Most of countryside now devoid of hedgehogs, study finds

Something ‘fundamentally wrong’ in rural landscape, scientists say, with numbers thought to have fallen 80% since 1950s

Damian Carrington Environment editor

Thu 6 Sep 2018 14.00 BSTLast modified on Thu 6 Sep 2018 19.35 BST

A “perfect storm” of intensive farming and rising badger populations has left most of the countryside in England and Wales devoid of hedgehogs, according to the first systematic national survey.

The research used footprints left by hedgehogs in special tunnels to reveal that they were living at just 20% of the 261 sites surveyed. Hedgehogs, which topped a vote in 2013 to nominate a national species for Britain, were significantly less common where badgers were more numerous. Badgers eat hedgehogs and also compete for the beetles and worms the prickly animals consume.

However, hedgehogs and badgers lived alongside each other in half the hedgehog sites, while a quarter of all the sites had neither animal, showing the destruction of habitat such as hedgerows and coppices was also a major factor.

 “There are lots of areas in the countryside that are not suitable for hedgehogs or badgers,” said Ben Williams, at the University of Reading, who led the new work. “There is something fundamentally wrong in the rural landscape for those species and probably lots of other species as well,” such as birds and shrews.

Previous work based on visual sightings and roadkills indicated that the number of hedgehogs living in the British countryside has plummeted by more than half since 2000. Historical hedgehog numbers are hard to estimate, but scientists think populations have fallen by at least 80% since the 1950s.

Continued  

Nigeria exports over 400 snakes to England every month – via Herp Digest

8/18/18 NEWS32

Authorities of the Snakebite Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe state, have revealed that over 400 snakes of different varieties are being exported from the centre to Liverpool in England every month. 

Dr. Abubakar Ballah, Officer in charge of the centre, who made the disclosure to newsmen in Kaltungo on Thursday, said the snakes exported served as raw material for the production of anti-snake venom. 

“The manufacturers extract the venom from the snakes to produce the drugs,” he said. 

He said the raw material provided for the processing of the anti-snake venom made the drugs cheaper in Nigeria when compared with countries that did not supply raw material for its production. 

Ballah said countries that do not supply the raw material were buying a single vial of the drug at the cost of 1,900 USD, which is equivalent to N684, 000, while the same drug in Nigeria is N35, 000. 

According to him, the same drug in the United States for rattle snake that undergoes the same process of production costs between N7million and 8 million, which is very expensive. 

He said the Centre engaged people within Kaltungo and its environs to catch the snakes and package same, at the cost of between N500 and N1, 000 per snake, depending on the size of the reptile. 

The officer in charge said the snakes were usually taken to Abuja from Kaltungo, from where they are packaged and exported to England. 

“On arrival in England, they will undergo some screening to ensure they have not suffered because Animal Rights Organisations are on the watch; after following the process, drug production commences,” he said. 

Kaltungo town in Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe, popularly called the ‘Snake Haven’ lies within the Snake belt region of Northern Nigeria, and is known for its abundance of different species of snakes. 

The common species found in the area are Carpets Viper, Puff Adder and Cobra. (NAN)

Water vole areas in England and Wales fall by 30% in a decade

Species remains UK’s fastest declining mammal despite large reintroduction programme

Haroon Siddique

Mon 26 Feb 2018 00.01 GMT

The number of areas where water voles are found across England and Wales has fallen by almost a third in 10 years, research has found.

The species, which provided the model for the much-loved character Ratty in The Wind of the Willows, has suffered catastrophic declines over several decades and is the UK’s fastest declining mammal.

Habitat loss, water pollution and the introduction of American mink – originally farmed for their fur, but which escaped into the wild and proved a voracious predator – have all contributed to the slump in the number of voles.

Analysis led by the Wildlife Trusts found a decline of 30% in the areas where they live between 2006 and 2015. A slight increase in their distribution was recorded in the last few years, thanks to conservation efforts by wildlife groups – the biggest reintroduction of water voles in the UK began last year – but the situation remains bleak.

Ellie Brodie, the senior policy officer for the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Water voles are an essential part of our wild and watery places and it’s terribly sad that we’re continuing to witness huge declines of this much-loved mammal.

