|
|
|
||||||
|
Headlines from week beginning 6 August 2018 |
|
A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Green Belt 'being eroded at an alarming rate'
– Campaign to Protect Rural England
460,000 houses being planned for land that will be released from the
Green Belt, while the percentage of ‘affordable’ homes built continues
to fall The Green Belt remains under severe pressure, despite government
commitments to its protection, according to a new report from the
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). CPRE’s annual State
of the Green Belt report highlights that there are currently 460,000
homes being planned to be built on land that will soon be released from
the Green Belt. Moving Green Belt boundaries when reviewing local plans
makes it easier for local authorities to release land for housing, but
is only supposed to take place under ‘exceptional circumstances’. This
strategic shrinking of the Green Belt, as a way of getting around its
protected status, is as harmful as building on the Green Belt itself. The report also demonstrates that building on the Green Belt is not
solving the affordable housing crisis, and will not do so. Last year 72%
of homes built on greenfield land within the Green Belt were
unaffordable by the government’s definition. Of the 460,000 homes that are planned to be built on land that will
be released from the Green Belt, the percentage of unaffordable homes
will increase to 78%. CPRE warns that this release of land looks set to continue, as one
third of local authorities with Green Belt land will find themselves
with an increase in housing targets, due to a new method for calculating
housing demand. The London (Metropolitan) Green Belt will be the biggest
casualty. Tom Fyans, Director of Campaigns and Policy at the Campaign to
Protect Rural England, said: ‘We are being sold a lie by many
developers. As they sell off and gobble up the Green Belt to build low
density, unaffordable housing, young families go on struggling to afford
a place to live. The affordable housing crisis must be addressed with
increasing urgency, while acknowledging that far from providing the
solution, building on the Green Belt only serves to entrench the issue.
The government is failing in its commitment to protect the Green Belt –
it is being eroded at an alarming rate. But it is essential, if the
Green Belt is to fulfil its main purposes and provide 30 million of us
with access to the benefits of the countryside, that the redevelopment
of brownfield land is prioritised, and Green Belt protection
strengthened.’
“Missed opportunity” for Welsh Government to improve public access
– Cycling UK As cyclists celebrate 50 years today (03 August) of being legally
allowed to ride on bridleways in the UK, Cycling UK is urging the Welsh
Government not to lose momentum in its proposals to improve public
access.
Enjoying an early morning on one of the bridleways on Snowdon.
Photo: Tom Hutton The right for people to cycle on bridleways was granted by the
Countryside Act 1968 when the law commenced on 03 August 1968. These
changes were due to campaigning by the Cyclists’ Touring Club, now
Cycling UK, and this right to ride has allowed generations all to enjoy
the wonders of the UK’s countryside from the saddle. This move fifty years ago helped grant cyclists in England and Wales
access to just over 20% of all rights of way. However, since 1968 there
has been little change, meaning people riding bikes and/or horses are
not allowed on 80 per cent of the rights of way network. The UK’s rights of way network frequently interchanges between
footpaths and bridleways, with often no noticeable change in quality
between the two apart from a different signpost. This has clearly
created confusion among the nation’s cyclists, as Cycling UK’s report
“Rides of Way” discovered 74 per cent of people cycling on the UK’s
rights of way network found it “unsuitable”. Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns said: “While Cycling
UK today celebrates our victory 50 years ago of being able to ride on
traffic free routes in our countryside, we’re also looking to the future
and what else can be improved. There’s a huge sway of public support for
change to rights of way in Wales, and it’s a missed opportunity if they
continue to sit on the fence on this important issue.”
Heatwave and climate change having negative impact on our soil say
experts – University of Manchester The recent heatwave and drought could be having a deeper, more
negative effect on soil than we first realised say scientists. This could have widespread implications for plants and other
vegetation which, in turn, may impact on the wider entire ecosystem. That’s because organisms in soil are highly diverse and are
responsible not only for producing the soil we need to grow crops, but
also provide humans with many other benefits, such as cleaning water and
regulating greenhouse gas emissions The new study, led by researchers at The University of Manchester
which has been published in Nature Communications, provides new insight
into how a drought alters soil at microbial level. It shows that
expected changes in climate will affect UK soil and that soil is not as
tough as previously thought. Due to climate change, disturbances such as drought are increasing in
intensity and frequency. These extreme weather conditions change
vegetation composition and soil moisture, which in turn impacts the
soil’s underlying organisms and microbial networks. By studying how microbes react to severe drought, the study provides
a better understanding of how underground soil networks respond to such
environmental disturbances. Lead author, Dr Franciska de Vries, from Manchester’s School of Earth
and Environmental Sciences, explains: “Soils harbour highly diverse
microbial communities that are crucial for soil to function as it
should.
