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Headlines from week beginning 16 January 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Walking causes 100 times more disturbance than wildfowling, BASC-funded
study shows - BASC A groundbreaking study, part-funded by the UK’s
largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC), has revealed that walking causes 100 times more
disturbance than wildfowling. The evidence is the result of part of a three year
PhD study looking at the effects of recreational disturbance on
waterfowl and waders. Additional evidence in the study, carried
out by Catherine Collop from Bournemouth University, shows that
wildfowling accounted for just 0.04% of the disturbance activities on
Poole Harbour. The impact was deemed so low that research predicted that
there would be no impact on the survival of birds even if it was
increased by 25 times. Tim Russell, BASC’s director of conservation, said
research into the disturbance of wild birds was important because
estuaries and intertidal areas, such as the one at Poole Harbour,
provide essential habitat for many species of waterbirds, such as
godwits, wigeon, teal and avocets. He said: “Wildfowling is not widely
understood by people who do not shoot. It takes place at very low levels
and wildfowlers are very rarely seen. Having new and clear evidence that
wildfowling causes minimal disturbance will be important in future
discussions with statutory conservation agencies about wildfowling. The thesis will be available online later this
year, along with published papers and a summary of the research
findings.
A Big Leap Forward for the
Sussex Blue Belt – Sussex IFCA Sussex seas are better protected now thanks to the
work of fisheries managers the fishing sector and the wider community. Working at a local level with the community to
find solutions, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
(IFCA) has brought in management for commercial and recreational
fisheries to achieve real benefits for wildlife in our seas. All current
and future fisheries management for designated marine sites will sit
within the new Sussex IFCA Marine Protected Area Byelaw. Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are one type of
designated marine site and protect our diverse species and habitats in
the blue belt around the English Coast. This contributes significantly
to an ecologically coherent, well managed, marine protected area
network. There are presently
fifty MCZs around England, five of which are in
the coastal waters of the Sussex IFCA District. These include Kingmere,
Beachy Head West, Pagham Harbour, Utopia and part of the Offshore
Overfalls site. They protect a range of wildlife such as chalk reefs,
seahorses and black seabream nesting grounds. More sites will be
designated by the UK government in the near future. Sussex IFCA has worked in partnership with Natural
England to identify the best management for important habitats and
species in the blue belt around our coast. Read the full press release (PDF) The
announcement was welcomed by the Marine
Conservation Society:
Great news for Sussex Seas: marine protected areas for people and
wildlife Friday saw the announcement of better protection
for Sussex seas. Brand new management measures have been put in place
to safeguard two nationally important Marine Conservation Zones.
SNH helps hundreds complete their ‘Discovery’ on Outward Bound®
adventures More than 500 disadvantaged young people have enjoyed wild outdoors
adventures designed to help them learn about our natural environment,
thanks to a three-year partnership between Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH) and The Outward Bound Trust. Almost £44,000 of SNH funding has helped 12 to 16 year-olds from
low-income households, predominantly from Central Scotland, to attend a
five-day residential Outward Bound course at Loch Eil, near Fort
William. During the course youngsters explored, swam, scrambled and ran,
climbed, canoed and camped, whilst learning about the stunning
landscapes, geology and wildlife of the Highlands. Participants also
carried out conservation activities, such as rhododendron clearing and
path building, helping them to achieve the John Muir Award at Discovery
Level. In feedback, 90% of the youngsters said that they felt more motivated
about acting responsibly towards the natural environment, and 79% felt
motivated about discovering nature close to where they live. Increasing
outdoor learning opportunities, as well as encouraging more people to
enjoy and benefit from a healthy natural environment, are priority aims
in the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity. Work such as SNH’s
partnership with The Outward Bound Trust is helping to achieve both of
these outcomes.