“The Wildlife Trusts and others are working hard to help bring them back again and care for the places they need to survive – but much more is needed if we’re going to stop this charismatic creature disappearing altogether.”

Continued  

Beaver return 'benefits environment'

By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst

3 June 2017

Beavers should be re-introduced to England to improve water supplies, prevent floods and tackle soil loss, a researcher says.

New results from a trial in Devon show muddy water entering a beaver wetland is three times cleaner when it leaves.

The farmers' union, NFU, warns that beavers brought back to Scotland have damaged fields and forestry.

But Prof Richard Brazier, who runs the Devon trial, says farmers should thank beavers for cleaning up farm pollution.

Unpublished preliminary results from his tests for Exeter University showed that a pair of beavers introduced six years ago have created 13 ponds on 183m of a stream. 

The ponds trapped a total of 16 tonnes of carbon and one tonne of nitrogen - a fertiliser that in large quantities harms water supplies.

During heavy rains, water monitored entering the site has been thick with run-off soil from farm fields - but the soil and fertilisers have been filtered out of the water by the network of dams.

"We see quite a lot of soil erosion from agricultural land round here (near Okehampton)," he told BBC News. 

"Our trial has shown that the beavers are able to dam our streams in a way that keeps soil in the headwaters of our catchment so it doesn't clog up rivers downstream and pollute our drinking and bathing waters.

"Farmers should be happy that beavers are solving some of the problems that intensive farming creates.

"If we bring beavers back it's just one tool we need to solve Britain's crisis of soil loss and diffuse agricultural pollution of waterways, but it's a useful tool."

Continued 

Foxes surge into England's towns and cities

Researchers estimate there are 150,000 urban foxes in England, with Bournemouth having the highest concentration

 
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff

Sunday 16 April 2017 17.26 BST Last modified on Sunday 16 April 2017 22.55 BST

The number of urban foxes in England has quadrupled in the past 20 years, according to a study that estimates there are nearly 150,000 in England, or about one for every 300 urban residents.

While the number of foxes is declining overall in the UK, the study by Brighton and Reading universities has found that Bournemouth tops the charts with the highest concentration of urban foxes in the UK at 23 per square kilometre.

London was not far behind with 18, followed by Bristol with 16 and Newcastle with 10.

The researchers, headed by the mammalian biologist Dawn Scott and the behavioural zoologist Phil Baker, tagged foxes with transmitters to track their interactions and territories, and asked residents from eight cities to report sightings during July and August from 2013 to 2015.
Scott said the abundance of suburban greenery may have led to the higher density in Bournemouth“Housing types and the suburban structure in Bournemouth might be slightly more suitable than the areas in London we surveyed to support higher fox numbers,” she said.

Through combining the sightings with models constructed from the tagging, they were able to make calculations of the density of foxes in towns and cities across the country.

It is thought there were only 33,000 foxes living in towns and cities during the 1990s, and a 2014 study found that 91% of urban areas previously predicted to support few or no foxes in the early 2000s now have them.



continued

England's best-loved wildlife still in serious decline, report shows

Government countryside assessment paints a ‘grim picture’ with key species such as hedgehogs, dormice, birds and butterflies all continuing to decrease in number

Damian Carrington

Friday 26 August 201611.12 BSTLast modified on Friday 26 August 201611.38 BST

Much of England’s best-loved wildlife remains in serious decline, according to the latest official assessment from the government. Birds and butterflies on farmland have continued their long term downward trend and 75% of over 200 “priority” species across the country – including hedgehogs, dormice and moths – are falling in number.

The Natural Environment Indicators for England also showed that water quality has fallen in the last five years, with just one in five rivers and lakes having high or good status, and the amount of time given by conservation volunteers has also fallen.

However, the sustainability of fisheries has improved, as has the amount of carbon locked up in forests and litter in the seas has begun to decline. The indicators were established by the government’s Natural Environment white paper in 2011, which said it would “put right damage done in previous years” by placing “the value of nature at the centre of the choices our nation must make”.

 “This report paints a pretty grim picture of how our wildlife is faring in the countryside,” said Sandra Bell, at Friends of the Earth. “Added to recent new evidence that wild bees have been harmed by neonicotinoid pesticides, it’s clear that if we want to enjoy a thriving natural environment big changes are needed to our farming system. This must be a priority for the government as part of its Brexit strategy.”

