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Headlines from week beginning 20 February 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Artificial shelters could help trees survive climate change
– Aberystwyth University
It is a common sight to see plastic shelters placed on young tree
saplings to protect them when growing, but new research suggests that
this may also prepare them to survive climate change. Aberystwyth University graduate Catherine Duerden unearthed the truth
about tree shelters while writing her MSc dissertation and the findings
have been published in the Quarterly Journal of Forestry. In it she sets out to determine the long term effects of tree
shelters used for protecting young tree saplings against the environment
and herbivores. Speaking of her research Catherine said: “It was surprising that we
have used so many of these shelters without really knowing what they do
to trees in the longer term. Several million are produced and used in
the UK alone each year. There are so many used that wherever you go in
the developed world you are likely to be within just 1 km of a tree
shelter.” As part of her dissertation Catherine tried to identify past
experimental sites where the tree shelters had been tested. But this
proved a challenge as decades had passed, experiments had been
abandoned, paper records lost and many experimenters retired. However, in a filing cabinet in a broom cupboard in the Llandovery
Forestry Commission offices, detailed records were unearthed from a
comprehensive study of Welsh oak trees established in 1994. Catherine said: “I then revisited this site, which had tested 20 tree
shelter types, and was able to look at the success of the sessile oaks
after 20 years of growth. What I discovered was that 17 of the 20
shelter types promoted survival, and 12 of the shelter types had
significantly increased trees’ stability compared to those grown without
tree shelters.”
Basking sharks seek out winter sun –
University of Exeter The winter habits of Britain’s basking sharks have been revealed for
the first time. Scientists from the University of Exeter have discovered some spend
their winters off Portugal and North Africa, some head to the Bay of
Biscay and others choose a staycation around the UK and Ireland. Little was known about basking sharks’ winter behaviour as they spend
little time at the surface and are often far from land, so the
researchers used cutting-edge satellite tracking to carry out the most
detailed ever study of their migrations in the north-east Atlantic. It was once thought that the giant, plankton-eating fish hibernated
in the waters off the UK and Ireland, but evidence in recent years has
undermined this theory. “Knowing where these animals are all year round allows us to
understand the threats they face,” said lead author Philip Doherty, of
the Environment and Sustainability Institute on the University of
Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“This is essential information if we want to protect them, especially
as they swim far outside UK waters, meaning any conservation efforts
must be international. In terms of man-made threat they may face, we
tend to think of commercial fishing as the only danger to these animals,
but other issues such as boat strike, marine litter, civil engineering
and ocean noise might also have an effect.” The researchers tagged 70 sharks and, of the 28 tags which continued
transmitting for more than five months, they found most sharks either
stayed near the UK or swam to the waters off Spain, Portugal and North
Africa. A smaller number spent the winter in the Bay of Biscay, west of
France. Those which swam south left in late summer and autumn, and returned
in spring and early summer.
Mapping our special places in Wales - Natural Resources Wales
These give people a 360̊ panoramic view, so anyone with internet
access can virtually ‘walk’ the trails using Street View on Google Maps.
This project is part of NRW’s commitment to help more people get
active and enjoy the outdoors. Max Stokes, Natural Resources Planning Officer said: “We look after
loads of sites across Wales where people can go running, walking and
mountain biking. Launching the digital maps with Google means we can now
showcase these special places on a global platform. We hope that this
‘virtual warden’ experience will encourage more people to get out and
enjoy the outdoors."
Winning in a changing climate: a jewel wasp new to Britain found in Kent
– Kent Wildlife Trust The jewel wasp is a species new to Britain and new to Kent, found on
our reserves and most likely enabled by a changing climate – we always
think of climate change as bad, but as species are pushed out of their
continental range and expand north, they have to find stepping stones of
habitat further north or go extinct. We are going to lose species to
climate change, but also gain them.