Planet at risk of heading towards “Hothouse Earth” state
- Stockholm Resilience Centre Keeping global warming to within 1.5-2°C may be more difficult than
previously assessed Story highlights
Global map of potential tipping cascades. The individual tipping
elements are color-coded according to estimated thresholds in global
average surface temperature (tipping points; 18,43). Arrows show the
potential interactions among the tipping elements, based on expert
elicitation, which could generate cascades. Note that although the risk
for tipping (loss of) the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is proposed at >5
degrees Celsius, some marine-based sectors in East Antarctica may be
vulnerable at lower temperatures (Stockholm Resilience Centre) An international team of scientists has published a study in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) showing that even
if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are
met, there is a risk of Earth entering what the scientists call
“Hothouse Earth” conditions. A “Hothouse Earth” climate will in the long term stabilize at a
global average of 4-5°C higher than pre-industrial temperatures with sea
level 10-60 m higher than today, the paper says.
The authors conclude it is now urgent to greatly accelerate the
transition towards an emission-free world economy. "Human emissions of greenhouse gas are not the sole determinant of
temperature on Earth. Our study suggests that human-induced global
warming of 2°C may trigger other Earth system processes, often called
“feedbacks”, that can drive further warming - even if we stop emitting
greenhouse gases," says lead author Will Steffen from the Australian
National University and Stockholm Resilience Centre. "Avoiding this scenario requires a redirection of human actions from
exploitation to stewardship of the Earth system.” Currently, global average temperatures are just over 1°C above
pre-industrial and rising at 0.17°C per decade.
Survey reveals littering is on the increase –
Keep Britain Tidy Today (Monday 6 Aug) we reveal the results of our annual survey of
the state of England’s streets and unfortunately it’s not great news,
with
A total of 7,200 sites across the country were surveyed, with 14%
found to be at an unacceptable standard for litter (a 4% increase). The most commonly littered item is cigarette butts, found on 79% of
sites. The following three most littered items, all ‘food and drink on
the go’ related, are confectionery packs (found on 60% of sites), soft
drink bottles and cans (52%) and fast food related litter (33%). The top ten most littered items are:
As well as being unsightly, litter is a serious social, economic and
environmental issue. It causes harm to communities and wildlife, and in
an era where local authorities’ budgets are coming under increasing
pressure, costs over £1billion each year to clear up. Yet it is entirely
preventable.
Threatened sand dunes given a new lease of LIFE
– Natural England Major sand dune conservation project awarded £4.3 million of funding
Sand dunes across England are set for a golden future following £4.3
million worth of funding to help restore and protect these at risk
habitats. The funding - awarded to a partnership led by Natural England as part
of the European Union’s LIFE programme - will help deliver a major
conservation project to explore how to re-establish the natural movement
within dunes and create the conditions that some of our rarest wildlife
relies upon. Healthy sand dunes with moving sand are a sanctuary for endangered
plants and animals like the natterjack toad, dune gentian and sand
lizard. However these habitats are currently being smothered and fixed
by a tide of invasive non-native plants turning it into scrubland. Sand
dunes are now one of the most at risk habitats in Europe. Only 20,000
hectares remain across England and Wales – an area around half the size
of the Isle of Wight. The DuneLIFE project will help Natural England improve the condition
of key sand dune sites in Lincolnshire, Dorset, Cornwall, Devon,
Merseyside and Cumbria by tackling the root causes of decline. The
scheme will: Deliver a programme of removal of invasive species to rebalance the
natural processes of dune colonisation Restore sand dunes and dune slacks Create bare sand patches by turf stripping and sand scraping Encourage more people to access and enjoy dunes and take part in
their conservation Natural England are working in partnership with Plantlife, National
Trust and the Wildlife Trusts to deliver this ambitious and innovative
project.
Male birds sing less to females on antidepressants
– University of York During courtship male starlings sing less to females who have been
fed dilute concentrations of antidepressants, according to a new study
led by the University of York.