Christopher Price, at the CLA, which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses, said: “This progress report is a tough read for all those who care about our countryside. As we prepare to exit the EU, it is clear that the new [farming and environment] policy must have greater ambition in how it supports farmers and land managers to deliver better environmental outcomes.” On Thursday, a poll showed the public strongly supports stronger post-Brexit environmental policies.

Read on 

New badger culling trials given go ahead across England

23 August 2016

Badger culls are to be carried out in five new areas of England in a bid to control bovine TB, the BBC has learnt.

Shooting of badgers will begin in early September in South Devon, North Devon, North Cornwall, West Dorset, and South Herefordshire, the BBC understands.

Culling is part of the government's 25-year-strategy to eradicate the disease, but opponents say there is no evidence culling is effective.

Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset are already practising culling.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) would not confirm the selections had been made but said it was "currently considering applications for further badger control licences as part of the usual licensing process".

However, the BBC understands that culling companies have already been selected, and marksmen trained for the new locations.

Tony Francis, a farmer who had TB in his herd near Okehampton in Devon, said he had signed up to one of the new cull zones to try to prevent the disease from returning.

'Take control'

"It's an issue which has been going on for decades," he said.

"No-one has really got on top of it. I think the agricultural industry feel we've got to try and take control of it."

Read more  

Nature Improvement Areas: Thousands more hectares for English wildlife

Nearly 20,000 hectares of natural habitat – the equivalent of almost 23,000 football pitches – has been created, restored or preserved across England over the past three years thanks to an innovative £7.5 million government project.

Published today, the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of Nature Improvement Areas: Final Report’ showcases the achievements of the 12 Nature Improvement Areas – established in 2012 with funding from Defra – in helping protect wildlife and connect people with nature, while providing a boost to rural economies.

From the vast green plains of the Humberhead Levels to the glacial landscapes of the Meres and Mosses wetlands and the urban backdrop of the Greater Thames Marshes, the three-year initiative saw local authorities, communities, conservation groups and the private sector come together to change and improve local areas in both rural and urban locations. This unique partnership approach means these natural spaces now not only provide a sanctuary for wildlife to thrive, but also ensure people can enjoy them for generations to come.

Continued …

Pine marten spotted in England for the first time in over 100 years

Elusive cat-sized member of the stoat and weasel family believed to be extinct may have been living in the Shropshire hills for years

John Vidal

Wednesday 15 July 2015 15.35 BSTLast modified on Thursday 16 July 201500.00 BST

This is the first confirmed sighting
 of a pine marten in England for a
 century. Photograph: Shropshire Wildlife Trust

The first conclusive sighting of a pine marten in England in over 100 years suggests that the elusive domestic cat-sized member of the stoat and weasel family may have been living in the Shropshire hills for years.

Amateur wildlife recorder Dave Pearce took two photographs of the dark brown creature thought to be extinct, in a wood in south west Shropshire last week. The photographic evidence has now been verified by Stuart Edmunds, chair of the Shropshire mammal group.

“The pictures proved conclusive. We matched the exact tree that the pine marten was passing with the pictures that were taken. We have now put out lots of camera trails [traps] to see if the animal or his family – lives in the area. There is a real possibility that they may have been living here right under our noses for a long time.

“There have been rumours of pine martens in England on and off for years. Most of these, on close enquiry, have proved to be domestic cats, mink and even black squirrels. A sighting in Staffordshire in 2007 was almost certainly an escapee from a nearby wildlife sanctuary,” said Edmunds.

Continued ...

More than 14% of England's honeybee colonies died over winter

British Beekeepers Association says level of winter losses is unacceptably high as European Food Safety Authority launches investigation into bee threats

Alison Benjamin

Thursday 25 June 2015 16.33 BSTLast modified on Thursday 25 June 201516.39 BST

More than 14% of England’s honeybee colonies died over the winter, the latest research from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) has found.

The BBKA’s annual survey of beekeepers across England’s found that winter losses were highest in the west country (18%) and lowest in the north of England (11.8).

