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Headlines from week beginning 18 June 2018. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Frustratingly low tree planting rates continue in England
- Woodland Trust
The figures show only 1500ha of woodland was planted in England last
year, far below the Government and Forestry Commission aim of 5000ha.
Since announcing the aspiration to increase England’s woodland cover to
12% by 2060, planting has fallen well short of the levels needed to
achieve this goal.
Brackfield
Wood newly planted sapling (Photo: Michael Cooper via Woodland Trust) John Tucker, director of woodland creation, Woodland Trust said:
“These figures are all the more shocking considering the growing
evidence of the importance of trees and woods in tackling air pollution,
improving water quality and offering scope to deliver natural flood
management, not to mention what they offer for wildlife and their
productive potential for the rural economy. Something is drastically
wrong with the way various government departments that share
responsibility for trees and woods are failing to get enough new
woodland created. Poor planting rates, woodland losses, and weak
protection of ancient woods mean that in England, we are highly likely
to be in a state of net deforestation, with some areas of woodland
canopy felled or destroyed and not replanted. Despite repeated requests
there is little sign of government effort to accurately quantify the
cumulative losses of woodland resulting from planning, infrastructure,
tree disease and intensive land use.” Poor planting figures are partly due to significant delays in grant
agreements, and low uptake due to changes in the system. The Trust says
more flexible programmes are needed to grant aid to both smaller and
larger areas of woodland creation and attract a wider range of
landowners willing to plant. The Trust hopes the Government’s forthcoming framework for its 25
year plan for nature will herald a fresh approach, and genuinely new and
practical solutions to address these issues.
A retrospective planning permission for a track on Midhope Moor has been
refused - Peak District National Park
Authority Midhope Moor Track (image: Peak District National
Park) Paul Ancell, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority’s
planning committee, said: “National Park designation is given to the
best and most important landscapes in the UK and Midhope Moor
contributes to this quality landscape. In fact, this area is protected
by both UK and European law: it is in the South Pennine Moors Special
Area of Conservation, and forms part of the Peak District Moors Special
Protection Area, and is in the Dark Peak Site of Special Scientific
Interest. This means it is internationally important for the habitat it
provides and it is our job to help protect it. Today’s decision to
refuse the retrospective planning application for a track on Midhope
Moor was taken due to the overriding need to protect the open moorland
habitat and because of the unacceptable impact the track has in the
landscape of the Peak District National Park."
Exotic invasions can drive native species extinct
- University of Southampton Latest research from the University of Southampton has revealed the
impact of exotic species upon native wildlife, which could potentially
lead to native plant species extinctions within their natural habitats. The study, published in Nature Communications, underlined that even
though competing species have typically lived together following past
migration periods, human introduction and assistance may turn today’s
invaders into agents of native species extinction. Jane Catford, Principal Investigator of the study, titled ‘Introduced
species that overcome life history trade-offs can cause native
extinctions’, said: “It is well established that introduced pests,
parasites and predators can result in native species extinctions, but
whether the introduction of exotic plants can lead to native plant
extinctions has been hotly debated. Our research shows that introduced
exotic plants that are free from their natural enemies or are widely
planted in agriculture and gardens can competitively exclude natives.” Read the paper (open access)
RSPCA rescues terrified buck tangled in netting
- RSPCA
A
member of the public spotted the “distressed” deer with his head and
antlers in a twisted tangle of plastic netting at the side of Castle
Bytham Road in Swayfield, Lincolnshire last week. Deer caught in netting in Lincolnshire (image:
RSPCA) RSPCA Inspector Andy Bostock rushed to the scene to help the
terrified animal which was running around in circles while his head was
trapped. Inspector Bostock said the netting had been left behind from when the
land used to house pens for rearing game birds and said this incident
highlights the importance of clearing netting and plastic away because
it is very damaging to wildlife. The RSPCA receives hundreds of calls every year to rescue animals –
often wildlife – who have become tangled in netting, sport or garden
nets or fishing litter. Inspector Bostock added: “Netted fencing and netting used for
gardening or in sport can be really dangerous for animals and also poses
a risk for those of us who are trying to rescue any entangled animal.
This is a situation which could have been avoided if the netting had
been discarded safely.” Other forms of garden netting, like pond or fruit netting, can be a
real hazard to wild animals like hedgehogs and the RSPCA recommend
replacing them with solid metal mesh.
