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Headlines from this week. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Research suggests ponies could play critical role in Dartmoor's future
health The study was designed to gather scientific evidence to assess the
benefits of ponies as conservation grazers
Dartmoor ponies are among the most iconic species of any British
moorland. But a dramatic decline in population since the 1950s has led
to widespread concern about their long-term survival prospects and an
urgent requirement to recognise their value as conservation grazers. A research project – the initial findings of which are released today
(Saturday 16 Nov) – suggests the ponies not only make a positive
contribution to conservation management on Dartmoor, but are also a
suitable option for conservation grazing throughout the country. The research project – coordinated by the Dartmoor Pony Heritage
Trust (DPHT) with researchers at the University of Plymouth – was
designed to gather scientific evidence to assess the benefits of ponies
as conservation grazers. It was launched in 2017 in response to requests from Defra and
Natural England to assist with the planning of future stewardship
schemes such as ELMS (Environmental Land Management System) and to help
evaluate the potential contribution of ponies as part of grazing and
land management across England. Specifically, it hoped to find ways of reducing the dominance of
purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) and encouraging the
re-establishment of more traditional dwarf shrubs such as common heather
(Calluna vulgaris) The findings, revealed at the Annual Research Lecture hosted by the
Dartmoor Society, showed that salt blocks can be used to attract ponies
to targeted areas of Molinia-dominated moorland, where other management
strategies are not sustainable. It also found measurable increases in
the growth of other plant species.
UK National Parks Volunteer Awards 2019 Paul Rose presents winners with their UK National Parks Volunteer
Awards The winners are:
The four awards, including group and project bursaries supported by
CLIF, were presented by Paul Rose at the Kendal Mountain Festival on
Saturday 16th November. Winners were presented with their award on stage
in the lively ‘basecamp’ area of the Kendal Mountain Festival, and had a
chance to talk to the audience about what volunteering means to them. There were four categories of award: individuals, young people,
groups and projects. The judging panel this year was made up of the
volunteer coordinators from all of the National Parks and they made the
following statement: “Judging these awards is a humbling experience as
it gives us the opportunity to learn about so many people and projects
that are making an immense contribution to the 15 National Parks across
the UK. It was a difficult choice this year as there were so many
inspiring entries.”
RTPI guidance on Biodiversity in Planning -
Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning
In the face of growing street protests and alarming news reports
about global species decline, what can planning authorities do to
address the biodiversity crisis? A new RTPI Practice Advice Note aims to
help… The most recent ‘State of Nature’ report shows that, despite clear
warnings and commitments to local and national action, trends in the
natural world are looking worse than the last review in 2016, with one
in seven species threatened with extinction in Great Britain. This
decline is linked to various factors, including intensive agriculture
which involves habitat loss, reduction in soil quality and heavy use of
fertilisers and pesticides. Pollution, from over-consumption and the
production of waste, is harming many species and habitats. Rapid
urbanisation is fragmenting habitats and degrading the natural
environment. Climate change is also affecting biodiversity with extreme
weather events and changes in the pattern of seasons affecting wildlife
behaviour and forcing some species to seek more habitable climates. In
addition, non-native invasive species, such as the Canada Goose,
Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed, are out-competing native species
or spreading disease. The RTPI is one of 19 conservation, planning and development
organisations involved in the ‘Partnership for Biodiversity in
Planning’, a project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, seeking
to promote the importance of biodiversity in planning and development.