Wheat virus crosses over, harms native grasses
– Michigan State University (via British Ecological Society) Once upon a time, it was thought that crop
diseases affected only crops. New research shows, however, that a common
wheat virus can spread and harm perennial native grasses. In the current issue of the Journal of Ecology,
researchers from Michigan State University, University of Kansas and
University of Virginia show that farmers and scientists need to think
about how best to protect native plants from diseases emanating from
crops. “Crop fields were once considered tiny islands in
a sea of wild vegetation, so farmers and scientists focused on
protecting crops from wild pathogens,” said Carolyn Malmstrom, MSU plant
biologist and co-lead author of the study. “Now, around the world, the
situation has reversed, and diseases from agricultural fields affect not
only crops, but also substantially harm native plants, such as
switchgrass.” The findings were based on a multi-year field
study in Kansas. There, like in much of the Midwest, plains of native
grasses have been transformed to fields of wheat or other cereal crops.
Now, it’s the patches of grasses that are the islands in an ocean of
crops. A widespread wheat pathogen, barley yellow dwarf virus, can
cross over and affect switchgrass, a prime candidate for biofuel
research. The research team combined the field results with a
statistical model and showed that the virus can reduce the vitality of
switchgrass by 30 percent. Interestingly, the infection can affect
switchgrass’ growth even though the native plant displays hardly any
signs of sickness. “Crops have been bred for yield, sometimes at the
cost of plant defense. If they are susceptible, fast-growing crops can
serve as highly competent hosts that amplify viruses within a region,”
Malmstrom said. “In these ‘domesticated’ landscapes, farmers,
conservation biologists and epidemiologists need to be aware that
diseases from crops can move into wild and native plants, which may need
protection.” While the study focused on merely one virus, it
shows that science needs to catch up in understanding how crops
influence native plants and to build more knowledge of virus ecology in
general. Access the paper:
Alexander, H. M., Bruns, E., Schebor, H. and Malmstrom, C. M. (2017),
Crop-associated virus infection in a native perennial grass: reduction
in plant fitness and dynamic patterns of virus detection. J Ecol.
doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12723
Norfolk’s Blakeney retains crown for hosting the largest grey seal
colony in England – National Trust Blakeney Point on the north Norfolk coast is once
again home to England’s largest colony of grey seals, National Trust
rangers have confirmed. The breeding season at the Norfolk nature reserve
ended this month, with rangers from the conservation charity saying that
2,366 grey seal pups have been born on the colony since November.
This represents a one per cent increase on last
year, when 2,343 pups were born. Early indications show that the seal
colony fared well following last Friday’s tidal surge. National Trust rangers have volunteers have
conducted counts of the seal pups on the reserve since 2001, when just
when just 25 pups were born. Ajay Tegala, National Trust ranger on the north
Norfolk coast, said: “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of
grey seal pups being born at Blakeney Point in recent years. But in the
last two years it would appear that the numbers have become more static.
Thankfully the pupping season had finished before last Friday’s tidal
surge, which meant that a large number of pups had already dispersed.
We’re pleased that all the effort the National Trust team has put into
caring for the Point is helping to create a healthy environment for
these beautiful animals and that they continue to return and pup here.”
Volunteering brings amazing results for wildlife at Eycott Hill Nature
Reserve – Cumbria Wildlife Trust Conservation volunteers contributed 210 days to a
local nature reserve in 2016, playing a major role in habitat
restoration and helping to achieve some amazing results for wildlife.
A dedicated team of volunteers have helped at 32
conservation work parties on Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Eycott Hill Nature
Reserve, between Keswick and Penrith, or spent time checking on the herd
of Luing cattle that graze the site. Work party tasks have been varied,
from moving rocks, repairing dry stone walls, and building fences, to
planting thousands of trees and wildflower plants to create better
habitats for wildlife, and carrying out monitoring and surveying to see
how different species are doing. Stephen Owen, Eycott Hill Reserve and Training
Officer said: “Volunteers make a fantastic contribution to our work and
the achievements over the past year have been impressive. The planting
of 2600 wildflower plants has added variety to the meadows making them
better for pollinating insects like bumblebees and butterflies, and 240m
of new hedgerow, made up of 1500 native saplings, will grow to provide
habitat for small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. Volunteers have
also helped with maintenance tasks on the nature reserve including
repairing dry stone walls, clearing bracken, and checking and weeding
6000 young trees across the nature reserve!”