Ambitious project launches to halt alien invasion
– Scottish Natural Heritage
Image: Scottish Natural Heritage The initiative, led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and funded by
The National Lottery, was set up to tackle one of the countryside’s
biggest problems – invasive non-native (alien) species. On the River Conon, it was a case of many hands make light work, as
the P6 class from Ben Wyvis Primary School (Conon Bridge) gamely rolled
up their sleeves and got stuck in to helping pull out the invasive
Himalayan balsam plant. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Scotland’s habitats
and wildlife are internationally important, but they are being
threatened in some places by an invasion of non-native species. The
Scottish Government has been working hard to tackle this problem for
many years so I am very happy to support the Scottish Invasive Species
Initiative, through Scottish Natural Heritage funding. The initiative
will rely on one of our greatest resources – volunteers – in order to
put long-term solutions in place. I would like to thank the volunteers
who work so hard on a wide range of environmental projects right across
Scotland – they have my respect and admiration.”
Sister species of birds reveal clues to how biodiversity evolves
– Imperial College London Extensive new datasets about the world’s birds are helping to solve
the riddle of how life on Earth diversified.
“Understanding the factors controlling patterns of geographic overlap
between species takes us one step closer to understanding how complex
ecosystems are formed and predicting what they may look like in the
future as a result of changing climates and land uses.” Dr Joseph Tobias The first
paper compiles body measurements and estimates of evolutionary
history for hundreds of closely related bird species (called ‘sister
species’) to study how new species evolve. In most cases, new bird species begin to emerge when one population
is isolated geographically from others, such as by a mountain range.
Later, the diverging species may extend their geographical ranges,
bringing them back into contact. These encounters can play out in one of three ways: the species can
interbreed and form a single species again; they can stay separated but
with hard borders between their two ranges; or they can continue to
expand their ranges until they coexist over a wide area.
Beavers breeding in Cornwall! – Cornwall
Wildlife Trust Cornwall Beaver Project announced some fantastic news last week with
the arrival of at least two kits (juvenile beavers) at the 5 acre fenced
site at Woodland Valley Farm in Ladock near Truro. These are the first
beavers to be born in Cornwall for over 400 years!
Farmer Chris Jones alerted project partner Cornwall Wildlife Trust
after his first view of one of the kits at the beginning of the week.
The Cornwall Beaver Project team were all hoping for some good views
during their regular Wednesday night beaver walk and invited filmmaker
Nina Constable in the hope of getting some footage for BBC Springwatch.
The kits did indeed come out and were enjoyed by thousands nationwide on
the last episode of Springwatch 2018. The Cornish beaver pair have been busy since their release last
summer making themselves at home in their 5-acre enclosure on the farm.
The Cornwall Beaver Project has witnessed the first beaver lodge being
built in Cornwall for hundreds of years. As well as this, a smaller
lodge appeared on site earlier in the year which initially caused
confusion. However, it was soon realised this was the male beaver
building a temporary bachelor pad, as he had likely been asked to leave
the lodge while the female was nursing. All the signs were there and the
team have sat poised for the last month waiting in anticipation for the
first glimpse of a beaver kit.
NRW to invest £2.6 million in innovative projects to improve the
environment – Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is set to invest £2.6 million in
projects to improve the environment across Wales. The successful projects will help some of our most threatened
wildlife, improve habitats plus increase access to some of Wales’ most
spectacular landscapes and will deliver real improvements for the Welsh
environment, people and economy over the next two years. The projects selected will help meet the challenges identified under
the four themes of reducing the risk from environmental hazards such as
flooding and pollution; improving habitat management, biodiversity and
connectivity; improving access to the outdoors and using the natural
environment to support the economy and develop skills. Rhian Jardine, NRW’s Chair of Strategic Funding Board said:
“Improving the natural environment, and the wildlife that lives there is
incredibly important for us and for Wales, its wildlife and people’s
quality of life. We have been delighted at the quality and innovation of
applications in response to this funding opportunity that will help us
to achieve that. Our commissioning approach, where we set out the
challenges for specific areas of Wales generated interest across all
sectors and we have several partners who receive funding for the first
time including the National Farmers Union and Denbighshire Housing
Department.” Discussions between NRW and the successful bidders over the next few
weeks will refine this year’s projects before contracts are signed over
the summer.
Pair of nesting red kites found poisoned in County Down
– RSPB Tests find illegal poison Carbofuran was the cause · Rescue mission
launched in attempt to save three orphaned eggs found in nest beneath
the deceased mother · Latest in a series of incidents involving red
kites in Northern Ireland RSPB NI and the PSNI are appealing for information after a pair of
protected red kites died through illegal poisoning in County Down. Under licence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA),
the rescue operation ensured that the three eggs were fostered into two
wild red kite nests, alongside other eggs, in the hope of saving them. In one of the nests two transferred eggs failed as they were found
intact (unhatched) during a follow-up inspection. In the other nest -
which hosted one adoptive egg alongside two other eggs - one chick was
found on the nest. As there were no egg shell remains it’s unknown if
the sole chick on this nest was from the donor egg.
A tail of triumph! Hand-reared godwits survive odds to fly the nest
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
(image: Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) Many of the birds released today were not expected to hatch due to
the terrible condition of the eggs as a result of the late spring
downpours. Thankfully the eggs were rescued from muddy farmland and the
chicks safely raised until old enough to look after themselves. This practice is one element of Project Godwit – a partnership
between WWT and RSPB – which aims to restore the UK breeding population
by collecting eggs for rear and release, known as head-starting. WWT’s Nicola Hiscock oversaw the hand-rearing process. She said:“Even
though we began head-starting godwits in 2017, it didn’t make the
release any less nerve-wracking. We had a real issue with flooding this
year which meant some of these birds literally started life buried in
the ground. So to watch them take their first flight is very, very
special. Over the next few weeks we’ll check on them daily to make sure
they’re OK. But then, they’ll be off on migration and we probably won’t
see them again until they return in the next year or two.” The fledged godwits are expected to join up with the wild fledged
birds and spend time in the Fens before migrating to southern Europe and
Africa for the winter.
Protecting and Connecting Stow Bedon Common - Freshwater Habitats
Trust Freshwater Habitats Trust is delighted to have been awarded a grant
of almost £32,000 by Biffa Award to help protect one of Norfolk’s most
important yet little known freshwater sites. Stow Bedon Common in Breckland is home to over 30 natural ponds known
as pingos, created over 12,000 years ago by ground-ice thawing during
the last Ice Age, leaving behind shallow depressions which filled with
water. Free from pollution, these ponds are now exceptionally rich in
freshwater life and are home to many rare plants and animals, but they
need help to stay that way. Over the next year the grant from Biffa Award will pay for clearing
scrub and putting in new fencing so that livestock can graze the site.
The grazing animals will keep the ponds in perfect condition for the
special plants and animals that live there by stopping the growth of
trees and scrub. Freshwater Habitats Trust will also be supporting local people to
become guardians of the site. The Trust will be running training events
and practical work sessions, creating a resource of volunteers to
continue caring for the site long into the future.
We are launching our #summerofbeauty campaign and we are calling on
you to join us in celebrating & improving the awe-inspiring beauty of
National Parks
Dragon's breath by Grant Hyatt. Showing the breath taking beauty
of the Brecon Beacons. The original first purpose of the National Parks in the Act was
stated as ‘preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the areas’ and
natural beauty was defined as ‘including flora, fauna, and geological
and physiographical features’. What does that mean? While we recognise the high quality of National
Park landscapes – we want them to be teeming with more wildlife
and diverse habitats, contain important sites ofcultural heritage along
with thriving communities. In the coming weeks we will hear from projects from across the
National Parks working hard to enhance the landscape, we will
be launching our own report on improving wildlife in the Parks and we
will be calling for changes to make our Parks more
beautiful. Flourishing nature in our National Parks can help us meet the
biggest challenges of our time. Whether it is mitigating the impacts of
climate change, providing opportunities for recreation and the rural
economy or boosting our mental and physical health.
Climate change to overtake land use as major threat to global
biodiversity - University College London
Gecko (credit: torstensimon, source: Pixabay) The pace of change is set to outstrip loss to vertebrate communities
caused by land use for agriculture and settlements, which is estimated
to have already caused losses of over ten per cent. Previous studies have suggested that ecosystem function is
substantially impaired where more than 20 per cent of a species is lost;
this is estimated to have occurred across over a quarter of the world’s
surface, rising to nearly two thirds when roads are taken into account. The new study, published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B,
shows that the effects of climate change on ecological communities are
predicted to match or exceed land use in its effects on vertebrate
community diversity by 2070, and surpass the effects of historical land
use. The findings suggest that efforts to minimise human impact on global
biodiversity should now take both land use and climate change into
account instead of just focusing on one over the other, as the combined
effects are expected to have significant negative effects on the global
ecosystem. Access the paper: Tim Newbold Future effects of climate and land-use change on terrestrial vertebrate community diversity under different scenarios Proc. R. Soc. B 2018 285 20180792; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0792.
Latest trends in butterfly indicators revealed
- Butterfly Conservation The UK and England butterfly indicators are Official Statistics
published by Defra today (21st June 2018).
Adonis Blue butterfly (image: Butterfly Conservation)
Species had contrasting fortunes within the overall trend.
Habitat specialists showing the greatest decline since 1976 include:
Heath Fritillary, Wood White, Lulworth Skipper and Pearl-bordered
Fritillary. Silver-spotted Skipper, Dark Green Fritillary, Large Heath,
Adonis Blue and Silver-washed Fritillary show significant increases over
the long term. Wider countryside showing the greatest declines
since 1976 include: White-letter Hairstreak, Wall, and Small
Tortoiseshell. Comma, Marbled White, Speckled Wood and Ringlet show
increases over the long term. Read the report: Butterflies in the wider countryside: England, 1990 to 2017
Garden survey reveals sightings of frog and toad are drying up
- RSPB
Survey results released today reveal that sightings of our amphibious
garden wildlife such as frogs and toads are drying up, with RSPB
Scotland calling on people to help them by getting outside this summer
to create more ponds and pools in their outdoor space.
Manx shearwaters surveyed for first time in 20 years
- National Trust A British seabird known for its daredevil flying stunts is being
monitored for the first time in 20 years on a remote Welsh island. Manx shearwaters, who fly so low that their wingtips almost touch the
water, have been counted on Middleholm Island off the Pembrokeshire
coast in South Wales by National Trust rangers and volunteer researchers
from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW).
Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks in England
- British Ecological Society
(image: Barbara Smith, Coventry University) The idea of a Nature Recovery Network draws strongly on the vision
and principles of Sir John Lawton’s ‘Making Space for Nature’ report,
and the widely accepted mantra that wildlife sites should be ‘better,
bigger, more and joined’ for ecological networks to be resilient in the
face of continuing environmental change and human pressures, and capable
of sustaining wildlife populations into the future. Read the paper: Isaac NJ, Brotherton PN, Bullock JM, et al (2018). Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks: nature conservation in England. J Appl Ecol. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13196
Don’t let the sun set on our parks - National
Federation of Parks and Green Spaces Coalition of national organisations call on political leaders to save
UK parks On the first day of summer, the UK’s political leaders are being
asked to champion parks and local public green spaces across the UK to
halt and reverse their decline. The Charter calls on the UK’s four political leaders to:
Groups and organisations throughout the UK are being urged to sign up
to the new Charter from today and throughout the summer. Young people ‘bringing nature to Scotland’s cities’ - Scottish Natural Heritage and YoungScot Scotland’s young people are set to take a new role in making space
for nature in our cities, helping to develop urban nature parks, and
developing their own nature projects through a new £100,000 Scottish
Natural Heritage fund. The announcement is SNH’s response to young people urging for better
ways to connect with nature, particularly in Scotland’s cities; and
improved access to jobs in nature, as laid out in a new report by
Scotland’s national youth biodiversity group, ReRoute. ReRoute, which was formed in 2015 through a partnership between Young
Scot and Scottish Natural Heritage previously carried out a study which
found that half of young people in Scotland want to take action to help
protect the environment, and three quarters (76%) of young Scots aged
11-25 consider nature to be important to them. Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said “The ReRoute
panel has provided powerful insight into how young people should be
supported to get more directly involved in the environment and nature. Access the full report here –
ReRoute Recommendations
Mark of Zorro: new pest coming soon to woodland near you?
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh The distinctive “signature” of the zigzag elm sawfly (Aproceros
leucopoda) might conjure images of the 1940’s movie Mark of Zorro.
But, it heralds the arrival of a new pest in the British countryside.
Recently discovered examples of leaf damage indicate the insect has
arrived in the UK and could threaten elm-dependent insects around the
country. Originally recorded in Japan, the aptly named zigzag elm sawfly only
feeds on elm leaves and has been progressing steadily through Europe.
Now scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), one of a
UK-wide network of environment-related organisations who work in
partnerships to tackle issues of plant health, has confirmed the
tell-tale zigzag feeding trail left behind by sawfly larvae on leaves
collected in Surrey during autumn 2017.
RBGE mycologist Dr Katherine Hayden explained: “This was one of those
chance discoveries that highlight the important collaboration between
members of the public and centres of expertise like botanic gardens.
Plant samples arrived here to be identified as part of local plant
recording activity carried out by experienced amateurs in Surrey.
Examination by our elm specialist revealed the curious zigzag feeding
damage as the first evidence of the pest in Britain.” While zigzag elm sawfly rarely kills trees, large populations can
completely defoliate elms. This can be disastrous for elm leaf feeding
insects such as the rare white-letter hairstreak butterfly (Satyrium
w-album), which suffered in the 1970s through the loss of trees to
Dutch elm disease. The caterpillar of this species can only feed on elm
leaves and populations are sometimes restricted to single trees. Anyone wishing to report sightings of zigzag elm sawfly should use
TreeAlert, the online reporting tool developed by the Forestry
Commission to track tree health problems available at:
www.forestry.gov.uk/treealert
Be proud to be part of #GenerationWildcat - we're their last chance
- Scottish Wildcat Action
#GenerationWildcat calls on the public, including outdoor
enthusiasts, farmers and gamekeepers, to join the fight to bring the
‘Highland Tiger’ back from the edge of extinction. #GenerationWildcat artwork (Scottish Wildcat Action) Dr Roo Campbell, SWA Project Manager, said: "The time to save the
Scottish wildcat is now. We are almost certainly the last generation who
has a realistic chance of saving this iconic species from extinction in
Scotland. Wildcats here face three key threats: hybridisation with feral
domestic cats, disease and accidental killing. Through our
#GenerationWildcat campaign we want to reach out to the people who can
help tackle these threats by taking action, including reporting
sightings of wildcats and un-neutered feral cats. We will only regret
tomorrow what we don’t do today, so I would encourage as many people as
possible to join in this campaign. It is vital that we all work together
and become part of the fight to save our Highland Tiger." He added: "We
are already working closely with schools in our priority areas because
they are key players in #GenerationWildcat. They represent the group who
can carry our work forward into the future, educate the next generation
and maintain an environment in which wildcats can continue to thrive."
Click through to find out ways in which you can help.
Infection mechanisms of ash dieback unravelled
- BBSCR / NIAB UK scientists are a step closer to understanding the mechanisms of
natural fungal infections that cause the ash dieback disease affecting
European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees across the UK and
continental Europe. The research, funded by BBSRC, has shed light on the fungal infection
process, by which the fungal pathogen first infects the host via
ascospores, the sexual reproduction spores of the pathogen. The work,
carried out at the horticultural research organisation NIAB EMR, in
Kent, and Imperial College London, enables scientists to mimic the
natural infection pathway of the fungus. The next step is to develop
rapid screening methods to identify ash trees, with resistance to the
pathogen, which could be used to repopulate lost woodland. “We now have a far greater understanding of the interactions between
the fungus and the host tree during the infection phase,” commented Dr
Robert Saville, plant pathologist at NIAB EMR. Access the research paper: Mansfield,
J. W., Galambos, N. and Saville, R. (2018),
The
use of ascospores of the dieback fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus
for infection assays reveals a significant period of biotrophic
interaction in penetrated ash cells. Plant Pathol. .
doi:10.1111/ppa.12844
Garden Seed Influences Young Turtle Doves’ Survival Chances
- University of Lincoln Young turtle doves raised on a diet of seeds from non-cultivated
arable plants are more likely to survive after fledging than those
relying on food provided in people’s gardens, new research into
Britain’s fastest declining bird species has shown.
Nestling turtle doves still being fed by their parents were found to
thrive on seeds foraged from non-cultivated arable plants such as
scarlet pimpernel and chickweed, but the birds were in poorer condition
when their diet was high in seeds provided by humans in back gardens or
public spaces. In contrast, adult body condition was better when more
cultivated seeds such as wheat, oil seed rape and barley were present in
the diet. View the full paper online, 'The decline of the turtle dove: dietary associations with body condition with other columbids analysed using high throughput sequencing' published in the journal Molecular Ecology.
Foreign Secretary announces UK strategy to protect world’s oceans
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department for Transport, Department
for International Trade, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial
Strategy, and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Government will agree a new strategy to support long-term health of
the marine environment. The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has today [22 June] unveiled an
ambitious plan to bring together all of the Government’s international
oceans work under a single strategy for the first time. The Government will agree and implement a new oceans strategy, under
the aegis of the FCO, which will cover work from departments including
Defra, BEIS, DfT and DIT. The strategy will be developed over the coming
months. Responding to the recommendation from the Government Chief
Scientific Adviser to develop a more strategic approach to marine and
maritime policy, it will provide a blueprint for international action by
HMG towards the oceans that supports the long-term prosperity of the UK
and the long-term health of the marine environment. Speaking on a visit to the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the
Foreign Secretary said: "Britain has a proud and ancient maritime
history, but our commitment to the oceans must be enshrined in our
future. Today in Southampton I’ve heard from world-leading UK experts on
marine protection, and what more the UK can do to help. We need to
improve and energise international ocean governance to protect the
world’s seas and their ecosystems, to keep our people and goods safe,
and to support sustainable economic growth, as well as to deliver our
ambitious environmental commitments. Utilising expertise across
government, Britain will stay at the leading edge of international
marine excellence."
Threatened Nightingale site confirmed as Britain's best in new national
survey - BTO The dramatic decline of UK Nightingale populations – we have lost
over 90% of these iconic birds in the last 50 years – has led to the
species being placed on the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List. But
the number of birds present has, until now, remained unknown, despite
this knowledge being essential for assessing the importance of
individual sites occupied by the species.
Nightingale by Edmund Fellowes via BTO A team lead by Dr Chris Hewson at the BTO, and relying on thousands of hours of volunteer surveying, used several analytical methods to create and assess the most robust population estimate possible. Dr Hewson’s population estimate tells us that the number of singing males is between 5,095 – 5,983 individuals, distributed at sites spread across the south and east of England. Moreover, the importance of Lodge Hill in Kent, threatened with development following a series of planning applications, was highlighted.The results presented in the paper confirms that the site holds over 1% of the UK population, making it of national importance.
Scientific papers Plomion, C. et al (2018) Oak
genome reveals facets of long lifespan. Nature Plants
Emma Jane Critchleya, W. James Grecianb, Adam Kanea, Mark J. Jessopp,
John L. Quinn
Marine protected areas show low overlap with projected distributions of
seabird populations in Britain and Ireland Biological Conservation
doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.06.007
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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 Woodland Trust is disappointed by the continued low rate of new
woodland planting confirmed in official figures on Friday (15/6/18).
The RSPCA is issuing a warning about the dangers of netting to
wildlife after a terrified buck became entangled in some which had been
left discarded. 
The £3.34 million Scottish Invasive Species Initiative is officially
launched today (Tuesday 19 June) by Scottish Natural Heritage with the
help of
pupils from Ben Wyvis primary school.![New insights into ecology and evolution are coming from global datasets focused on avian ‘sister species’, including the familiar blue tit Parus [Cyanistes] caeruleus and its closest living relative the azure tit Parus [Cyanistes] cyanus. Photos: gardenbird.co.uk and Krzysztof Blachowiak (Internet Bird Collection).](Jun/19-newseventsimage_1529336157781_mainnews2012_x1-imperialcollege.jpg)
New insights into ecology and evolution are coming from global datasets
focused on avian ‘sister species’, including the familiar blue tit Parus
[Cyanistes] caeruleus and its closest living relative the azure
tit Parus [Cyanistes] cyanus. Photos: gardenbird.co.uk and Krzysztof
Blachowiak (Internet Bird Collection).
Beaver
kit by Nina Constable
21
black-tailed godwits were released in the Cambridgeshire Fens after
being hand-reared by conservationists at WWT Welney.
What
does beauty mean? Campaign for National Parks’ founders (way back in the
1930’s) believed that areas of the country needed to be protected for
the good of the nation – to ensure that the beauty of these areas would
be preserved but also to make sure they were accessible for everyone to
enjoy. This led to the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside
Act and the designation of our favourite parts of the countryside as
National Parks.
Climate
change will have a rapidly increasing effect on the structure of global
ecological communities over the next few decades, with amphibians and
reptiles being significantly more affected than birds and mammals, a new
report by UCL finds.
They
form part of a suite of Governmental biodiversity indicators and
describe grouped measures for habitat specialist and wider countryside
butterflies species across the UK from 1976-2017 and wider countryside
species in woodland and farmland habitats in England from 1990-2017.
The
UK Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (henceforth 25YEP) for England
is an exciting opportunity to reframe the direction of nature
conservation in Britain. It sets the goal of creating a nature recovery
network to protect and restore wildlife.
Zigzag
elm sawfly leaf damage (image: RGBE)
Scottish
Wildcat Action is today (22 June 2018) launching a new campaign to
encourage people to help save the UK’s most endangered carnivore.
Turtle
Dove, (image: Dr Jenny Dunn)
The
latest figures from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), just
published in a scientific paper using state-of-the art methods for
assessing the size of national bird populations, make for interesting
reading.