The partners argue that, through better planning and development
humanity can both benefit from and live more harmoniously with nature. A
new RTPI Practice Advice Note on ‘Biodiversity in Planning’ has been
produced by the partnership to highlight some of the key areas that
local planning authorities (LPAs) throughout the UK can focus on to
fulfil their statutory Biodiversity duty. Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning
recently wrote an in-depth article for CJS about how small developers
need to think about their wildlife impact,
read it here
Going the extra mile! New research into badger dispersal could minimise
bovine TB spread - Trinity College Dublin Zoology researchers from Trinity, working with the Department of
Agriculture, Food and The Marine (DAFM) and the National Parks and
Wildlife Service (NPWS), have unlocked the secrets of dispersing
badgers. Their research, reported today, has major implications for
implementing vaccination programmes to limit the spread of bovine
tuberculosis (TB). The findings come at an opportune time, as DAFM has commenced rolling
out a national programme to vaccinate badgers in its efforts to
eradicate TB. Badgers are a protected species and are one of Ireland’s most iconic
wild creatures, but they can harbour TB and inadvertently transfer it to
cattle. Infected cattle must be culled, which results in the loss of
millions of euro each year in the agricultural sector, which can
devastate individual farmers and their families. Vaccinating badgers against TB provides an excellent option to
mitigating these risks, but to do that effectively, it is imperative to
understand how badgers move around in the wild and to target those most
likely to spread disease. Badgers are social animals, living together in
a shared territory. In the research, just published in leading international
journal Ecology and Evolution, the zoologists describe the process of
dispersal in greater detail than ever before after trapping and
vaccinating 139 badgers, and monitoring their movements closely. Read the paper: Gaughran, A., MacWhite,
T., Mullen, E., Maher, P., Kelly, D. J., Good, M. & Marples, N. M.
Dispersal patterns in a
medium-density Irish badger population: Implications for understanding
the dynamics of tuberculosis transmission (open access) Ecology and
Evolution. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5753
European funding lifeline for wildcats in Scotland
– RZSS Wildcats in Scotland have been handed a vital lifeline, with European
funding secured to deliver a Saving Wildcats (#SWAforLIFE) recovery
project that includes the development of the UK’s first wildcat
reintroduction centre.
Situated at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland
Wildlife Park near Aviemore, the centre will provide facilities for
breeding, veterinary care, remote monitoring and training, with wildcats
potentially being released into Cairngorms National Park. A report published in February by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature’s Cat Specialist Group concluded there is no
longer a viable wildcat population living wild in Scotland, with
hybridisation with domestic and feral cats the major threat to their
survival. This means the extinction of the species is highly likely
without wildcat releases. Over the next six years, RZSS will lead the Saving Wildcats project
which will build on the work of the Scottish Wildcat Action partnership,
supported by a £3.2 million EU LIFE grant and co-funding from the
Garfield Western Foundation, the National Trust for Scotland, the
People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the European Nature Trust. The wildlife conservation charity will work with Scottish Natural
Heritage, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land
Scotland, as well as European partners Norden’s Ark from Sweden and
Spain’s Junta De Andalucía, which have led the successful recovery of
the Iberian lynx. The plan is to release the first wildcats in 2022,
with potential locations being explored in the Cairngorms.
New report shows nature-friendly hill farms can be more profitable
– The Wildlife Trusts A new report into the unique challenges upland farmers face shows
that focusing on margin over volume could help farmers weather
formidable trading conditions, and political uncertainty. The report’s authors call on the future government to support hill
farmers with business advice packages and to offer greater stability
through payments which recognise their role as guardians of nature and
the environment. Farmers already face impossibly tight profit margins, increasingly
unpredictable and extreme weather and consumer demand for ultra-low food
prices. Profit challenges are felt most acutely in the uplands and other
marginal areas such as coasts and remote islands. The report uncovered evidence that the current business system makes
it harder for farmers to turn a profit. Contrary to popular belief, the
report found that inputs such as expensive artificial fertilisers
generally fail to increase profit margins. Instead, profitability can be
improved by taking a lower input, nature friendly approach which relies
only on the farm’s own natural assets, i.e. grass available on the
farm. Moving away from a business model that prioritises production over
profit will not only boost farm finances but could also deliver huge
benefits for the incredible wildlife which depends upon upland habitats,
such as flower-rich meadows and pastures. UK upland areas are home to internationally important wildlife,
contain 11 of the 15 national parks in Great Britain and large areas are
designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature
Reserves and Special Areas of Conservation. But the wildlife in these traditionally nature-rich areas is
struggling – 12 of the 36 species of bird living in the uplands are now
on the Red List, and 15 per cent of upland species are at threat of
extinction. The report’s authors urge farmers to work together and seize the
opportunity to market themselves as a premium, nature-friendly and
eco-conscious brand.
The Bug Issue - BIAZA Some of the most well known mega fauna is facing an extinction crisis
but often in the world of conservation, invertebrates are overlooked.
It's stated that 20% of invertebrate life is at risk of extinction, it’s
predicted that over 150,000 species of invertebrates will go extinct by
2050 unless we take action.