Hedychrum nobile is a jewel wasp, a large one at that and a
truly stunning little beast. Jewel wasps are members of the cuckoo wasp
family Chrysididae, and are generally parasites or cleptoparasites
(parasitism by theft). They lay their eggs in the nests of other
insects, where their larvae consume the host egg or larvae alive. They
are aptly named, generally being vibrant shades of bright metallic
colours, and with minutely detailed and sculptured bodies. Most species
in the family are found in desert regions of the world, as they are
typically associated with solitary bee and wasp species, which are also
most diverse in such places. This particular jewel wasp is a parasite of
another wasp, the weevil hunting wasp Cerceris arenaria. The
jewel wasp sneaks into the burrow of the weevil hunting wasp while she
is away hunting weevils and lays her eggs. The weevil hunting wasp
larvae consume the provisioned weevils, only to then be consumed
themselves, a grim but exquisite intricacy of the struggle for life in
the natural world.
CEH-led €3 million EKLIPSE project supporting policy on Europe’s
biodiversity and ecosystem services launches first report
– Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Experts from the Centre of Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) are playing a
key role in a major EU-funded project to provide policy makers with the
information needed to make decisions on conserving biodiversity and
ecosystem services and solve environmental problems across Europe.
The European Commission-funded project works by sending out 'calls
for expertise' to scientists and other knowledge holders who then share
their knowledge to help inform Europe’s policy-makers on environmental
challenges. EKLIPSE has now reached a landmark in its four-year cycle by
producing its first report, published by CEH.
Walkers and climbers asked to assist campaign against wildlife crime
– Mountaineering Scotland Walkers and climbers out in the countryside are being asked to report
any dead birds of prey they may come across to Police Scotland. The call
comes as part of a campaign, by the Partnership for Action against
Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland, to counter raptor persecution.
Dead Golden Eagle near Bridge of Orchy. Photo
courtesy of RSPB A Scottish Government study indicates that the public are covering
large areas of the countryside. The report, “Let's Get Scotland Walking:
The National Walking Strategy" (published in 2014) shows that, in 2012,
visitors took 2.2 million walks (of up to two miles or up to one hour)
and 1.8 million long walks (more than two miles or more than one hour)
in Scotland. This makes the walking community, from the adventurous hill walker down to the weekend family stroller, a valuable resource as "eyes on the ground,” in tackling wildlife crime. It also means that walkers are getting to places which criminals think are out of sight.
Greener UK coalition launches manifesto urging government to use Brexit
to restore and enhance the environment – Wildlife Trusts on behalf
of the coalition The Greener UK coalition of 13 major environmental
organisations, including WWF, the National Trust, RSPB and The Wildlife
Trusts, has today (22/2) launched its manifesto calling on the
government to restore and enhance the environment as the UK prepares to
leave the European Union. The Greener UK coalition of 13 major environmental
organisations, including WWF, the National Trust, RSPB and The Wildlife
Trusts, has today launched its manifesto calling on the government to
restore and enhance the environment as the UK prepares to leave the
European Union. It is the first time so many environmental
organisations across the UK have come together to express such a wide
range of concerns, across all environmental policy areas. They say, “We
are depleting our soils and water supplies, generating mountains of food
and plastic waste, changing our climate and making the air in our cities
dangerous to breathe. Our wild places are dwindling, and we face the
sadness of once familiar animals and plants fading away from our gardens
and countryside.” The Greener UK manifesto follows a House of Lords
report last week, which identified the risk of a vacuum in the the
oversight and enforcement of environment legislation, and the challenge
of effectively maintaining the extensive existing environmental
protections through the Repeal Bill. However, the coalition also says that Brexit
offers the chance for the government to make a greener UK a reality, by:
194 MPs from across the UK’s political parties
have so far signed up to the Greener UK coalition’s
Pledge for the Environment. Download the manifesto (PDF)
Coca-Cola to back deposit return scheme in major U-turn
- Holyrood magazine
Coca-Cola gives its backing to a deposit return scheme for cans and bottles in Scotland – Marine Conservation Society In what appears to be a U-turn by the soft drinks
giant Coca-Cola, the firm says the "time is right" to try new measures
"such as a well-designed deposit scheme for drinks containers, starting
in Scotland where conversations are under way". The statement comes just weeks after Sky News said
it had seen an internal document that revealed the extent of Coca-Cola's
opposition to the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme in the UK. MCS has welcomed the move from Coca-Cola. Dr Sue