The average reported losses for 2014/15 of 14.5% were higher than 2013/14 when only 9.6% of colonies perished, but much lower than the winter of 2012/13 when a third of hives died, and below the average losses since the survey began eight years ago of 19.3%.

The BBKA says winter losses remain at an “unacceptably high levels and are still in excess of what might be considered normal losses of 5-10%”. It blames poor and variable weather, bee diseases and parasites such as the varroa mite and starvation.

But Francis Ratnieks, professor of apiculture at Sussex University, describes this year’s losses as very low and easily managed by beekeepers. “Honeybee colonies have the capacity to double in number every summer when they swarm, or the beekeepers splits the colony in two, so 14.5% winter losses are totally sustainable,” he says. “A good summer allowed the bees to forage and go into the winter well fed and strong.”

His own 100-strong apiary lost just two hives. “If you make sure your bees have food, a healthy queen and are treated for the varroa mite, you should be able to get winter losses down to single digits,” Ratnieks insists.

Read on ...

More than one in 10 of England's wildlife sites 'lost since 2009'

Wildlife Trusts says monitoring of ancient woodlands, hedgerows and churchyards shows 717 have been lost or damaged between 2009 and 2013

Monday 22 December 2014 08.58 GMT

More than one in 10 of England’s Local Wildlife Sites have been lost or damaged in the last five years, conservationists say.

Monitoring of 6,590 of the country’s “quiet, unnoticed wild places in which nature thrives” such as ancient woodlands, hedgerows and churchyards revealed that 717 of them had been lost or damaged between 2009 and 2013.

The Wildlife Trusts warn that the figures are just the tip of the iceberg, with many more of England’s 42,865 Local Wildlife Sites potentially under threat, and the latest losses come in the wake of decades of destruction of natural habitats.

Local Wildlife Sites are not protected by law, but national planning rules require local authorities to identify sites for their wildlife value and provide for their protection under local policy.

Continued ...

Species that have become extinct in England since the 1980s

New list of recently extinct creatures

Creatures like the wildcat and tortoise butterfly have gone the way of the dodo and are now extinct.

A new list of extinct species in England has been released which shows animals and plants have died out at a rate of more than two species a year for the past 200 years.

The Species Recovery Trust said 421 beasts, birds, bugs and plants have disappeared from the countryside. It has published an online database called The Lost Life Project about extinct creatures since 1800.

This gallery takes a look at the species which have died out since the 1980s...

Black-backed meadow ant

Scientific name: Formica pratensis

Home: around Bournemouth and Wareham in Dorset

Extinct: 1988

Reasons: urban development and inappropriate land management

Click the gallery above to see more...

Find gallery here

The Government-proposed Water Bill could endanger our rivers

WWF calls for safeguards to regulate water abstraction

November 2013: A third of England's rivers are in danger of long-term damage that could ruin the country's environment and threaten wildlife if new legislation comes into force without important safeguards in place. WWF argues that the Water Bill going through Parliament will cause even more water to be taken out of some of the nation's most water-stressed rivers, reducing water levels to a point that would not support native wildlife such as the Water Vole and the Kingfisher.

Continued

Forty percent of river otters in England may be infected with parasitic disease toxoplasmosis

Study suggests that toxoplasmosis occurs in marine and freshwater species

July 2013. A study by 11 British scientists who examined 271 Eurasian otter bodies across England found that 108 (almost 40 percent) of those animals tested positive for the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis which is described in the study as a "globally important [disease] with potentially devastating health impacts both for humans and a range of domestic and wild species."

‘Widespread faecal contamination of freshwater ecosystems'

"The relatively high prevalence of [the toxoplasmosis parasite] in a predominantly [fish-eating] freshwater mammal suggests widespread faecal contamination of freshwater ecosystems," the report said. It is the first widespread study of the toxoplasmosis parasite in UK wildlife and the first such extensive study of it in Eurasian otters, which are described as a sentinel species of fresh water, reflecting the overall health of these ecosystems.

Marine species suffering from toxoplasmosis

The toxoplasmosis parasite has, for many years, been considered to be more terrestrial in nature and impact, but several reports have indicated significant infections in a range of both marine and freshwater species. Previous reports also link toxoplasmosis to deaths of Hawaiian monk seals, deaths of Pacific Coast otters, and infections in 75 captive marine mammals from four facilities in southern and central regions in Mexico.

