnstaple area as part of a wildlife crime operation. This activity follows a two and a half year investigation and
intelligence gathering by both police forces into organised crime and
poaching networks. Using Trading Standards and Food Safety powers along with a number of
warrants obtained under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, business and
residential properties were searched by officers as part of
investigations into alleged offences surrounding poaching and the
illegal supply of meat into the food chain. Two men aged 37 and 42 have been arrested for poaching offences and
bailed until the 9th March pending further enquires. Two men aged
19 and 57, and a 53-year-old woman has also been arrested in connection
with firearms offences and have been bailed until the 18th March. A number of meat samples have been taken and will be tested to
establish the species of the animal product on sale. Carcasses were also
located at a number of address and further tests will take place to
establish the type of weapon used to kill these animals. Cash,
phones, computers and other weapons were also seized during the
operation. Sgt Andy Whysall, from Avon and Somerset Police, who is currently
working with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “This type of joint
operation between police forces and other agencies sends a clear message
to those who don’t believe that wildlife crime is taken seriously. It
demonstrates that by working together with our partners we have the
ability to deal with a wide range of offences and those involved in
wildlife crime, poaching and trading standards offences are brought to
justice. "These are not victimless crimes, landowners loose out and ultimately
the public are potentially at risk from food that isn’t checked and
tested by the usual food standards. I would like to thank all agencies
involved in making sure that such a response to this issue was
possible.”
Iconic harvest mouse returns to Hampshire village
- defra Iconic harvest mouse immortalised by Beatrix Potter returns to
Hampshire village where it was first discovered
The iconic Harvest Mouse has been found in a Hampshire village more
than 25 years after it was thought to have been locally extinct thanks
to an innovative new farming method. Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss today (22/1/16) announced the
discovery of more than 150 nests around Selborne village, the birthplace
of the famous naturalist Gilbert White who was responsible for
distinguishing micromys minutus, or the Harvest Mouse, as a species in
1767. The Selborne Farmer Cluster has brought together local farmers so
they can achieve greater ecological benefits by protecting a wider
landscape than just their own individual farmland. Environment Secretary
Elizabeth Truss is visiting the cluster around the village where the
mice were last seen in 1990. The 25-year Environment Plan is set to
help conserve our precious environment by boosting co-ordination and
encouraging people to work more closely together, which is exactly what
this farmer cluster model is achieving. The Selborne farmers joined
forces with volunteers to conduct surveys of field mice nests and
carried out vital work such as hedge laying, hedge planting and the
maintenance of grass headlands around arable fields to create habitats.
By working collectively, the Selborne cluster has created a connected
habitat for birds, small mammals and insects. In addition to
biodiversity improvements, the farmer cluster method of working can
bring economic benefits. Managing flood resilience, for example, is more
effective if the land is looked at as a whole within a water catchment
area, as opposed to individual units. The 25-year Environment Plan is set to help conserve our precious
environment by boosting co-ordination and cohesive working between
people, which is exactly what this farmer cluster model is achieving.
Largest-ever survey of Scottish wildcats commences
- Scottish Wildcat Action The largest-ever survey of Scottish wildcats is now underway with
more than 300 trail cameras live. The survey focuses on the six wildcat priority areas of Scotland,
including Strathpeffer, Strathbogie, Strathavon, North Strathspey,
Morvern and the Angus Glens. As part of Scottish Wildcat Action, these motion-sensitive cameras
will monitor cats living in parts of the Highlands over a 60-day period. Survey methods are informed by published scientific studies and a
practical hands-on approach. More than 130 volunteers will check the cameras. Data gathered will
help inform wildcat protection measures including an extensive neutering
campaign to stop feral and pet cats from interbreeding with the
endangered wildcats and passing disease on to them. The project would like to send an enormous thank you to all the
dedicated volunteers who have given up their time to help gather this
crucial intelligence. This impressive volunteer collaboration is
supported by an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Dr Roo Campbell, the priority areas manager, said: “This is a
significant step towards creating safer places for wildcats in Scotland.
The winter survey will provide a huge source of information about what
cats are out there, where they are and the degree of hybridisation
between our native wildcat and the domestic cat. “This is the first time a wildcat survey of this scale has been
carried out and will be very important for assessing the current threats
to wildcats.”
Study demonstrates value of green spaces to society
- The Land Trust Every pound invested in parks and nature reserves contributes £30
towards health and wellbeing benefits and £23 towards crime reduction
and community safety. Those are the findings uncovered by national land management charity,
the Land Trust, which commissioned an independent study by economic
consultants, Carney Green to assess the value of the green spaces in its
portfolio. The study also found that for every £1 spend by the Land Trust in
maintaining its parks and nature reserves; people value this at two and
a half times higher. The study measured the impact of Land Trust services to identify the
value that people place on their local green space as well as to
estimate the financial value it contributes to the health and social
sectors. The results were emphatic, demonstrating that green spaces are not
just good for the environment, they are good for society. Among those surveyed (as part of the study), nine out of 10 people
visiting Land Trust’s spaces felt that they play a positive part in
their happiness and wellbeing. The study revealed that people
using Land Trust green spaces have higher levels of satisfaction and
wellbeing and lower levels of anxiety compared to the national averages
(the survey used the same wellbeing questions as those from the Office
for National Statistics annual household survey). Euan Hall, CEO of the Land Trust said “We have always known that well
managed green spaces provide significant benefits for society, but the
results of this study are really encouraging and they reinforce the
importance of our work in sustainably managing our green spaces. Seeing
the results quantified so starkly in this context is fantastic. This is
a major step forward for us and reaffirms the opportunities we have for
providing even more benefits to society.” The study shows that the Land Trust’s sustainably managed green
spaces deliver multiple benefits and make a significant contribution for
local people to feel healthier, happier, safer and wealthier. See the summary report here (PDF) Scientific Publications Lauren Fuller and Christopher P. Quine.
Resilience and tree health: a basis for implementation in sustainable
forest management Forestry (2016) 89 (1): 7-19 first published
online December 20, 2015 doi:10.1093/forestry/cpv046
Gleckler, P. J., Durack, P. J., Stouffer, R. J., Johnson, G. C &
Forest, C. E. (2016)
Industrial-era global ocean heat uptake doubles in recent decades…
Nature Climate Change doi:10.1038/nclimate2915 Kettel E. F., Perrow, M. R. & Reader, T. (2016)
Live-trapping in the stalk zone of tall grasses as an effective way of
monitoring harvest mice (Micromys minutus). European
Journal of Wildlife Research. 10.1007/s10344-016-0985-1 Mueller, A. K., Chakarov, N., Heseker. H. & Krüger, O. (2016)
Intraguild predation leads to cascading effects on habitat choice,
behaviour and reproductive performance. Journal of Animal Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12493 Bodil K. Ehlers, Christian F. Damgaard, Fabien Laroche Intraspecific genetic variation and species coexistence in plant communities. Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0853
Terrado, Marta et al Integrating ecosystem services in river basin management plans. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12613
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Image:
Imperial College London
Curlew,
(image: John Harding / BTO)
Map showing path of tagged basking sharks (image: SNH)
Harvest
mouse (image: defra)