If you're looking to recruit new volunteers send
your adverts now for inclusion in CJS Focus (here)
and if you're looking for a volunteer placement, to join a local group
or for more information about volunteering watch out for the Focus
edition in association with Keep Britain Tidy and due for publication on
Monday 13 February.
Birds of a feather flock together to confuse potential predators
– University of Bristol Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and
Groningen, in The Netherlands, have created a computer game style
experiment which sheds new light on the reasons why starlings flock in
massive swirling groups over wintering grounds.
A murmuration can hold many thousands of starlings
but the reasons why they put on these amazing displays are not well
understood. However, scientists have observed that flocks of
starlings are larger, and more densely packed in areas with more
predators, such as hawks, and that attacks by such predators are less
likely to succeed against larger groups of starlings. This has led
researchers to suggest that one function of these flocks may be avoiding
predation. There are many ways in which forming groups can
reduce predation. One idea is that in larger groups, more birds can be
on the look-out for predators at any one time, and there is even
evidence that larger groups can allow for faster transfer of
information. For example, if one bird sees a predator it might turn to
escape, causing other birds to turn, even if they have not seen the
predator themselves. Another suggestion is that predators may
simply be confused by the sheer number of potential prey, something
called the “confusion effect”. The confusion effect is well documented
in several species and describes decreased predator attack success with
increased prey group size. Access the publication:
Benedict G. Hogan, Hanno Hildenbrandt, Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel, Innes
C. Cuthill, Charlotte K. Hemelrijk.
The
confusion effect when attacking simulated three-dimensional starling
flocks R. Soc. open sci. 2017 4 160564; DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160564.
Published 18 January 2017
Marking 10 years since the MSC Napoli was grounded at Branscombe, Devon
– National Trust What do you do when a large tanker containing
thousands of gallons of oil is left beached and broken just metres from
your beach? That was the challenge facing rangers at
Branscombe, east Devon, on Sunday 21 January 2007. Days before,
the 275 metre long container ship MSC Napoli had broken its back in
storms of the Cornish coast. Tugs battled through stormy
conditions trying to tow the ship to Portland harbour, Dorset, when
coastguards took the decision to ground her just off Branscombe beach –
rather than risk worse damage in deep water. But the vessel leaked 200
tonnes of fuel and around 200 containers – a tenth of the total number
strapped to the ship.
National Trust rangers helped with the clear up
along the Devon and Dorset coast. And the crash helped transform the
conservation charity’s approach to planning for marine disasters. Simon Ford, the National Trust’s Wildlife and Countryside Adviser in the South West, said: “I remember I was at the office when we heard about the Napoli. The rangers at Branscombe rushed down to the beach and we drew together our own team to support the emergency services’ effort. There were hundreds of thousands of mars bars completely smothered in oil washing up on the beaches throughout east Devon and Dorset, along with a multitude of other items from car parts to enormous shipping containers. At the time I was working on a marine plan for Cornwall, planning the National Trust’s response in the event of a disaster off the Cornish coast. The ship grounded just as I was completing the plan for Cornwall and extending it to Devon. When it happened we were caught off guard. But because we had the draft plan from Cornwall we knew what we had to do. We rushed through, trying to use the information from Napoli to guide our plans for all National Trust places. We changed our planning processes as a result, taking into account marine pollution – cargo as well as oil. We made sure that every single National Trust coastal site in the UK have an emergency plan.” For more detail about the wreck and subsequent clean up read the release from the Environment Agency: Tenth anniversary of the MSC Napoli shipwreck disaster
What will the wasp plague be like this year?
– British Ecological Society New research from Victoria University of Wellington has revealed the
population of the common wasp is amplified by spring weather, with
warmer and drier springs often meaning more wasps and wasp stings in
summer.