Read on

'No sell-off' for public forests

The government has announced that it will not sell off publicly owned forests in England.

It says it will create a new public body that will hold in trust the nation's forests for future generations.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson was responding to a report that called the estate a "national asset" that should not be sold off.

He also announced that the policy of selling off 15% of the estate to cover costs would be rescinded.

Mr Paterson gave few details of the new, independent body that would own, maintain and safeguard the public forest estate except that it would be set up in the longer term.

"The new body will have greater independence from Government and greater freedom to manage its resources and maximise its income but with the right safeguards in place to operate for the long-term benefit of people, nature and the economy," he said.

The Independent Panel on Forestry (IPF) was established in March 2011 after a ministerial U-turn on plans to dispose of a chunk of its woodlands.

The Rt Rev James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool and who chaired the Panel, welcomed the government's response saying it was an "unequivocal endorsement" of the IPF's recommendations.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21275432

Britain's urban rivers bounce back

Insects increasing in urban rivers
July 2012. Urban rivers throughout England and Wales have improved dramatically in water quality and wildlife over the last 20 years. That's the conclusion of one the largest studies of national trends in river health ever undertaken.

Mayflies and stoneflies on the increaseAfter decades of pollution, typically from poorly treated sewage and industrial waste, rivers in or near Britain's major urban areas are regaining insects such as mayflies and stoneflies that are typical of fast-flowing, oxygen-rich waters. The range of invertebrates found has also increased, on average, by around 20%.

Industrial decline, tighter regulation and improved wastewater treatment
Researchers from Cardiff University's School of Biosciences carried out an independent analysis of data supplied by the Environment Agency using almost 50,000 samples from thousands of rural and urban locations. The team puts the general improvement down to industrial decline, tighter regulation and improved wastewater treatment over recent decades.

Drought is a danger
The recovery has not been universal, however. Rivers in some rural upland areas - such as Wales and parts of northern England - appeared to deteriorate slightly. The team is now investigating these trends further. Another important finding was that drought years reversed the recovery - at least temporarily.

Dr Ian Vaughan, lead author of the study said: "These important results show how benefits to river biodiversity - the huge array of species that live in our rivers - have arisen from investment and long-term restoration intended largely for other ‘river ecosystem services' such as drinking water and sanitation."

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/urban-rivers.html

England’s forests to be saved for the nation

Report recommends ‘triple bottom line' valuation of England's woodlands - delivering benefits for people, nature and the green economy

July 2012. The Independent Panel on Forestry, set up to advise the Government on the future of England's forests and woodlands, has published its final report to Government. The report calls for the benefits of England's woods and forests to be re-valued for all the services they provide. These include not only areas for recreation, but also clean air, clean water, habitats for wildlife, locking up carbon, shading in cities - even helping in flood reduction. Wood is the raw material for timber frame buildings, furniture, flooring, fuel, and of course paper.

Triple bottom line
The report highlights the ‘triple bottom line' that forestry delivers and calls for a revival of a woodland culture that appreciates how important trees are for people, for nature and the economy. The public forest estate is the single largest provider of outdoor leisure and recreation in England. And it is also the single largest timber producer, as well as being a vital habitat for wildlife. Research shows that these elements are producing annual returns on investment estimated at £400 million.

With more than 80% of England's woods and forests being outside of the public forest estate, they call for more of these woods and forests to be sustainably managed to create a substantial impact.

Speaking on behalf of the Panel members, The Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, said: "The Panel's work over the last year has shown that our woodlands, managed sustainably, can offer solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing society today. We have consulted widely, visited woods and forests around the country and read over 42,000 submissions.

There is untapped potential within England's woodlands to create jobs, to sustain skills and livelihoods, to improve the health and wellbeing of people and to provide better and more connected places for nature.

Most importantly, the public forest estate needs to be free from the electoral cycle, for trees have long lifecycles - decisions taken now are looking to a future that is 50, or even 100, years down the line. And the bodies managing the public forest estate and advising woodland owners need to evolve and be free to become much more entrepreneurial.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/forest-england.html