Kinsey, MCS Senior Pollution Policy Officer said: “We’re delighted that
Coca Cola has decided that a Deposit Return System for Scotland is a
positive step forward. MCS believe that a properly designed system will
reduce litter on our beaches and in our seas as well as increase
recycling rates, reduce carbon emissions and deliver good value for
local authorities and tax payers. We also believe a system, custom made
for Scotland, will benefit companies such as Coca Cola, providing them
with a steady supply of clean recyclate, and smaller businesses will
benefit from increased footfall and handling fees.” Calum Duncan, MCS Head of Conservation in Scotland
added: "A deposit return system for drinks containers is the easiest
next step we could take to reduce plastics in the marine
environment. It's great to see Coca-Cola recognise the advantages for
them, and for society more generally, and we welcome their support for
this campaign." John Mayhew, director of the Association for the
Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS), said: "This is truly a
landmark moment and we are very pleased to add Coca-Cola to the list of
companies which agree that Scotland needs a deposit return system for
drinks containers." WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "We very
much welcome this move by Coca-Cola and encourage other drinks
manufacturers, retailers and businesses to follow their
lead. Well-planned deposit return systems have a major role to play in
helping to cut wasteful use of resources and preventing marine
pollution."
Response:
Positive step by industry to tackle litter –
Keep Scotland Beautiful Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: The announcement by Coca Cola is a positive step in the right direction and I am pleased that they have acknowledged the need for new, innovative solutions to tackle litter and littering behaviour. However, it is clear that a deposit scheme won’t be the silver bullet that solves Scotland’s litter problem. We should also not underestimate the hard work and challenges that that lie ahead if such a scheme is to be implemented in Scotland. It is vital that all stakeholders are fully engaged in the design and development of any scheme to ensure delivers for Scotland."
Response:
Coca-Cola U-turn on opposition to bottle deposit schemes
- Greenpeace comment
Reaction:
Coca-Cola makes a refreshing decision about Scotland’s bottles and cans
- CPRE Campaign to Protect Rural England this morning
welcomed news that major drinks multi-national Coca-Cola has changed its
global position on deposit return systems, with an announcement that the
company will support a deposit return system in Scotland. The decision
comes after the soft drinks giant took a fresh look at the evidence and
agreed that only a deposit system for drinks containers can deliver the
step-change in recycling and litter reduction that is needed. Samantha Harding, CPRE Litter Programme Director,
says: ‘This is fantastic and heartening news. It’s admirable that
Coca-Cola has been bold enough to change its position after seeing the
benefits of deposit return. Our hope is that such positive progress in
Scotland will encourage England’s ministers to follow the success of the
carrier bag scheme with the best solution for drinks litter – a deposit
return system.’ Ministers in Westminster are also considering the same opportunity, with England facing the same challenges with regard to plastic pollution, wasted resources and high levels of littered bottles and cans.
Wintering ducks connect isolated wetlands by dispersing plant seeds
– Utrecht University Plant populations in wetland areas face increasing
isolation as wetlands are globally under threat from habitat loss and
fragmentation. Erik Kleyheeg and Merel Soons of Utrecht University show
that the daily movement behaviour of wintering mallards is highly
predictable from the landscape they live in and that their daily flights
contribute to maintaining the connections between wetland plant
populations across increasingly fragmented landscapes. The researchers
and co-authors are publishing their results today in the academic
journal Journal of Ecology. Mallards are among the most numerous and
widespread duck species in the world, their global population estimated
at approximately 19 million individuals. They are strong flyers, able to
cover long distances at great speed (about 80 km/h) and part of the
population migrates over long distances from their breeding areas to
their wintering areas. Mallards are omnivorous and in their non-breeding
range, during autumn and winter, they feed largely on plant seeds. Many
of these seeds are not digested and survive gut passage. In this way,
the mallards play an important role in transporting the seeds between
wetland feeding and resting areas. Access the papers: E. Kleyheeg, H.J. Treep, M. de Jager, B.A. Nolet
and M.B. Soons (2017)
Seed dispersal distributions resulting from landscape-dependent daily
movement behaviour of a key vector species. Journal of Ecology,
online early DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12738. E. Kleyheeg, J.B.G. van Dijk, D. Tsopoglou-Gkina,
T. Woud, D. Boonstra, B.A. Nolet and M.B. Soons* (2017)
Movement patterns of a keystone waterbird species are highly predictable
from landscape configuration. Movement Ecology, online early DOI:
10.1186/s40462-016-0092-7.