The study, published today in the Journal of Animal Ecology, examined
23 years of data from New Zealand and 39 years from the United Kingdom,
which included the annual Rothamsted Insect Survey. “We saw different
populations exposed to different weather conditions, which substantially
influenced population numbers. The patterns typically show lower numbers
of wasps after cold, wet springs, and higher numbers after warm, dry
springs,” says lead author Professor Phil Lester from Victoria’s School
of Biological Sciences. “This year we’ve had a really wet spring in many areas across New
Zealand. These places that have seen a lot of spring rainfall could
expect lower numbers of wasps than average this summer.” Professor Lester says climate change could considerably increase wasp
numbers. “We saw this at Rothamsted in the United Kingdom. The area
experienced a change in climate in the 1990s, and its warmer spring
weather has resulted in considerably higher numbers of wasps.” The study also found population densities for the upcoming year are
heavily dependent on numbers from the previous year. Access the paper: Lester, P. J., Haywood, J., Archer, M. E. and Shortall, C. R. (2017), The long-term population dynamics of common wasps in their native and invaded range. J Anim Ecol. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12622
UK National Parks announce Volunteer Award winners
– National Parks The winners of the UK National Parks Volunteer
Awards have been announced. Both the Individual and Group category
awards for this year went to volunteers from the Brecon Beacons National
Park with the Project category award going to New Forest National Park
volunteers. The annual awards give recognition and thanks to all the
volunteers who work hard, helping protect the special landscapes of
Britain’s 15 National Parks each year. Every year the Volunteer Awards, which are
supported by Natural Resources Wales, highlight the wonderful things
people do to help look after Britain’s Breathing Spaces. The Group and
Project award winners will both receive a £1000 bursary to go towards
continuing that fantastic work.
See the full list of awards and winners.
Hundreds of young people to help plant the Future Forest
– Sylva Foundation We have welcomed in the New Year in the best way
possible: inviting hundreds of young people to plant trees in the Future
Forest. Sylva’s staff, Education Manager Jen Hurst and
volunteer Pieternel Overweel, have been working closely with 20 primary
school classes (500 children) thanks to funding from Tesco Bags of Help
and the Ernest Cook Trust.
Sylva Tree Team (image: Sylva) In addition to preparing the primary schools we’ve
been welcoming secondary school students and special needs groups,
thanks to collaboration with Earth Trust who have long-established links
with local schools. The 600+ children helping us plant the new
woodland will be a long way forward in a journey learning about and
taking responsibility for the environment
New freshwater macroinvertebrate species discovered in the UK using eDNA
- CIEEM Researchers from the University of Hull, working
closely with the Environment Agency, have detected a new non-native
gammarid species, native to continental Europe, in several river
catchments in the UK. Gammarus fossarum was found using a
non-targeted DNA-based approach called 'metabarcoding' of both
macroinvertebrate kick samples and environmental DNA (eDNA) from water
and sediment. The species identification was subsequently verified by
both morphology and DNA barcoding. Re-examination of archive
material from the Natural History Museum found G. fossarum to
have been present in the UK since at least 1964. G. fossarum is indigenous
and widespread in mainland Europe, and typically inhabits headwaters and
upper reaches of mountainous streams, with G. pulex being more
dominant in lower river sections. The two species do however co-exist,
as was found in a number of sites from this study. This study is one of the first to demonstrate the
potential of eDNA metabarcoding for passive detection of non-native
species. The research will shortly be published in Aquatic Invasions.
BASC hopes new funding will boost numbers of Greenland white-fronted
geese – British Association for
Shooting and Conservation BASC hopes a Welsh government research grant will
support conservation measures that increase the numbers of Greenland
white-fronted geese on the Dyfi Estuary. RSPB Cymru, acting on behalf of the Welsh
Greenland white-fronted geese partnership, has been awarded £24,000 on
top of £15,000 of funding made available last year. BASC works on the partnership alongside Welsh
government, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the RSPB, Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) and the Dyfi, Mawddach & Dysynni Wildfowlers’
Association and ecologist Mick Green. Ian Danby, BASC’s head of biodiversity, said:
“This funding enables us to further the Welsh government’s wishes to
continue working together to conserve Greenland white-fronted geese.