In the UK there are roughly 40,000 native invertebrate species, many
of which are facing extinction right in front of our eyes. The Bug Issue is a new conservation campaign led by the BIAZA
Terrestrial Invertebrate Working Group (TIWG) that will focus on
conserving some of the most endangered native invertebrates to the UK
and Ireland. The Bug Issue is proposing a new way to address the conservation of
20 forgotten invertebrate species, that are on the edge of extinction.
By working with TIWG and BIAZA, zoos and aquariums local to the species
will become conservation hubs and coordinate species action plans
following advice and guidance from local experts and groups. Zoos and
aquariums will help the species in whatever way the species requires
this could be field surveys, habitat restoration, breeding, research,
raising public awareness and more. But to make this campaign a success we need your zoological
collections' help! We ask any and all collections interested and wanting
to get involved to register their interest by December 31st 2019. The
more zoos and aquariums we have wanting to get involved, the bigger
impact we can have and increase our chances of saving local
invertebrates. A crisis meeting will be held before April 2020. Can you
help? Please email:
bugissue2020@outlook.com
First evidence of the impact of climate change on Arctic Terns
– Newcastle University New study shows how changes in Antarctic sea ice is driving one of
the world’s smallest seabirds to forage further for food. Data collected from electronic tags
retrieved from 47 journeys made by the Farne Island Arctic Terns, has
revealed for the first time how climate change might affect their
behaviour.
Arctic Terns spend their breeding and non-breeding seasons in polar
environments at opposite ends of the world and are our longest-migrating
seabird. Spending their non-breeding season in the Antarctic, the remoteness
of this part of the world means that until now we have had a very
limited understanding of their behaviour and distribution while they are
there. Analysing the data from 47 migrations over two study years, 2015 and
2017, the team found:
Dr Chris Redfern, of Newcastle University, who has led the study
explained: “Sea ice is an important habitat for juvenile krill as it
provides protection from predators and from the intense light of the
Antarctic summer. We now know that krill are the main food source for
the Terns so it seems likely the warmer weather during 2016/2017 led to
reduced krill abundance and so the birds were forced to forage in
different areas. Read the paper: ‘Use
of sea ice by Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea in Antarctica and impacts
of climate change.’ Chris Redfern and Richard Bevan. Journal of
Avian Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jav.02318
Scientists uncover resistance genes for deadly ash tree disease New research has identified the genetic basis of resistance to ash
dieback in UK trees, opening up new avenues for conservation. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew sequenced the DNA from over 1,250 ash trees to find
inherited genes associated with ash dieback resistance. The study, published in leading journal Nature Ecology & Evolution,
showed that resistance is controlled by multiple genes, offering hope
that surviving trees could be used to restore diseased woodlands, either
by natural regeneration or selective breeding. Professor Richard Nichols, author of the study from Queen Mary
University of London, said: “We found that the genetics behind ash
dieback resistance resembled other characteristics like human height,
where the trait is controlled by many different genes working together,
rather than one specific gene. Now we have established which genes are
important for resistance we can predict which trees will survive ash
dieback. This will help identify susceptible trees that need to be
removed from woodlands, and provide the foundations for breeding more
resistant trees in future.” Samples were collected from ash trees in a Forest Research mass
screening trial, which comprises 150,000 trees planted across 14 sites
in South East England. The researchers screened for resistance genes using a rapid,
cost-effective approach, where the DNA of multiple trees was combined
into separate pools for diseased and unaffected trees. Many of the genes found to be associated with ash dieback resistance
were similar to those previously shown to be involved in disease or
pathogen responses in other species.
New report reveals Britain’s hazel dormice have declined by over 50%
since 2000 - People’s Trust for Endangered Species Loss of quality woodland habitat is a major factor and woodland
management is critical to halting the decline of this charismatic
species Today [Wednesday 20th November 2019] a new report published by
People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has revealed that Britain’s
population of hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) has declined by
51% since the millennium, decreasing on average by 3.8% per year. The State
of Britain’s Dormice 2019 report underlines the importance of
providing the right habitat for dormice, and maintaining such habitats
via correct woodland management practices, is the key to bringing this
endangered species back from the brink. In Britain, dormice – known for their endearing appearance with soft
caramel fur, furry tail and big black eyes – are threatened and are
considered to be vulnerable to extinction. In fact, hazel dormice are
already extinct from 17 counties in England. The areas where they are
still known to exist are almost all entirely south of a line between
Shropshire and Suffolk. Ian White, Dormouse & Training Officer at PTES, explains: “The
decline in dormouse numbers is due to the loss and fragmentation of
their natural woodland and hedgerow habitats, as well as climate change.