Rare species discovered at ‘lost world’ estate near Loch Ness
– Trees for Life Surveys at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch
Ness have revealed a range of rare species, including a midge never
recorded in the United Kingdom before – underlining the site’s growing
reputation as a ‘lost world’ for biodiversity. The discovery of the non-biting midge (Chironomus vallenduuki) by
entomologist Peter Chandler last August brings the total of UK
biodiversity firsts found at the estate in Glenmoriston in
Inverness-shire to 11.
The charity also found two parasitic wasps (Homotropus pallipes and
Diphyus salicatorius), for which there are very few Scottish records,
and – for the first time in Scotland north of the River Tay – a
pseudoscorpion called the knotty shining claw (Lamprochernes nodosus). A micro-moth, the small barred longhorn (Adela croesella) – only
documented at three other locations in Scotland, and never before this
far north – was found by volunteer Richard Davidson. Richard had been
taking part in one of Trees for Life’s popular volunteer Conservation
Weeks at Dundreggan when he found the moth. New species for the UK discovered on the estate in recent years were
three sawflies (Nematus pravus, Nematus pseudodispar and
Amauronematus
tristis), an aphid (Cinara smolandiae), two aphid parasitoids (Ephedrus
helleni, Praon cavariellae), three fungus gnats (Brevicornu
parafennicum, Mycomya disa, Sceptonia longisetosa), and a mite
(Ceratozetella thienemanni).
Protection extended for mid Cornwall’s wildlife-rich landscape
– Natural England Rare butterflies and birds will benefit from a much larger area of
protected land in mid Cornwall from today, says Government wildlife
adviser Natural England.
The countryside across the Mid Cornwall Moors is a rich and varied
mix of heathland, woodland, and wildflower meadows; a vital sanctuary
for wildlife, as well as an important asset for local people, visitors,
and businesses. Fens and mires in the headwaters of the Fal and Par
catchments also help to provide clean water and have the potential to
reduce flood risk to homes and properties located further downstream. Natural England has joined forces with landowners, the Cornwall
Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, building on the successes of
the Mid Cornwall Moors LIFE project to create the perfect conditions for
the rare marsh fritillary butterfly, which should see its fortune
improve as a result. The wet woodlands throughout the area are important
for the diminutive willow tit, which has virtually disappeared from
large parts of the UK and declined by an estimated 81% since the
mid-1990s. The new areas added to the SSSI include important breeding
sites for both of these special species.
New wildlife record for WWT Washington – The
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust The regionally rare avocet has made its earliest ever return to one
North East wetland reserve.
Avocet on Wader Lake (image: David Dinsley)
“We now expect numbers to start gradually building as more birds move
further north during this mild weather and we’ve already begun reducing
the water levels on Wader Lake in anticipation of their arrival. “This creates more habitat and also exposes the invertebrate-rich mud
on which avocets feed; picking prey from the surface or foraging by
sweeping their long, up-curved bill from side to side through the
sediment.” Avocets began breeding at WWT Washington in 2006 and since then
numbers have steadily increased; hitting an all-time high of 42 on site
in June 2016.