The researchers studied the birds at sewage works where they flock to
feed all year round. The worms, maggots and flies at sewage treatment
plants have been found to contain many different pharmaceuticals,
including Prozac. The study showed that dilute concentrations of Prozac similar to
those measured at sewage works appeared to make female starlings less
attractive to the opposite sex. Behavioural changes In 2016, there were 64.7 million antidepressant items prescribed in
the UK. Some of these compounds are stable in the environment and break
down slowly once they’ve passed through our bodies and into
sewage-treatment systems. Dr Kathryn Arnold and Sophia Whitlock, from the Environment
Department at the University of York, have been studying the effects of
environmental levels of fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac) on
starlings for a number of years. They have discovered changes in the
behaviour of these starlings that could put birds at risk in the wild. Sophia Whitlock, researcher on the project, said: “Singing is a key
part of courtship for birds, used by males to court favoured females and
used by females to choose the highest quality male to father their
chicks. Males sang more than twice as often and as long to untreated
females compared to females that had been receiving low doses of
Prozac.”
Bird Surveyors help to shed new light on changing mammal populations
- BTO The UK’s mammals present particular challenges for monitoring; they
live in a wide variety of habitats, vary enormously in size and can be
very difficult to see, but Britain’s army of volunteer bird surveyors
could come to the rescue. In a scientific paper, just published in the journal Biological
Conservation, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) scientists reveal how
and where numbers of nine UK mammal species are changing, using data
collected by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), and it makes
for interesting reading. Three of the four deer species monitored show
increasing abundance across a significant part of their UK ranges, with
only Red Deer appearing stable. One of the biggest surprises, however,
is the large scale declines in Red Fox populations in the countryside;
in central-southern England and Wales between 20% and 50% of foxes have
been lost in the last 20 years. Read the paper here
New ‘suspension bridge’ keeps red squirrels safe in Highlands
- Trees for Life
Photobombing red squirrel on Shieldaig road
bridge (image: Trees for Life) Footage collected for more than a year from a camera trap has now
revealed squirrels from a flourishing new population at Shieldaig
crossing the bridge and exploring their new homes. Since the bridge and road signs were introduced, there has only been
one known red squirrel road death locally, with none reported so far in
2018. In the year prior to the safety measures, there were three
reported road deaths of reds in the immediate area, and two others
further away on another road.
Forests crucial for limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees
- University of Exeter Trying to tackle climate change by replacing forests with crops for
bioenergy power stations that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) could instead
increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, scientists say.
Using vast areas of land for biomass crops may be
counterproductive (image: University of Exeter)
“The vast majority of current IPCC scenarios for how we can limit
global warming to less than 2°C include BECCS,” said lead author Dr Anna
Harper, from the University of Exeter. “But the land required to grow
biomass in these scenarios would be twice the size of India”. This motivated the research team to look at the wider consequences of
such a radical change in global land use. The researchers used a
cutting-edge computer model of global vegetation and soil and presented
it with scenarios of land-use change consistent with stabilising the
climate at less than 1.5oC and 2oC of global warming. The results warn
that using BECCS on such a large scale could lead to a net increase of
carbon in the atmosphere, especially where the crops are assumed to
replace existing forests. How well BECCS works depends on factors such as the choice of biomass, the fate of initial above-ground biomass and the fossil-fuel emissions offset in the energy system – so future improvements could make it a better option.
Breeding Roseates re-tern to Wales
- RSPB For the first time in more than a decade, a pair of roseate terns –
the UK’s rarest breeding seabird – have fledged one chick from The
Skerries, off Anglesey. Thanks to additional funding from the EU-funded Roseate Tern LIFE
Recovery Project, we’re pleased to announce two roseate tern chicks were
born at The Skerries this past summer – with one chick having
successfully flown the nest for the first time since 2006. The funding provided a two-week extension on the islands’ wardening
season, along with newly designed nest boxes being placed strategically
around the islands. The wardens also placed lures playing roseate tern
calls and hand-made decoys with the aim of attracting passing roseate
terns to the colony. Once widespread across Wales, roseate terns nearly became extinct in the 19th century because their plumage was prized for fashionable hats. Sadly, roseate terns continue to face many challenges, including food shortages, eroding nesting habitat and predation. To address this challenge, 2015 saw the launch of an ambitious five year EU-funded Roseate Tern LIFE Recovery Project bringing together conservationists from the RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland and North Wales Wildlife Trust on the three breeding colonies (two in Ireland and one in the UK). The project is also focused on creating further roseate tern-friendly sites across the UK and Ireland in the hopes of re-establishing thriving colonies. Currently in 2018, there are only 116 breeding pairs of Roseate terns in the UK, restricted to just Coquet Island in England. With their incredibly pale plumage with slight rosy flush and long tail streamers, they are considered the most elegant of the five breeding terns to visit our shores. These endangered birds migrate each spring from western Africa to breed at only a handful of colonies in the UK and Ireland
Unprecedented variety of whales and dolphins species recorded around the
UK during last week
Photo credit: St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine
Reserve. “This looks like being the best National Whale & Dolphin Watch event
of the last two decades”, reported Dr Chiara Giulia Bertulli, organiser
of this year’s national event for the UK national research charity, Sea
Watch Foundation. The 2018 National Whale and Dolphin Watch event involving thousands
of volunteers from all around the British Isles, conducted between 28th
July and 5nd August, has revealed striking biodiversity of Britain’s
Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. This summer has seen a good number of humpback whale sightings all
around the UK, with individuals popping up this last week in the North
Sea off the Aberdeenshire coast and off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
This species is making a noticeable come-back after many decades of
exploitation in the North Atlantic. “However, the most extraordinary sighting from this year’s Watch
week”, adds Chiara, “was surely the Sowerby’s beaked whale which live
stranded in the shallow waters of Belhaven in East Lothian, Scotland, on
July 29th. This year also saw the addition of the striped dolphin, which
in Britain and Ireland, is very rare, seen occasionally off the Atlantic
coasts mainly in the south-west of Ireland. This species of warm
temperate seas came to the shore at Pendine in South Wales on July
31st.”