BASC has worked closely with local wildfowlers and conservation partners
over many years to secure funds to research the movements of these geese
that will allow us to target specific habitat work to benefit them. We
are extremely excited that we have the resources to make real progress
towards that aim.” Greenland white-fronted geese are a vital part of
the Dyfi Estuary SPA, although fewer than 20 birds now winter in the
area. The wintering population has declined by 83% between 1990 and 2016
– which is a faster decline than the global average. A voluntary moratorium on shooting Greenland
white-fronted geese in Wales has been in place for more than 40 years.
Last August, the Welsh government resisted calls to remove the geese
from the quarry list after BASC successfully argued they are best
protected by organisations with local knowledge working for their
continued conservation.
Read the RSPB Cymru press release about the funding (PDF)
Finishing the week with a beautiful photograph.
Photograph taken in Exmoor wins our competition
– Campaign for National Parks
The winning image - The ancient woods of
Exmoor © Penny Webber When she found out, Penny said, ‘I took this photo
on the spur of the moment with my phone. The light was simply glorious
when I was walking with my black Labrador through these woods above
Porlock near my home in Exmoor. Lasting only a few moments, the sun
shone through the trees bathing my dog in rays of light making him seem
like a ghostly shadow. It was just lovely.’ We ran the competition because National Parks are
beautiful places - it's no wonder that people take such fantastic photos
in them! We received some exceptional images demonstrating the passion
people have for photographing the Parks. Penny’s photo stood out though
– capturing the perfect moment the sun shone through the trees. Penny finds her inspiration in the everyday beauty
of the Park. She said, ‘Exmoor is fantastic for walking – especially
where the countryside meets the sea. The Park has striking views, rugged
coast paths and ancient trees like the ones I captured in my shot.'
Scientific Publications Finch, T., Butler, S., Franco, A. & Cresswell, W. (2017)
Low migratory connectivity is common in long-distance migrant birds.
Journal of Animal Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12635
Wellbrock, A. H. J., Bauch, C., Rozman, J. and
Witte, K. (2017),
“Same procedure as last year?” – Repeatedly tracked swifts show
individual consistency in migration pattern in successive years. J
Avian Biol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/jav.01251 Silva, A. D., Diez-Méndez, D. and Kempenaers, B.
(2017),
Effects of experimental night lighting on the daily timing of winter
foraging in common European songbirds. J Avian Biol. Accepted Author
Manuscript. doi:10.1111/jav.01232 Coppes, J., Ehrlacher, J., Suchant, R. and
Braunisch, V. (2017),
Outdoor recreation causes effective habitat reduction in Capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus: a major threat for geographically restricted
populations. J Avian Biol. Accepted Author Manuscript.
doi:10.1111/jav.01239
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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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The
National Trust’s Blakeney National Nature Reserve on the North Norfolk
coast has retained its status as England’s largest seal colony. Over
2,000 grey seal pups were born on the reserve this winter, rangers from
the conservation charity have confirmed. Image: Jemma Finch / National
Trust Images
Eycott
Hill volunteers planting a hedge (image: Cumbria Wildlife Trust)
A
murmuration of starlings (image: University of Bristol)
Oil-slicked
Mars Bars litter the beach following the grounding of the MSC Napoli ten
years ago. Image: Simon Ford / National Trust
Wasp
(image: British Ecological Society)
During
January we have been visiting the schools to talk about trees, forestry
and tree planting. All the children will be visiting the site of the
Future Forest to plant their trees during February. These young students
are excited to be joining the
For
a split second, the sun shone through the trees in a spectacular way.
Penny Webber, resident in Exmoor National Park, seized the moment and
took the perfect photograph that has won our winter photography
competition.