New online tool makes broadleaves management easier
– Forestry Commission An online tool that helps land managers get the right tree in the
right place has been upgraded to include key productive broadleaved
species as well as conifers. The move means that forest managers and land owners can now make even
better use of this IT-based “ready-reckoner” to optimize their forestry
investment
Accessible to all land managers, this upgraded version of EMIS will
help resolve many of the restrictions, concerns and fears identified by
forest managers in growing productive broadleaved species. A pilot session on the upgraded tool is being organized by FES for
March 2017. Anyone wishing to take part should contact
andrew.hunt@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
Vital volunteers needed to save our last red squirrels
– Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts are leading the largest ever
recruitment drive for red squirrel volunteers. With the help of National
Lottery funding, the Trusts aim to increase volunteer numbers from 500
to 5000 to save the UK’s last red squirrels. With the first of this year’s surveys of the
endangered mammal due to start on 1st March, a new approach to the
conservation of this charismatic species puts volunteers at the
forefront of efforts to halt their decline. Volunteers are needed to help protect red
squirrels, as part of community-based teams gathering information about
squirrel populations. Tasks include speedy reporting of grey squirrels
moving into areas which are currently strongholds for red squirrels. The
larger, invasive non-native greys are a major reason for the reds’
decline.
Volunteers will work with partner organisations in
their local area, logging squirrel sightings, monitoring feeders for
reds, setting up camera traps to film their behavior, controlling grey
squirrel populations in key areas, and teaching the public and
schoolchildren about our treasured native species, characterized by
Beatrix Potter’s ‘Squirrel Nutkin’. Data about sightings will contribute to the work
of Red Squirrels United, a UK-wide network set up to protect the reds,
and to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. Red Squirrels United
came together in 2015. It marks the biggest ever partnership of
academics and conservationists working together on a scientifically
robust programme of conservation for this iconic native species. RSU is
a UK-wide network of nine organisations, led by The Wildlife Trusts,
working with local landowners and communities in nine stronghold areas
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland RSU works with
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. Partners will maintain grey squirrel-free habitat
where it already exists, for example on the island of Anglesey and in
Kielder Forest in northern England; extend current red squirrel
protection zones in mid-Wales and Merseyside and implement a new whole
country approach in Northern Ireland. On the 7th and 8th March 2017, Red Squirrels
United will hold a Red Squirrel Knowledge Fair – it will be the first
ever time people across the UK have shared experiences and techniques to
help stop the declines of this charismatic species. Find your local partner organisation and what they
offer volunteers here
www.redsquirrelsunited.org.uk/
Major boost for Scotland’s red squirrels thanks to National Lottery
funding – Scottish Wildlife Trust The Trust has been awarded a grant of £2.46
million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Saving Scotland’s Red
Squirrels – Developing Community Action project. Over the next five years
Saving Scotland’s Red
Squirrels will enlist hundreds of volunteers in three key regions to
carry out practical work to protect and strengthen red squirrel
populations.
Scotland is home to just 120,000
red squirrels, three quarters of the UK population. The main threat
to their survival comes from competition with invasive non-native grey
squirrels and the spread of the deadly squirrelpox virus, but over the
last eight years we have proved that it is possible to change their
fortunes. “Through targeted control of grey squirrels we can
reverse the decline of our native reds and help them return to former
territories," said Dr Mel Tonkin, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels
Project Manager. “Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to
empower communities to help protect not just their local red squirrels,
but major populations of the species in Scotland, and ensure that future
generations can continue to see these special animals.” The funding has been welcomed by Roseanna
Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and
Land Reform, who said: “Red squirrels are a priority species that we
need to do all we can to help. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has led
important work to conserve them since 2009 so it is fantastic that
players of the National Lottery will help to mobilise communities to
take practical action to protect one of our best loved animals.” Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is led by the
Scottish Wildlife Trust in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage,
Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland and
the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. Early squirrel getting some TLC – Lancashire Wildlife Trust A tiny red squirrel is recovering with Wildlife
Trust officers after a traumatic start to its life. The four-week-old male squirrel was found on the
forest floor at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve by Natural England
volunteers.