Rare nocturnal birds breeding at RSPB HQ for first time in 45 years
- RSPB Nightjars have returned to breed at The Lodge nature reserve, home to
the RSPB’s UK headquarters, for the first time since 1973 The RSPB has announced that nightjars are breeding at The Lodge
nature reserve, home of the charity’s UK headquarters for the first time
since 1973, 45 years ago. A single pair of the nocturnal birds has nested and raised chicks on
an area of restored heathland on the reserve. Nightjars nest on the ground, using their cryptic camouflage to stay
hidden during the day, and only come out after dark to feed on moths and
other flying insects, making them notoriously elusive and difficult to
see. Peter Bradley, Senior Site Manager at The Lodge nature reserve said:
“We’re over the moon, not only because these amazing birds have returned
to the reserve and appear to be breeding here for the first time in so
many years, but that they have chosen to nest on a part of the reserve
where we expressly set about recreating the kind of heathland habitat
used by nesting nightjars that has historically been lost for this and
many other parts of the country. It is a great success story for The
Lodge and for everyone who has been involved in the heathland
re-creation work here over the last 15 years.”
Heatwave makes flamingos broody for first time in 15 years
- WWT
(image: WWT) The record-breaking temperatures sparked six of the exotic birds to
lay nine eggs, but as they were all infertile, the expectant mums and
dads were left without chicks to rear. Aviculture Manager at Slimbridge Mark Roberts said: “It’s a wonderful
and welcome surprise that the Andeans have started laying again after
nearly two decades. We’ve been encouraging the flock by helping them to
build nests but there’s no doubt that the recent heat has had the
desired effect. Unfortunately none of the eggs were viable so with the
Andeans in full parenting mode we gave them Chilean chicks to bring up
as their own. It’s great motivation and enriching for the birds.”
£6 million to explore impact of hazardous chemicals on UK ecosystems
- NERC NERC has awarded £6 million to investigate the effects that
potentially hazardous chemicals used by humans are having on UK habitats
and wildlife.
(image: NERC)
NERC Associate Director of Research Ned Garnett said: “Healthy and
productive terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems are vital to
the economy and wellbeing of the UK. They play a key role in areas such
as food production, providing clean water, absorbing carbon from the
atmosphere and supporting sustainable fish stocks, as well as supporting
our wildlife. This research will provide new evidence on how chemicals
used in farming, industry and everyday life are impacting on these
environments.”
Unprecedented fire destroys years of work at Cwmcarn Forest
- Natural Resources Wales
The fires, which started on 13 July, have destroyed up to 250
hectares of woodland, roughly the size of 250 rugby pitches. This has caused a huge amount of environmental damage and destroyed
tens of thousands of newly planted trees, undoing years of work and
investment by NRW. Large areas were being replanted with native broadleaf species and
timber-producing conifers following large-scale felling operations to
combat the spread of larch disease. Helicopters, drones, excavators and tractors were all used as part of
the multi-agency response that included NRW, South Wales Fire and Rescue
(SWFR) and Gwent Police. NRW staff worked long hours cutting firebreaks around the affected
area and supporting firefighters from SWFR who tackled the fire itself. The fire has now been extinguished and NRW staff continue to monitor
smaller smouldering areas of the woodland and have taken actions to
prevent ash runoff polluting local streams. In 2017/18, RSPCA officers in the West and South West of Wales
rescued in excess of 100 seals, and are bracing themselves for another
potentially busy period.