In particular, it’s the loss of habitat quality that’s of real concern.
Sympathetic woodland management is essential for the recovery of
dormice. Whether woodlands are managed for timber or public access,
shrubby areas should be created beneath the tree canopy. These provide
dormice, and many other species with areas to nest and feed in while
also being able to access the mature trees. It is this variety of
woodland habitats required to help dormice survive.” Hazel dormice are arboreal mammals who prefer structurally diverse
habitats – they use tree holes to nest in, dense woodland understory to
raise their young and feed in, and hedgerows and bramble banks to
disperse through. Critically, the way in which woodlands are managed has
changed – with traditional management practices such as coppicing, glade
creation and small-scale tree felling (which once created mosaic habits)
becoming less common, and as a result many of the woodlands we see today
simply aren’t suitable for dormice. These factors, combined with
unseasonable or extreme weather (which can affect survival over the
winter and impact on their ability to raise young), can be detrimental
to dormice survival.
National Trust announces first beaver reintroductions - National
Trust The National Trust has announced plans to release Eurasian beavers at
two sites in the south of England next spring to help with flood
management and to improve biodiversity. The beaver reintroductions will be the first made by the conservation
charity, linking to its ambitions to create priority habitats for nature
and to increase the diversity of species and wildlife numbers on the
land in its care. Having once been an important part of the ecosystem, beavers became
extinct in the UK in the 16th century due to hunting for their fur, meat
and scent glands. The plans, approved by Natural England, will see a pair of these
fascinating mammals released into each of two fenced areas of woodland
at Holnicote on the edge of Exmoor in Somerset, and a pair at Valewood
on the Black Down Estate on the edge of the South Downs. Ben Eardley, Project Manager for the National Trust at Holnicote
says: “Our aim is that the beavers become an important part of the
ecology at Holnicote, developing natural processes and contributing to
the health and richness of wildlife in the area. Their presence in our
river catchments is a sustainable way to help make our landscape more
resilient to climate change and the extremes of weather it will bring.
They will be part of our innovative ‘Stage 0’ project, part of our
Riverlands work which is about restoring natural process and complexity
in parts of the river catchment. In doing so they will help us
achieve a more natural flow pattern, slowing, cleaning and storing water
and developing complex river habitats. The dams the beavers create will
hold water in dry periods, help to lessen flash-flooding downstream and
reduce erosion and improve water quality by holding silt.” David Elliott, National Trust Lead Ranger for Valewood in the South
Downs, said: “Beavers are nature’s engineers and can create remarkable
wetland habitats that benefit a host of species including water voles,
wildfowl, craneflies, water beetles and dragonflies. These in turn
help support breeding fish and insect eating birds such as spotted
flycatchers. There are just a handful of sites in the British Isles that
have beavers. This is a different way of managing sites for
wildlife - a new approach, using a native animal as a tool. The beavers
will live along the stream at Valewood and gradually create little
ponds, dams and rivulets. Making a habitat that is perfect for them and
for many birds, amphibians and invertebrates - vibrant and alive with
dappled light under coppiced trees.” Both projects will be carefully monitored with help from Exeter
University and others, to note both ecological and hydrological changes
to habitat.
New study shines light on fox control
- Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust A ground breaking new study has shone a light on the real impact of
fox control.