It is now safely in the hands of Rachel Miller,
our Red Squirrel Field Officer. Rachel said: “He was on the ground, with
a bloody nose, freezing cold and covered in lice. The first priority was
to get him warmed up and then rehydrated. After three days of TLC he now
has a lot more energy and a good appetite. He weighed just 89g but now
weighs 93g so is putting on weight already." Rachel worked out
his age because his eyes were open by he has no upper incisor teeth. She
said: “It means he was born sometime in mid-January.” She added: “He
will be with me for the next few weeks and, hopefully, we’ll release him
later in the spring. Can I stress that it is really important not to
touch or move any baby animal without first seeking advice. Often the
mother is nearby and may be in the process of moving her young somewhere
else. Young animals have a better chance of long term survival in the
wild if they stay with their mum.” In this case the mother was nowhere around and,
last year, Rachel looked after and released a squirrel which had been
picked up and dropped by a magpie.
Phase One of HS2 railway given Royal Assent
– Wildlife Trusts On Thursday 23 February, one of the largest
construction projects in Europe, and potentially one of the most
environmentally destructive, has been given the green light to be built. The first phase of HS2 between London and
Birmingham has today (23 February 2017) been given Royal Assent. Since
2010, when the project was first raised, The Wildlife Trusts have
campaigned against the proposed route because of the enormous impact
that it will have on wildlife, and also to strongly challenge HS2 Ltd to
raise their ambition for the natural environment. HS2 Ltd has committed to secure ‘no net loss of
biodiversity’ on a route wide basis but, from the outset, the
environmental impacts of HS2 have not been properly taken into account
and we believe that the funds allocated for compensation are wholly
inadequate.
Groundwork to administer £40m HS2 funding for communities and businesses
- Groundwork Groundwork has today (Fri 24 Feb) been named as
the administrators of HS2 funding to offset the disruption of Phase One
of HS2 on local communities and businesses. Following Royal
Assent, the £40 million HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and
Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) will be available during the
construction and the first year of operation of the high speed rail link
between London and the West Midlands over the next 11 years.
Application guidance information for interested
organisations is available online from today (24/2) at
www.groundwork.org.uk/hs2funds. The Funds will be open for
online applications from Wednesday 8 March this year.
Concern grows over rising dolphin and porpoise deaths in UK and France
– Whale & Dolphin Conservation The growing numbers of dolphins and porpoises
washing up dead on the south west coast of the UK is continuing to cause
concern. Over 100 have been reported dead on beaches in
Cornwall and in fishing boat nets in eight weeks, according to the
Cornwall Wildlife Trust, bringing the toll for last year to 205. Of particular concern is the manner of these
deaths with many being caught in fishing nets. Of 13 taken for recent
post-mortem examinations, five showed signs of being caught in nets. The
larger (often French) trawlers operating out to sea have been cited as a
possible cause, with local Cornish trawler men reporting that they are
often hauling up already dead and rotting dolphins. Whilst it is still not completely clear what is
behind the recent strandings, or indeed how unusual the number of deaths
maybe, unless a post mortem (or necropsy) is carried out on the
individuals quickly, it becomes very difficult to ascertain the cause of
death. It has not been possible to carry out necropsies on many of these
dead whales and dolphins because the bodies are too decomposed, but
potential causes include illness, the effects of pollution as well as
entanglement in fishing nets.
Since February 3rd, almost 200 dolphins and
porpoises have been found stranded along the French Atlantic coast,
between the Loire and Gironde estuaries. Ninety eight percent of the
recorded stranded animals were common dolphins most examined by
Observatoire PELAGIS or members of French stranding network (Reseau
National Echouage or RNE). Of the 68 examinations 85% showed
evidences capture in fishing gear or nets. These included broken beaks,
cut-off fin or tail fluke, external net marks, and froth in lungs. Next week sees the launch of a new campaign by WDC
to try to reduce the scale of these terrible deaths.