In 2017/18, the first orphaned seal to arrive at the Taunton-based
centre from Wales came on September 9. Sadly, the poor pup was very nasally congested, and thin for her age.
She has now been transferred to specialist wildlife facilities by the
RSPCA, at Taunton. Video footage
shows the seal being transported to the specialist centre. The seal has been affectionately named Aye-Aye, with the RSPCA’s West
Hatch Centre this season naming rescued seals after rare species of
wildlife. Aye-Aye will now undergo a period of rehabilitation for a
planned return to the wild at a later date. RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Ellie West reiterated the
importance of people knowing what to do if they suspect a seal is in
danger, adding: “It is the summer holidays – so we’re conscious that
people may be coming across seals on beaches. Should somebody find a
seal pup that looks fit and healthy and shows no signs of distress, they
should monitor it first from a safe distance for 24 hours. If the mother
does not return within 24 hours, or you think that the pup is sick or
injured – please keep a safe distance and call our 24-hour emergency
line on 0300 1234 999.”
Ash dieback hits Park - Yorkshire Dales
National Park Ash dieback disease has spread “phenomenally quickly” right across
the Yorkshire Dales National Park, hitting its most treasured and
ancient woodlands, the Park Authority’s Senior Trees and Woodlands
Officer, Geoff Garrett, has said. Infected young ash trees – with branches bare against the summer sky
– can be seen on roadsides verges all around the Park, as well as in
woodlands, only six years after the first case of ash dieback was
confirmed in the UK. Ancient semi-natural woodland covers about 1% of the Yorkshire Dales
National Park. About 80% of this woodland is made up of ash, making it
the iconic tree of the Dales. The National Park Authority has responded to the spread of ash
dieback by removing ash from all tree-planting schemes. There is
currently no cure for the disease. Geoff Garrett said: “Over the next 20 years the disease is going to
have a devastating impact, so much so that ash will likely become
relatively minor in the landscape. Mature trees will take decades to
die, but young trees are being killed off very quickly. “There is little
we can do to tackle the disease itself, but there is a lot we can do to
manage the decline of ash trees by making sure that the spaces they
leave are filled by other native trees.” For further information and photos see the blog. Scientific Publications Moss, J. L., Doick, K. J., Smith, S. & Shahrestan, M. (2018)
Influence of evaporative cooling by urban forests on cooling demand in
cities. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. DOI:
10.1016/j.ufug.2018.07.023 Hill, L., Hemery, G., Hector, A. & Brown, N. (2018) Maintaining ecosystem properties after loss of ash in Great Britain. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13255
Andrew Speak, Francisco J. Escobedo, Alessio Russo, Stefan Zerbe, An ecosystem service-disservice ratio: Using composite indicators to assess the net benefits of urban trees, Ecological Indicators, Volume 95, Part 1, 2018, Pages 544-553, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.07.048.
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
the
results showing that littering has increased since the survey was last
carried out in 2014/15.
Sand
dunes at Saltfleetby Lincolnshire (Natural England)
Dilute
concentrations of Prozac similar to those measured at sewage works
appeared to make female starlings less attractive to the opposite sex.
Image credit: Liam Smith
A
specially designed rope bridge slung between trees high over a Highlands
road is giving red squirrels a safe crossing. Camera footage has
revealed regular use of the bridge by the charismatic species.
Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) power stations
are designed to produce energy and store the resulting carbon dioxide
(CO2) in bedrock deep underground.
An
unprecedented variety of species of whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have
been seen around the British Isles in the last week. Thirteen species
and more than 500 sightings have been reported, and sightings continue
to stream in.
The
rare flock of Andean flamingos at WWT Slimbridge have become foster
parents to chicks from their near-relatives, Chilean flamingos, after
the hot spell triggered them to lay their first eggs since 2003.
A
workshop co-hosted by NERC, including representatives from government,
regulation and industry, concluded that vital research needs to be done
to understand the impact that new chemicals and combinations of
chemicals are having on our ecosystems, and the animals and plants that
depend on them.
Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) is looking at how it can restore large areas of
woodland after fires devastated Twmbarlwm in Cwmcarn forest over the
last three weeks.
The
first seal of the new season has now come into the charity’s care, after
the moulted pup was taken in by Welsh Marine Life Rescue, having being
found alone on Abereiddy beach last Monday (30 July).