By doing so, Dr Porteus was able to reconstruct the unseen processes
taking place during fox culling, such as the production of cubs and
immigration from other locations. The number of foxes alive within the
estate was estimated fortnight by fortnight, so the changes in numbers
over time can be clearly illustrated. Picture by Laurie Campbell He found that all 22 gamekeepers achieved a reduction in fox density
when ground-nesting birds are most vulnerable to predation by foxes in
spring and early summer. Fox density at the start of this period was on
average 47% of what it would have been without culling – and on a few
estates it was close to zero. The rate at which culled foxes were replaced by immigration varied
among sites, and affected success. On one estate it was as rapid
as 2 foxes per week. This highlights the intensive and sustained control
effort than can be required. Dr Porteus, lead author of the Population dynamics of foxes during
restricted-area culling in Britain: advancing understanding through
state-space modelling of culling records, published in PLOS ONE, said:
“This paper expands our understanding of the impact of fox culling in a
range of circumstances, and what determines success or failure.” Read the Paper: Porteus T A, Reynolds J C, McAllister M K (2019) Population dynamics of foxes during restricted-area culling in Britain: Advancing understanding through state-space modelling of culling records. PLOS ONE 14(11): e0225201. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225201
Award winning mental health programme travels half way round the world! An award winning Forestry and Land Scotland Woodland Activity
Programme for people living with dementia has attracted the attention of
the policy and research team at Alzheimers New Zealand. The FLS programme gives people living with early-stage dementia
opportunities to take part in an innovative and fun programme of
woodland activities ranging from woodland walks to bushcraft skills, and
from woodland cooking to environmental art. After picking up news of the award online, the Policy and Research
team within Alzheimers New Zealand got in touch with the FLS team to
learn more about the programme. The FLS initiative will be highlighted
in Alzheimers NZ’s newsletter targeting the dementia care sector. Gordon Harper, Community Ranger for the FLS central region team that
runs the programme, said; People enrolled on the FLS programme take part in a three hour stint
of woodland-based activity every week for ten weeks (Jun –Sept) at
locations across Central and south Scotland.
Otter alert -
Natural Resources Wales In order to help the otter population in Wales survive and flourish,
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is asking people to spot and report dead
otters as part of a UK-wide project.
The Cardiff University Otter Project was set up in 1992 to autopsy
dead otters, to map their genetic diversity, age and distribution across
the UK, and to monitor pollution in rivers and streams Information on otters is difficult to gather due to their elusive
nature, however in order to support the species scientists need to build
a picture of the health and spread of the native otter population. People are asked to report sightings of dead otters to NRW by calling
03000 65 3000. NRW will then collect the body and deliver it to the
Otter Project for analysis. Hannah Mitchell, NRW Conservation Officer said: “If you spot a dead
otter, please stop and take a photo and then report it to NRW, giving us
as much detail as possible about its location. The more detail we have
about where the otter has been found, the better chance we have of
finding and collecting it. When the university does an autopsy, they
look at a variety of things including weight and length; sex, age,
reproductive status; teeth - wear, breakages, or signs of infection;
abnormalities of abdominal and other organs. Your effort in reporting a
dead animal will help us to gather valuable information about this
secretive species, which in turn will help our efforts to ensure their
ongoing revival.”
Study finds a green solution in halving children’s pollutant exposure Simply planting a hedge in front of a park can halve the amount of
traffic pollution that reaches children as they play, finds a new study
by the University of Surrey. In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, experts from
Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) conducted a
five-month continuous experiment, measuring traffic pollutants with the
use of emerging pollution sensing technology behind and in front of a
hedge that shielded a children’s park in Guildford, United Kingdom. The study aimed to measure any discernible difference in pollution
reduction during the vegetation cycle of a Beech hedge – from dormancy
to green-up to maturity. The results showed that a drop in pollution concentration levels
behind the hedge was dominated by three factors – the weather, public
holidays, and the stage of the hedge’s life cycle. GCARE experts reported reductions of more than 50 per cent of the
particulate matter after the hedge’s green-up stage in late April.
Experts believe that this could be because the density of the hedge or
the stickiness of the leaves had a sizable impact on particle pollutants
passing through it. However, the results also revealed smaller
reductions for gaseous pollutants including carbon monoxide and nitrogen
dioxide, and that wind direction had little impact on the concentration
levels. Read the paper:
University of Plymouth awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for
world-leading microplastics work
The honour, the highest that can be bestowed upon a higher education
institution, recognises nearly two decades of world-leading enquiry by
Plymouth researchers, led by Professor Richard Thompson OBE, which has
resulted in repeated scientific breakthroughs and influenced national
and international legislation. Professor Judith Petts CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of
Plymouth, said: “The award of our third Queen’s Anniversary Prize is a
huge honour for the University and recognises the pioneering role that
it has played in not only defining a global environmental issue, but
working to find solutions to it. Challenges on this scale require a
coordinated response at a societal level, and what really sets the
institution apart is its willingness to engage with all parties in a bid
to stimulate change. Richard Thompson and his team’s work in
microplastics, indeed defining the very problem itself, is part of the
University’s wider and globally renowned marine and maritime research,
which, through a wide range of disciplines, addresses some of the
world’s most pressing issues.”
Trust launches ambitious campaign to plant thousands of trees across the
South Downs National Park
Coinciding with National Tree Week, “Trees for the Downs” will aim to
restore trees that have been lost due to pests and diseases, including
Ash Dieback and Dutch Elm Disease. The South Downs National Park
Trust, the official charity for the National Park, is now aiming to
raise £61,500 to plant the trees. The campaign will aim to restore
iconic trees that have been lost at community spaces and along roads or
popular walking routes. Trees for the Downs will complement existing
schemes run by the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust, focusing
on planting trees at community spaces and along popular routes, rather
than larger-scale replanting in woodlands. Andy Player, who leads on woodland for the South Downs National Park,
said: “Trees are a glorious natural asset – they give us air to breathe,
support countless species of wildlife, and enrich the beauty of our
local environment. As a carbon capturer, they will also be a key tool in
tackling climate change. But our wonderful trees are under
unprecedented threat from an ever-increasing number of pests and
diseases. Increasing the number and diversity of our native trees, and
carefully introducing new species into the landscape, will be a big help
in responding to these threats. ’Trees For The Downs’ will be a historic
replanting initiative and it’s exciting to be able to launch this as the
South Downs National Park prepares to mark its 10th birthday." The Tree Council recently wrote an article
about Tree Week: Be a #TreeChampion this #NationalTreeWeek. 23 November
– 1 December,
you can read it here Scientific Publications Stope, M.
Wild raccoons in Germany as a reservoir for zoonotic agents Eur J
Wildl Res (2019) 65: 94. doi:10.1007/s10344-019-1339-6 Avalon C.S. Owens, Précillia Cochard, Joanna Durrant, Bridgette
Farnworth, Elizabeth K. Perkin, Brett Seymoure,
Light pollution is a driver of insect declines, Biological
Conservation, 2019, 108259, ISSN 0006-3207, doi:
10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108259.
Murphy, S., Evans, P. G. H., Pinn, E. & Pierce, G. J. Conservation management of common dolphins: Lessons learned from the North-East Atlantic (open access) Aquatic Conservation DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3212
Fabrizio Gili, Stuart E. Newson, Simon Gillings, Dan E. Chamberlain,
Jennifier A. Border,
Bats in urbanising landscapes: habitat selection and recommendations for
a sustainable future, Biological Conservation, 2019, 108343, ISSN
0006-3207, doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108343. Gotanda, KM. Human
influences on antipredator behaviour in Darwin’s finches. J Anim
Ecol. 2019; 00: 1– 9. doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13127 Hansjoerg P. Kunc Rouven Schmidt
The effects of anthropogenic noise on animals: a meta-analysis Biol.
Lett. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0649
Roxanne Leberger, Isabel M.D. Rosa, Carlos A. Guerra, Florian Wolf,
Henrique M. Pereira,
Global patterns of forest loss across IUCN categories of protected areas,
Biological Conservation, 2019,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108299.
Smout, S, King, R, Pomeroy, P.
Environment-sensitive mass changes influence breeding frequency in a
capital breeding marine top predator. J Anim Ecol. 2019; 00: 1– 13.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13128
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Dartmoor
ponies are among the most iconic species of any British moorland (Credit
Lloyd Russell, University of Plymouth)
New
guide for planners on Biodiversity in Planning
Image:
JP Pope (RZSS)
Stag
Party (image: Beau-Jensen McCubbin - Hanwell zoo)
Image:
Chris Redfern
Tom
Porteus, a predation expert from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
(GWCT), analysed data from 22 shooting estates over three consecutive
years using a sophisticated computer model.
(image:
NRW)
microplastics
on the beach (image: University of Plymouth)
A
major new initiative launches today (22/11/19) to plant 5,000 trees
across the South Downs National Park.