And finally football playing
bees! Ball-rolling bees reveal complex learning – Queen Mary University of London Bumblebees can be trained to score goals using a
mini-ball, revealing unprecedented learning abilities, according to
scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Their study, published in the journal Science,
suggests that species whose lifestyle demands advanced learning
abilities could learn entirely new behaviours if there is ecological
pressure. Project supervisor and co-author Professor Lars
Chittka from QMUL’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, said:
“Our study puts the final nail in the coffin of the idea that small
brains constrain insects to have limited behavioural flexibility and
only simple learning abilities." Previous research has shown that bumblebees could
solve a range of cognitive tasks, but these have so far resembled tasks
similar to the bees’ natural foraging routines, such as pulling strings
to obtain food. This study examines bees’ behavioral flexibility
to carry out tasks that are not naturally encountered by the insects. “We wanted to explore the cognitive limits of
bumblebees by testing whether they could use a non-natural object in a
task likely never encountered before by any individual in the
evolutionary history of bees," said Dr Clint Perry, joint lead author
and also from QMUL’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. The experiment required the bees to move a ball to
a specified location to obtain a reward of food. The insects were first
trained to know the correct location of the ball on a platform.
Subsequently, to obtain their reward, the bees had to move a displaced
ball to the specified location.The bees that observed the technique from
a live or model demonstrator learned the task more efficiently than
those observing a “ghost” demonstration or without demonstration. Joint lead author Dr Olli J. Loukola, said: "The
bees solved the task in a different way than what was demonstrated,
suggesting that observer bees did not simply copy what they saw, but
improved on it. This shows an impressive amount of cognitive
flexibility, especially for an insect." Access the paper:
Olli J. Loukola, Clint J. Perry, Louie Coscos, Lars Chittka
Bumblebees
show cognitive flexibility by improving on an observed complex behaviour
Science 24 Feb 2017 : 833-836 DOI: 10.1126/science.aag2360
Scientific Publications Odgaard, M. V. et al (2017)
A multi-criteria, ecosystem-service value method used to assess
catchment suitability for potential wetland reconstruction in Denmark.
Ecological Indicators. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.12.001 Broome, A., Long, D., Ward, L. K. & Park, K. J. (2017)
Promoting natural regeneration for the restoration of Juniperus
communis: a synthesis of knowledge and evidence for conservation
practitioners. Applied Vegetation Science. DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12303
Cornwallis, C. K., Botero, C. A., Rubenstein, D. R., Downing, P. A.,
West, S. A. & Griffin, A. S. (2017)
Cooperation
facilitates the colonization of harsh environments. Nature Ecology &
Evolution 1, Article number: 0057 doi:10.1038/s41559-016-0057
Davidson, K. E., Fowler, M. S., Skov, M. W., Doerr, S. H., Beaumont,
N. and Griffin, J. N. (2017),
Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in
salt marshes: a meta-analysis. J Appl Ecol.
doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12892
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Catherine
Duerden with a tree shelter (Aberystwyth University)_uni-exeter.jpg)
The
primary drivers behind basking shark migrations are still unclear. Image
courtesy of Philip Doherty.
People
can now ‘walk’ some of Wales’ iconic trails and paths from the comfort
of their armchair after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) teamed up with
Google to add our special sites to Google Street View.
Hedychrum
nobile by Grant Hazelhurst
CEH
scientists are coordinating the EKLIPSE project which consists of a
consortium of international scientists who invite policy-makers to put
in requests that answer their information needs.
Birds
of prey are widespread over Scotland's varied landscape. In general,
golden eagles favour remote, mountainous regions while buzzards, red
kites and peregrine falcons prefer lower wooded ground or cliff faces.
Peter
Chandler sweep-netting for fungus gnats by lone pine (image: Trees for
Life)
Marsh
fritillary butterfly (image: Natural England)
An
unringed female adult was spotted on Wader Lake at WWT Washington
Wetland Centre yesterday morning (21 February 2017) – two days earlier
than the site’s previous record of 23 February set in 2014.
Broadleave
Planting (image: Forestry Commission)
Red
squirrel (image: Stephen Willis via SWT)
Tiny
red squirrel being fed (image: Lancashire Wildlife Trust)
An
entangled dolphin (image: © Steve Dawson, via WDC)
Bee
holding a mini-ball (image:
