Conservation

This week in biodiversity news – 18th March 2024

Climate

The price of bananas is set to rise permanently as a result of climate change, according to experts. This follows a noticeable absence of the much-loved fruit in several UK supermarkets within the past few weeks due to sea storms. Senior economist at the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation states that increasing temperatures are compounding the impacts of fast spreading diseases, including the Fusarium Wilt TR4 infection, which continues to pose an enormous threat to supply chains. Once a banana plantation has been infected with the virus, it kills the trees, therefore halting production. The infection is very difficult to eradicate once present. Increases in more extreme weather conditions, such as widescale flooding and strong winds, allow the virus to spread more easily and may be why it has now been detected across four continents.

Ground level image of Redwood Trees with the sun shining on the bark and ferns covering the ground. — Redwoods.jpg by David Wood, via flickr.

The world’s largest species of tree is thriving in the UK due to the moist climate, and now outnumbers those in their native home of California. A study into Giant Redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) has revealed that those imported to the UK around 160 years ago are growing at a similar rate to those in the US. However, as these trees are still young, they are 39% smaller than their American counterparts. Due to their sheer size, it has also been revealed that they store large quantities of carbon dioxide, with those measuring 45m tall in Wakehurst storing between 10-15 tonnes of carbon per tree. Whilst the trees are flourishing in the UK climate, there is little chance of them invading native forests as they require very specific conditions to seed.

Environment

An African project aiming to replace barren lands with wildlife-rich, biodiverse forests has restored more than 41,000 hectares of woodland in ten years. Trees for Future (TREES) is an organisation that aims to restore landscapes in developing communities, while also combating poverty. Following the launch of their mass reforestation campaign in 2015, they have worked with locals to plant tens of millions of trees across nine African countries. They also intend to create 230,000 jobs by 2030 via their ambitious initiative. Working with thousands of smallholder farmers for a duration of four years, they provide training, tools, seeds and grants to allow locals to plant biodiverse woodland and create environments that are self-sustainable for both communities and nature.

Dartmoor sunset taken from behind some rocks looking over Dartmoor's heathland with clouds in the sky and the sun setting behind them. — Dartmoor sunset by Simon Vogt, via flickr.

The government has pledged a £25m scheme to restore critically endangered habitats for England’s fastest-declining wildlife. In light of the recent announcement of the EU’s first nature law to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, this government funding will help improve over 3,300 hectares of land, including 49 hectares of wetland around chalk river habitats in south-east England. The ‘species survival fund’ will also support schools, farmers and landowners across mid-Cornwall to ensure woodland, heathland and acidic grassland restoration across the moors, and help to create vital nature corridors across the Medlock Valley, with the collective aim of restoring nature and supporting iconic species such as Water Voles, waxcaps and rare Great-crested Newts.

Science

According to a new study, playing healthy reef sounds through underwater speakers could save damaged coral reefs. Fifty percent of the worlds coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s. However, scientists working in the Caribbean have revealed that simulating healthy coral reef environments through soundscape recordings may be the key to recovery. Working across three reefs, each at different stages of degradation, the team of scientists installed speakers at all three sites, but only played recordings taken from a thriving reef at one: Salt Pond reef. Results showed that, on average, 1.7 times more coral larvae settled there than on the other two sites. The rate of settlement decreased further away from the speakers, suggesting that the sounds played an important role in larval retention. Research is now underway to understand whether other coral species respond in the same way, and to find out whether the corals thrive after settling.

Bulbous green coral in a healthy coral reef with a red pointed fish swimming in the foreground. — More bulbous green coral by Ed Ralph, via flickr.

Pollution

Air pollution levels throughout Europe have continually decreased over the last 20 years, despite increasing threats of climate change. Research conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health studied 1,400 regions across 35 countries and have concluded that the two main forms of overall suspended particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) have been falling annually throughout this period. PM10 has decreased annually by 2.72%, while PM2.5 dropped by 2.45% and NO₂ levels reduced by 1.72%. Even so, according to the WHO, 98% of Europeans are living in areas with unhealthy levels of PM2.5. These tiny pollution particles are known to cause an array of health problems, and are estimated to be linked to over 400,000 premature deaths a year across Europe.

This week in biodiversity news – 4th March 2024

Rediscoveries and Recovery

The Norfolk hawker dragonfly is no longer extinct, with the species set to be taken off the British Red List of endangered species after a large-scale population surge. Since its extinction in the Cambridgeshire Fens in the 1890‘s, the Norfolk Hawker’s small population has been restricted to the Norfolk Broads. However, in recent years they have been found in Kent, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Dorset and Devon due to an increase in suitable habitats across Britain resulting from climate breakdown. This has been the driving force behind the species recovery, however, the gaps in the current population distribution need filling to ensure the Norfolk Hawker’s long-term survival.?

Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly perched on a plant in the sun. — Norfolk Hawker by Jo Garbutt, via flickr.

A breeding population of an incredibly rare species of turtle has been discovered in India. The Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle is native to south and south-east Asia and has been classed as critically endangered. The discovery of a breeding female on the banks of the Chandragiri River in Kerala, however, provides hope for this illusive species. The study was led by a group of international conservationists who worked alongside local communities to record the first documentation of a female nest, and subsequently rescue the eggs from flooding. The hatchings have since been released into the river, and the team are now working closely with the local community to set up a hatchery and nursery near the original nesting site.?

Climate

Since 2000, more than a third of Antarctica’s glacier anchors have reduced in size. These anchors, or “pinning points,” are important braking mechanisms that hold the glaciers in place and subsequently reduce the rate of ice detachment from the continent. New research conducted by the University of Edinburgh suggests that an increase in global sea temperatures is causing these points to thin at a much faster rate than previously estimated. Since 2000, 37% of pinning points have either shrunk or completely disappeared, and, as a result, the glacier’s braking force is weakening.?

Amazing shapes and deep blue tumbled down the huge glaciers that lined the shores. — Antarctica 162 – dramatic landscape by McKay Savage, via flickr.

The UK has had the wettest February on record, according to the Met Office. Between December 2023 and January 2024, the UK experienced 90% of the total expected winter rainfall. This increase in wet weather continued throughout February with some areas of the UK seeing two and a half times their normal rainfall for this month alone. These adverse weather conditions, a result of climate change, is having detrimental effects on farmers due to increased crop flooding, with some farms in Lincolnshire having been underwater since October.

Science and Environment

A 12mm long, transparent fish has been found to make a sound as loud as a pneumatic drill. Scientists in Berlin were studying the Danionella cerebrum in their lab when they began hearing strange clicking noises coming from the male fish in the tank. Upon investigation, they discovered that this miniscule species can make a sound of 108 decibels when measured at a distance of one metre away – this is roughly equivalent to the noise made by a bulldozer and is likely to be the volume at which other fish hear the sound. This noise is created by the contraction and release of the fish’s swim bladder, and it is one of the loudest noises ever discovered in a fish of this size.?

Ancient trees play an irreplaceable role in supporting forest life, according to experts. The results from a recent study in the Spanish Pyrenees show that ancient trees no longer exert energy on reproduction, and instead prioritise stress tolerance, durability and slower growth. It has also been revealed that, over time, sections of older trees die and decay, which allows them to host more diverse and greater quantities of different species than younger trees, as juveniles don’t possess the unique physical and physiological features to support them. Although the number of old growth trees continue to decline worldwide, researchers Munne-Bosch and Pasques hope their report will highlight the importance of our ancient trees’ ecological role.?

Old, twisted Silver Birch tree near Owler Tor in the Peak District. — Silver Birch by Steve Batch 61, via flickr.

Policy

The government are expected to announce a move to 100% badger culling under exceptional circumstances in the coming weeks. The current policy on badger culling aims to reduce badger numbers by 70% in each cull area, however the government may increase the target to 100% in certain circumstances, subject to consultation, as of January 2026. The Government had previously stated that the cull would end in 2025 and be replaced by increased badger vaccinations, however some fear that the new 100% cull policy may become standard practice instead.

Parliament has implemented the first EU nature law to restore 30% of the EU’s degraded ecosystems by 2030. This comes into effect after recent findings reveal that over 80% of all European habitats are in poor shape, and aims to ensure the restoration of 60% of these environments by 2040, and 90% by 2050. The EU has pledged that once these ecosystems are restored, they will ensure that the area does not significantly deteriorate once more in a bid to aid the long-term recovery of damaged natural areas.

Author Q&A with Hugh Warwick: Cull of the Wild

In Cull of the Wild, author Hugh Warwick investigates the ethical and practical challenges of managing invasive species to increase biodiversity. He explores the complicated history of species control over time, while also combining scientific theory and subtle humour, to explain the many issues conservationists face when trying to protect native species from their non-native rivals.

Hugh Warwick is an ecologist, conservationist and writer who specialises in the study of hedgehogs. He has published three books focusing on this species, however he recently expanded his field of study to include invasive species while writing Cull of the Wild. He has previously written for BBC Wildlife, New Scientist, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, is the spokesperson for the Hedgehog Preservation Society, runs courses on both hedgehog conservation, and lectures in creative writing.

Hugh recently took the time to talk to us about his book, including what inspired him to write Cull of the Wild, how he hopes his book will help future conservation methods, and more.

Firstly, what inspired you to write a book on the culling of invasive species?

The very first independent field work I did in 1986 – for the 3rd year project of my degree – took me to North Ronaldsay. My supervisor had a friend who was both the GP and the bird warden on this island, the most northerly in Orkney. He had noted that there seemed to be a correlation between the increase in number of imported hedgehogs (that was the postman’s fault!) and the decrease in breeding success of ground nesting birds – in particular the Arctic Terns. My work was to try and find out how many hedgehogs there were. This turned out to be around 500 – not the 10,000 the Daily Express had reported! The bird observatory organised an airlift to remove the hedgehogs after I had gone and I returned in 1991 to repeat the survey. Since then I have found the collision of ecological study with human concerns really fascinating.

This led me to become involved, rather inevitably, in the Uist hedgehog saga, where the RSPB and Nature Scotland were killing the hedgehogs for the very same reason they had been airlifted from North Ronaldsay. I quickly shifted from reporting on the story for BBC Radio 4, to joining the campaign against the cull, and then doing the research that helped stop it. But while all this was happening, I met a researcher from New Zealand who was telling me that they were killing hedgehogs over there (in the 1860s we sent a load of hogs over to help the colonialists feel more at home) I could see no reason not to kill those hedgehogs.

That apparent contradiction has been spinning in my head ever since and was the springboard for this book.

Close up photograph of a New Zealand Hedgehog walking through long grass. — New Zealand: Hedgehog, by Eli Duke via flickr.

How did you find researching such differing opinions on the subject, and have your preconceived opinions changed over the course of writing this book?

I found this book so very different from all the others I have written. Previous outings have always been with people who are just really pleased to talk – to share their enthusiasm for Beavers or Water Voles or owls. This was the first time where I felt like the initial communication was almost like a job interview – assessing whether I was suitable to talk to. Some people simply refused to talk, others were cagey. I guess I was quite naïve!

The journey of the book is basically one where my head and my heart are in constant debate. I lay out my ‘bunny-hugging’ prejudices at the start. I suppose I was hoping to find that all instances where animals were being killed could be dealt with in other ways.

One of the biggest lessons I learnt, though, was about how people, even ones with whom you have fundamental differences of opinion, share so much common ground. But you will never see that common ground if you charge in at the difference! I love that one of my potentially conflicting interviews ended up with the biggest argument being over who recorded the best version of Sibelius’ 5th Symphony!

In Chapter 1, you discussed that animals are shown to be continually developing to become more like humans – problem solving, making and using tools etc. Do you think this gradual form of humanisation may lead to more equal ‘rights’ between animal species and humans in relation to killing for conservation?

I would not look at this as humanisation – that is slipping back into the human exceptionalism that got us into this mess. Currently the degrees of cruelty we deliver to wildlife is arbitrary, based in large part on language and on the names we give them, even different members of the same species.

We need to recognise that these animals being killed experience pain, joy, fear and hope. If the realisation that different species have the capacity to do human-like things is enough to get this recognised, then that is some progress.

I have been gently eased away from the concept of ‘rights’ for animals and towards a desire to see cruelty minimised. Rights are important and I see their value – but here, I feel the best outcomes will emerge from a utilitarian desire to maximise good and minimise bad. Though that requires we have the idea that these animals, most of whom are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, are individuals and can suffer.

A close up of a Red Squirrel stood on its hind legs on a rock eating a nut it's holding in it's front paws. — Red Squirrel, by Caroline Legg via flickr.

You must have visited many places and spoken to many different people about different species while you were writing this book. Were there any particularly memorable moments or experiences that that have stayed with you?

I did not get to some of the places in this book – time, Covid, money and a desire to minimise flying all conspired to keep the exotic interviews on Zoom. But the adventures I did have were all special.

Heading out along the coastline of South Ronaldsay, Orkney, with Spud – the most handsome labrador I have ever met – was magical. The wind blew, the surf crumped in from the Atlantic, and Spud, well, he followed his nose and we followed him as he tracked down evidence of Stoats.

The Stoat story is so important – it is about speed and trying catch this problem early – they were only found in 2011. But more than the practical, it is also about the buy-in of the local population. If the public are not onside, the conservationists can give up now. So it is about education and communication as much as it is about deciding which traps to use and where to site them.

A close up of a stoat climbing over a dark, wet, mossy log. — Stoat (Mustela erminsea) by big-ashb, via flickr.

In what way do you hope that Cull of the Wild will help future animal conservation efforts?

The overarching message I hope people get from Cull of the Wild is that ecology is both fascinating and VERY challenging when it is part of a conflict. Ecology is not given the level of respect that it should receive. It is always sidelined – economics and politics hog the headlines – yet both of those are but subsets of the wider ecosystem. Without a healthy ecosystem we are on a downward slope to disaster. So, I hope that people will read this book, maybe because they are outraged at the killing, and will then come away realising that ecology is very complex and should be treated with great respect.

I also hope that this book will convince people who hold very firm opinions – opinions that are often amplified by the bubbles in which we tend to linger – that people with differing views may well share many of the same values as themselves. And that to begin discussion at the common ground is the foundation of progress. Argument should not be about winning, but about making things better. Remember, it is quite possible that some of the things you know are wrong. A friend of mine turned up at a conference recently with a t-shirt saying ‘Don’t believe everything you think’. We should be humble enough to recognise we might be wrong.

Are you currently working on any other projects that you can tell us about?

As I write this, the lovely people at the publishers Graffeg are hoping I will stop promoting Cull of the Wild and finish the two books I owe them: one on bats and the other on nocturnal nature. I have another narrative nonfiction brewing – about as different to this book as imaginable. Something which will hopefully bring laughter into our love of nature.

Cull of the Wild is available to order from our online bookstore.

Author Q&A with Chantal Lyons: Groundbreakers

Big, messy and mysterious – crossing paths with a Wild Boar can conjure fear and joy in equal measure. In Groundbreakers, Chantal Lyons gets up close and personal with this complex and intelligent species in the Forest of Dean, and investigates the people across Britain and beyond who celebrate the presence of these animals – or want them gone. From Toulouse and Barcelona where they are growing in number and boldness, to the woods of Kent and Sussex where they are fading away, to Inverness-shire where rewilders welcome them, join Chantal on a journey of discovery as she reveals what it might take for us to coexist with the magnificent Wild Boar.

Chantal Lyons is a naturalist, writer and science communicator. Having grown up in the tidy countryside of Kent, her encounters with the growing rewilding movement opened her eyes to the potential for restoring nature in Britain, and inspired her to study the relations between people and Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean. She currently lives in Cheltenham, never too far from the boar.

Chantal recently took time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her first experience with a Wild Boar, her hopes and fears for the future of their populations in Britain, and more.

First of all, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to writing a book about Wild Boar in Britain?

Up until my mid-twenties I spent all my writing time churning out unpublishable fantasy and sci-fi novels, alongside a zig-zagging career in the charity sector. The journey to Groundbreakers was perhaps a ponderous one – it started when I went to the Forest of Dean in summer 2014 to research a Masters dissertation in environmental social science. The Forest of Dean was, and still is, one of the few places in the country where Wild Boar have returned since their extirpation from Britain around 700 years ago. I wanted to find out from local residents what it was like to suddenly find yourself living alongside a big, wild, and utterly unfamiliar creature. What I discovered from those interviews astounded me, and I was sure that some established nature writer would soon publish a book about the return of boar to Britain and what this meant for us. No one did. After seven years, I decided to send off a proposal to a publisher who I’d encountered on Twitter, and it snowballed from there.

Could you tell us about your first real life experience with a Wild Boar?

It was a long time in coming! While I was in the Forest of Dean doing the Masters research, I used every spare moment to explore the woods on my own, often following locals’ leads. It always came to nothing. The boar seem to be like cats – you seem to be more likely to meet them the less you want to. But eventually, at the tail end of summer, I went to a spot where I’d heard from someone that a sounder (a family group of boar, which is always led by a matriarch) had been foraging each evening. I heard them softly calling to each other, then there was a rustling in the bracken, and an adult stepped out onto the path to get a look at me. We stared at each other for about two seconds, she gave a belching alarm call, and then she vanished with her family.

Wild boar and 7 piglets lead down on a rocky bank in the Yorkshire Dales. — Wild boar at Bolton Castle in Yorkshire Dales National Park, by HarshLight via flickr.

I appreciated the ways in which you speak about rewilding, in particular the importance of nuance and accepting the unknown. Do you think that uncertainties about the best way to undergo reintroduction projects and their expected outcomes are a significant hindrance to their implementation?

I have heard many a time from rewilding practitioners that the inherent uncertainties in rewilding can make it especially challenging to gain funding, given that projects aimed at restoring nature have traditionally been expected to be able to set clear targets and end-goals. But beyond practicalities like money, I think the bigger challenge is the attitude that reintroducing species for rewilding purposes is too big an unknown, and therefore too big a risk. Of course we should aim to conduct as much scientific research and gather as much knowledge as possible, but we are running out of time to reverse the haemorrhaging of our biodiversity in Britain and globally. To me, it beggars belief that we seem quite happy to continue doing all kinds of things that we know are massively damaging the environment, but reintroducing species? Why, that’s a step too far!

Close up image of two wild boar walking through mud with their snouts and feet covered in wet mud. — Wild boar, by Marieke IJsendoorn-Kuijpers, via flickr.

One part of the book that particularly resonated with me was in ‘The Risks of Being Alive’ where you speak about how, for most modern humans, ‘nothing matters more in life than eliminating all risk to it – even at the cost of happiness’. What do you think it would take for humans to accept more wildness into their lives?

Maybe it’s a cliché to say this, but I think it hugely helps to engage children with nature from a young age, and to continue doing so as they grow up. That of course means ensuring that everyone can access nature.

Beyond that, the question of how to convince people to accept more wildness is an incredibly tricky one, especially in a place like Britain which suffers so badly from ‘ecological tidiness disorder’ (as Benedict Macdonald puts it in Rebirding). The problem is that most of us have not made the connection between our tidy sterilised surroundings and the loss of nature. There is a lack of understanding that the majestically bare plains of Dartmoor or our rolling green fields mean an absence of life; and that you need all manner of species, including big ones, to ensure healthy ecosystems. I didn’t realise this for years. But once you know, you can’t stop wanting to bang the drum.

What are your biggest hopes and worst fears for the future of Wild Boar populations in Britain?

I want the planned, country-wide reintroduction of Wild Boar to become accepted both politically and societally. In the meantime, I hope that the few boar we do have are allowed to thrive. That means more oversight of people carrying out legal shooting of them on their land, and – in the case of the Forest of Dean population – better censusing methods to ensure they are not over-culled (though some culling will always be needed, as the boar currently lack other predators).

What am I most afraid of? That very soon, a disease called African Swine Fever (ASF) which burns through pig populations like wildfire will make its way into Britain. Since Brexit, border controls on pork imports have been so lax that experts think it’s only a matter of time before ASF reaches us. Forestry England is primed to wipe out every last boar in the Forest of Dean if the disease is ever detected in the population. And once they’re gone, it seems very unlikely that they would ever be reintroduced (legally or illegally) again. We will miss a miraculous chance to kickstart the landscape-scale restoration of nature in Britain.

Wild Boar piglets running across the road in a national park park with the sun out. — Wild Boar Sus Scrofa, by Björn, via flickr.

Finally, what is occupying your time at the moment? Are there plans for further books in the pipeline?

I work full-time as a science communicator, which does narrow my research and writing windows! But I am currently working on a proposal for book number two. It’s intended to be something of an evolution of Groundbreakers, picking up a thread that often emerged during my research interviews with people, but which I couldn’t possibly have fitted into this first book…

Groundbreakers is available from our online bookstore.

Author Q&A with Robert Wolton: Hedges

In Hedges, Robert Wolton brings together decades of research and personal experiences from his farm in Devon to explore the ecology, biology, nature conservation and wider environmental values of the hedges in the British Isles. Containing over 300 photographs and figures, this latest addition to the British Wildlife Collection offers a detailed commentary on hedges and their importance in our landscape.

Robert is an ecological consultant and writer specialising in the management of farmland and associated habitats for wildlife. He is a former hedgerow specialist for Natural England, the founder, chair, editor and lead author of the Devon Hedge Group, has been involved in Hedgelink since it began, and has written a number of reports and articles specialising in hedges.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be contributing to the British Wildlife Collection with a book on hedges?

I’ve had a life-long interest in natural history, even as a schoolboy I was a very keen birdwatcher. Later, at university, I trained as a zoologist with a strong interest in mammals, although subsequently I have been more involved with insects, especially moths and flies. It was perhaps inevitable that I should pursue a career in nature conservation. My passion for hedges was awakened when we bought a small farm in the heart of Devon, my wife, Paula, looking after the cattle and sheep while I went to the office. Initially it was the flower-filled meadows that drew me to the land, but I soon realised that the many thick hedges, full of different trees and shrubs, were glorious and just as special, particularly when I discovered that those small spherical nests I kept finding were made by Hazel Dormice. At that time, 30 years ago, hedges were very under-appreciated in the nature conservation world – there was a gap waiting to be filled and I was able to persuade my bosses in English Nature to allow me to become a part-time national hedge specialist, a role I continued to fill after the organisation morphed into Natural England. Partial retirement gave me the opportunity to write a book on my beloved hedges. I’d always dreamt of having a volume in the British Wildlife Collection, much admiring the series, so when Bloomsbury offered me the chance I jumped at it.

Robert Wolton, author of Hedges, photographed stood by a large pile of thin trees being used to construct a man-made hedge. — Robert Wolton making a hedge.

I tend to think of hedges as being man-made. But is there such a thing as a natural hedge? And if so, how do these come about?

Most hedges in Britain and Ireland are indeed man-made. Some, though, have grown up naturally along fence lines and ditches – these are termed spontaneous hedges and I think they are becoming more frequent, especially along the sides of roads and railway lines. Trees and shrubs, their seeds carried by wind, birds and mammals, can colonise strips of rough grassland remarkably quickly, often protected to begin with by brambles. It does not take many years before there’s at least a proto-hedge present, and after a decade or two it may be difficult to tell it was not planted. Another way hedges have come into being is through strips of woodland being left when land is cleared for agriculture. These are called ghost hedges. Their origin is often given away by the presence of unexpectedly high numbers of trees and herbs characteristic of ancient woodland because they have poor dispersal abilities.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter in your book on the origins and history of hedges. Do you think that the study of hedges can give us an insight into the natural and social history of our country?

Without a doubt. Throughout our countryside, away from the open moors and fens, the pattern of fields, as defined by hedges and sometimes drystone walls, allows the history of the landscape to be read, often going back centuries, even sometimes millennia. We are so fortunate in these islands still to have this landscape continuity – it has been lost over much of continental Europe. In places like Dartmoor, which I can see from our farm, layer upon layer of history can be unpicked through studying the networks of field boundaries, most of which are banked hedges. Some can be traced back to the Bronze Age, 3,500 years ago. This may be exceptional, but even so, most of the hedges in Britain, and many in Ireland, probably date back to Medieval times. They are a hugely important part of our cultural heritage. We love our hedges. This is evident not just in the countryside, but across our villages, towns and cities, in our gardens and parks. Hedge topiary is, after all, a national pastime!

Farmland hedge leading towards a forest at the end of a farm track along the right-hand side of a field. — Hedge, by Damien Walmsley via Flickr.

As you describe early on in the book, there are many different types of hedge, from those that consist of just a single species to very diverse multi-species ones, even ones that have been allowed to mature into lines of trees. Is there a type of hedge that is best for the surrounding wildlife and environment and that we should be trying to replicate or maintain as much as possible?

If you put me on the spot, I’ll answer this question by saying that thick, dense, bushy hedges are the best for wildlife, preferably with margins full of tussocky grasses and wildflowers. But really we should be thinking about what networks of hedges look like, because there’s no such thing as a perfect hedge. Different birds, mammals and insects like different conditions, and in any case you can’t keep a hedge in the same state for ever, however carefully you manage it. Basically, the trees and shrubs are always trying to reach maturity, and as they do so gaps develops beneath their canopies and between them. That’s when laying or coppicing are needed, to rejuvenate the hedge and make it more dense and bushy. A lot more research needs to be done on this, but probably, from a wildlife point of view, at least half of all the hedges in a network, say that covering a decent-sized farm, should be in this condition. On the other hand, from a climate perspective, where we need to capture as much carbon as quickly as possible, tall hedges with many mature trees are best. You can see there are tensions here, all part of the challenge of managing hedges well. Who said it was easy?

A dusty track running in a straight line with hedges on both sides and tall, narrow, straight trees behind the left hand hedge. — Into the Distance, by Dave S via Flickr.

As both a farmer and an ecologist, I’m sure you are more attuned than many to the conflicting needs of making a living from the land and managing hedges for the benefit of wildlife and conservation. Do you think financial incentives are the only way to encourage landowners and farmers to both plant more and maintain existing hedges?

Financial incentives like government grants will always be important to landowners and farmers because good hedges benefit society at large just as much as those who own and manage them. Things like plentiful wildlife, carbon capture, reduced risk of homes flooding and beautiful landscapes rarely bring in any income to offset costs, let alone profit – it is right that they are supported from the public purse.

Still, hedges can be of direct financial value to farmers through serving as living fences, preventing the loss of soil or providing logs and wood chips for heating. They can also increase crop yields through boosting numbers of pollinators and the predators of pests. To some extent, these direct benefits to farm businesses have been forgotten in recent decades in the drive for increased food production regardless of environmental cost, but they are now being appreciated much more as new ways of working the land, such as regenerative farming, catch on.

And we should not overlook the fact that more and more landowners and farmers are prepared to bear at least some of the costs of good hedge management simply because they gain huge satisfaction from healthy hedges and all the wildlife they contain. The pleasure of seeing a covey of Partridges or a charm of Goldfinches, or hearing the purring song of the Turtle Dove, cannot be priced.

A narrow, windy track going through a high sided hedge into the distance in a circle. — by Oli Haines.

Finally, how did you find the experience of writing this book, and will there be other publications from you on the horizon?

This is my first ‘big’ book, and I was apprehensive to say the least when I started writing it, in 2022. But with a lot of encouragement from my wife and friends I soon got into the swing of things. Challenging for sure but personally most rewarding – exploring new facets, checking information and trying to find the best way to pass on my enthusiasm for the subject. Above all, it felt good to share knowledge collected over many years. Bloomsbury’s support was invaluable, there’s no way I could have self-published. As to whether there are more books in me, I’m not sure. Perhaps one on hedges in gardens? There again, I have a passion for wet woodland, another habitat that’s been much neglected. It’s all too soon to say.

Hedges is available to order from our bookstore.

This week in biodiversity news – 19th February 2024

Climate Crisis

A new study reveals the Amazon rainforest’s worst drought on record in over half a century, with human-caused climate change acting as the driving force behind these weather extremes. The Amazon rainforest plays an important role in the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere, and accounts for around 10% of the world’s species. However, scientists suggest the Amazon could soon reach a “tipping point”, with droughts such as these expected every 13 years if global temperatures increase by a further 2°C.

Black Rhinos have returned to Kenya’s Loisaba Conservancy as species recovers following local extinction 50 years ago. This translocation project, the result of a collaboration between Loisaba Conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service, was prompted by the news that Kenya’s 16 Black Rhino sanctuaries are rapidly running out of space due to a boost in population numbers. Twenty-one of these critically endangered Black Rhinos were released into a specially created fenced sanctuary that covers nearly half of Loisaba’s total area, marking an important moment in the long-term future of Black Rhino populations in Kenya.

Black Rhinoceros stood in a plain full of grass. — Black Rhinoceros, by Andy Morffew via Flickr.

Hedgehog populations are on the rise according to BBC Gardeners’ World survey. Previous reports have found that since 2000, the number of hedgehogs has fallen by 30%-75% depending on the area due to increased habitat loss, fragmentation, pesticides, and a reduction in food sources. However, the annual hedgehog survey highlighted a 33% increase in sightings, up from 31% in 2022, which has been aided by the instillation of ‘hedgehog highways,’ and nationwide rewilding efforts. CEO of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Fay Vass, stated that urban populations are still lower than they should be, however these results provide cautious optimism for the future of hedgehogs.

Environment

Hailed as one of the world’s most ambitious environmental policies, Biodiversity Net Gain came into effect in England on the 12th February 2024. It is now mandatory for all new developments in England to deliver at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity or habitat on all new sites. In light of the government target of building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s, it is hoped that the scheme will minimise or mitigate the environmental effects of these new developments.

Iceland may be entering a new volcanic era, with increasing volcanic activity reported across the island. The most recent short-lived eruption on the Reykjanes peninsular marks the third since December 2023, and the sixth since 2021. Researchers think this wave of volcanic activity may be following a pattern that could last for decades, or even centuries. Scientists are trying to work out how to predict future eruptions by tracking ground inflations as magma rises, from which they can estimate when the magma will break the surface.

Litli-Hrútur – Volcanic Eruption in Iceland July 2023, by Anthony Quaintano via Flickr.

Science and discoveries

The latest strain of bird flu has decreased Great Skua populations by 75% and Northern Gannet populations by 25% in the past 2 years alone, says the RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). According to a recent report, the H5N1 strain has been noted as one of the biggest conservation threats facing numerous seabird species across both UK and Europe. The latest Seabird Count survey, published in November 2023 – which did not take into account the effects of bird flu – found that almost 62% of seabird populations were already in decline across the UK due to other factors such as fishing and offshore wind developments.

The most vulnerable migratory species are at risk due to increased human activity, with one in five threatened with extinction according to the UN. Despite the signing of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals over 40 years ago, researchers suggest that more focus has been placed on preventing illegal animal trading rather than upholding the law on illegal killing. The report recommends that countries need to establish key biodiversity areas on the migration pathways of endangered species, reduce infrastructure obstructing migration routes, create corridors of protected land, and restore 30% of degraded marine and land areas.

Sandwich Terns stood on a beach in a colony looking out to sea. — Sandwich Terns, by Gary Leavens via Flickr.

This week in biodiversity news – 5th February 2024

Climate crisis

The UK has approved 24 new North Sea oil and gas licenses in the face of significant criticism. The move angered many environmental campaigners and MPs who labelled the decision as “grossly irresponsible”. The government defended the move stating that the oil would be imported from overseas if it wasn’t extracted from the North Sea. Environmentalists have argued that granting the licenses will do relatively little to improve the UK’s energy security and undermines Britain’s move towards net zero emissions.

Oil drilling platforms in the North Sea by chumlee10 via Flickr.

Conservation

The National Trust has committed to recreating lost rainforests by planting 100,000 trees in North Devon. Temperate rainforests once covered vast swathes of western Britain, but the rare habitat declined due to historic deforestation and continues to face threats from air pollution, invasive species and diseases. It is now one of the most endangered habitats in the UK covering only 1% of Britain’s landmass mostly in Cumbria, Devon, Cornwall, North and West Wales and the West of Scotland. Exceptionally heavy rainfall and high humidity levels allow moisture-loving plants like mosses and lichens to thrive in these areas and the restored rainforest will be a haven for rare specialist plants that depend on this habitat.

Wistmans Wood, Dartmoor, Devon. — Wistmans Wood, Dartmoor, Devon by Steve Knight via Flickr.

Environment

Toxic run-off from roads has been found not to be monitored, according to the BBC. Rivers close to major roads have been tested by campaigners and have been found to contain a cocktail of chemicals and particles from the roads. National Highways has a statutory responsibility to make sure that discharges from its network do not cause pollution and the Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring water pollution in England. However, in response to a freedom of information request, the agency said that it did not regularly monitory run-off. Oil, chemicals and wear from tyres are washed down drains in heavy rain and subsequently flow into rivers and streams causing damage to sensitive aquatic ecosystems.

The government remains largely off track to meet its environmental targets, according to the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The OEP’s annual progress report concludes that while some progress has been made, the government is largely off track to meet both targets and legal obligations and that the government must speed up its efforts and implement policies quickly to bridge the gap.

Extinction risk

The Greater Glider is on course for extinction due to a controversial decision by the Australia’s New South Wales environmental watchdog, according to experts. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) told stakeholders that it was scrapping measures that required a government-owned forestry corporation to search for Glider dens which currently have to be given a 50-metre logging exclusion zone. Experts have told the EPA in no uncertain terms that they are effectively locking in the Glider’s extinction. Greater Gliders rely on between six and 20 den trees for its habitat which is already under significant pressure due to summer bushfires and logging activity.

Great Glider in its den by Victorian National Parks Association via Flickr.

Science and discoveries

A new map has revealed that England’s hedges would wrap around the Earth ten times if lined up end to end. The map is the most comprehensive to date revealing a total of 390,000 km of hedgerows. Researchers from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology used Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) remote sensing data. They found that the South West of England boasted the largest share of hedges accounting for 24% of England’s total with Cornwall leading at the county level. Around half of Britain’s hedges were lost in the post-war period, and while losses have slowed since the 1990s, major threats to Britain’s hedgerows remain.

The birth of a Great White Shark may have been captured on video for the first time. Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes were filming California’s coastal waters with their drone when they spotted something unusual. By enlarging the images from their video footage and putting it in slow motion, they realised a white layer was being shed from the body of a shark. They believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer.

The Big Garden Birdwatch: NHBS Staff Results 2024

The RSPB’s 45th Big Garden Birdwatch took place between Friday 26th and Sunday 28th January 2024. This annual event is one of the largest citizen science wildlife surveys in the UK and helps us gain an understanding of how our garden bird populations are changing in abundance and distribution over time. Over half a million people took part in last year’s event, recording a total of 9.1 million birds. House Sparrows took first place, despite a gradual 57% decrease in sightings since the first Birdwatch Count in 1979. They were closely followed by the Blue Tit and Starling.

Although the Big Garden Birdwatch has finished, there is still time to submit your results on the RSPB website by the 18th February, or by post before the 13th February. Even if you didn’t see anything, it still counts!

With birds being faced with an increasing number of challenges each year, it’s more important than ever to make your garden and outdoor space wildlife friendly. This can include installing bird feeders or tables which provide an important food source throughout the winter months when natural food sources are scarce., You can also provide clean, fresh drinking water in shallow containers such as bird baths or saucers, and install nest boxes for breeding in the spring. Also, don’t forget to regularly clean and maintain your feeders and baths as this helps stop the spread of disease. Head over to the RSPB website to find out more about how you can help your garden birds.

A robin stood on top of a wet wooden fencepost. — Robin – Catherine Mitson

Results

As usual, many of our staff took part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch from their gardens or local parks across Devon, and we recorded a total of 129 birds and 22 different species. Compared to last years results, there was a 31% increase in sightings, while an additional nine species were spotted in this year’s count. The most sighted bird was the Carrion Crow, closely followed by the Blue Tit and Magpie. In comparison, the county’s top birds were the House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Starling.

Sabine took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

3 Carrion Crow

2 Wood Pigeon

1 Robin

2 Magpie

1 Blackbird

1 Song Thrush

Common Wood Pigeon sat on a small wooden bird feeder house by a Silver Birch tree. — Wood Pigeon – Oli Haines

Oli took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

3 Blackbirds

2 Woodpigeon

3 Jackdaw

2 Blue tits

1 Dunnock

1 Great tit

1 Robin

1 Magpie

1 Goldfinch

Adam took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

2 Blackbirds

6 Blue Tits

1 Chaffinch

2 Great Tits

4 House Sparrow

Photograph of a Dunnock sat on a wooden fencepost in a garden looking up at the sky about to fly off. — Dunnock – Oli Haines

Catherine took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

2 Collared Dove

2 Jackdaw

4 Starling

1 Woodpigeon

Mark took part in the event from his local park and spotted:

5 Parakeets

12 Crows

4 Magpies

10 Herring Gull

Blackbird stood on a branch with trees and blue sky behind it. — Blackbird – Catherine Mitson

Elle took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

2 Blue Tits

1 Dunnock

1 Grey Wagtail

2 Wood Pigeon

1 Magpie

1 Great Tit

Mal took part in the event from her local park and spotted:

3 Carrion Crow

1 Buzzard

Daniel took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

10 Chaffinch

7 Blue Tits

5 Long Tailed Tits

4 House Sparrow

3 Great Tits

2 Goldfinch

1 Coal Tit

1 Blackbird

1 Wren

1 Dunnock

1 Robin

Female Blackbird stood on grass covered in leaves. — Blackbird – Catherine Mitson

We’d also love to hear what you spotted if you took part – let us know in the comments below.

The RSPB:

For more information on UK garden birds, identification guides, the 2024 Big Garden Birdwatch, past results and more, please visit the RSPB website.

Author Q&A with Derek Gow: Hunt for the Shadow Wolf

Renowned rewilder Derek Gow has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf. With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred and domination.

With bitingly funny but also tender stories, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this creature because, as we seek to heal our landscape, we must reconcile our relationship with it. Before we can even begin to bring the wolf back, we need to understand it.

Derek recently took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, including how his fascination with the wolf began, what role it could play in Britain’s landscape and more.

As well as being packed with personal stories and fascinating snippets of wolf biology and behaviour, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is an incredibly well-researched history of the wolf, told through the myths and legends that abound throughout our lands. How and when did your fascination with the wolf and its history in Britain begin?

My personal interest in the wolf story began early. I remember quite clearly my grandmother, who was a slight, erect, sprightly soul, telling both myself and my bored brother on a long car journey to Dundee the story about a place called wolf clyde which was near to where we lived in the Scottish borders at that time where the last wolf in Scotland was killed. It was just nonsense about a woman with children being attacked by the wolf which she brained in response with a pancake griddle, but nevertheless it began a slow smoking interest in the old myths which given the opportunity I was keen to explore further.

Why do you think that an understanding of the historical culture, myths and legends surrounding a species has relevance to its conservation and role in our ecosystems today?

A factual understanding of the history of this much maligned species in Britain is very important as the lies we made up in the darkness of our ignorance to try to twist the cultural character of the wolf into one of loathing and repulsion still sway the responses of a phenomenal number of individuals and organisations to this day. Despite the very best of our advanced understandings of what wolves are and what they do, this toxic taint is still bubbling strongly.

Even in children’s tales, the wolf invariably represents a character of fear, violence and threat. Do you think these types of stories have a significant role to play in the development of our feelings towards wolves as adults?

Absolutely as they reflect only the darkness in the minds of the adults who wrote them and by so doing chose to corrupt a bad reputation without thinking into an even darker evil to infect the minds of the young. Nowadays it’s gratifying to see in so many good environmental centres throughout Europe, within the wolves expanding range, more understanding and compassionate explanations about both their history and the reality of living with them.

Britain is in a unique position compared to mainland Europe in that wolves will never be able to repopulate of their own accord. Do you think that a reintroduction project will ever occur, and what are the key challenges that stand in its way?

I think we should reintroduce the wolf and prepare the way for even more of our lost beasts. Farming has had it all its own way without balance of any sort. If a species gets in our way, we kill it. It’s what we are doing to badgers right now. In the past we inflicted so much heartbreakingly visible cruelty. Now, we destroy on a scale that’s colossal without thinking about the smallest of creatures and those tinier still that inhabit the soil. It’s a viciously unnecessary process.

Eurasischer Wolf sniffing a moss covered rock, taken by C Bruck. — Eurasischer Wolf (Canis Lupus) by C. Brück

What role do you think the wolf could have in healing the landscapes of our currently denuded Britain?

I think they would both move deer considerably and by doing so disrupt their grazing patterns for the betterment of forest understory regeneration. I think they would make those that keep sheep consider their worth and then, if these animals are of value, protect them better. I think their very presence, wild but unthreatening, would more than that of any other creature enable all of us now living on this island to establish, if we wished to do so, our relationship with the natural world.

As well as travelling widely to locations where wolves live in the wild, you have also had the incredible experience of hand-rearing wolves in a wildlife centre. What is your most memorable first-hand experience with a wolf or wolf pack?

Naida, one of my tame cubs, ate my car keys. I only had one set and had to wait for what seemed an eternity for them to pass through her before picking my way through her enormous turds to get them back.

Finally, what is occupying your time this winter? Do you have plans for more books?

Lots of things. The last of bits of farming – feeding my cows. Dog walks and avoiding the rain. Trying to develop a foundation to help us breed even more threatened British species for reintroductions. And books? Well, on long dark evenings I have been researching the intriguing history of the European Bison. not the bits of sadness that brought the species to its knees in the early 20th century, but the complicated individuals who for a time held its future in the palms of their hands. Great characters like the 11th Duke of Bedford, who assembled breeding herds of threatened species on his Woburn estate, and tyrants like Hermann Goering, who used slave labour to create vast parks within which he hunted. It’s an intriguing slant that’s little known but it saved the species for a time when the world for them has become a better place where they can roam in peace, a range that is vast. There might be a book in that!!

Explore other titles by Derek Gow here.

This week in biodiversity news – 15th January 2024

Extinction

A recent study has found that humans have wiped out double the number of bird species as previously thought. According to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), 1,400 bird species have been made extinct which amounts to 12 percent of species being lost due to modern humans. The causes of the destruction of so many species include habitat loss, overexploitation and the introduction of species which have competed with native species and hunted them as prey. The loss of so many bird species is likely to have had harmful effects on ecosystems due to their key functions such as seed dispersal and pollination and because of the range of other species that depended on them for survival.

green kingfisher on a rope — Female Green Kingfisher by Aardwolf via Flickr.

The mystery of the extinction of the largest ever primate has finally been solved. Until recently, the extinction of Gigantopithecus blacki, a giant three-meter tall 250-kilogram primate that lived in the plains of southern China, was a mystery. A large study by a team of researchers from China, the US and Australia of 22 caves in China found that the species on the brink of extinction between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago struggled to adapt to its changing environment. While other primates such as the orangutan adapted their eating habits and behaviours in response to this change, Gigantopithecus blacki struggled to adapt, and as a consequence went extinct.

Biodiversity at risk

The Nigerian Government has destroyed £7 million worth of elephant ivory. The stock of elephant tusks was one of the largest ever seized in Nigeria and weighed close to 2.5 tonnes. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed worldwide each year for their tusks which are often carved into highly valuable works of art. It is estimated that fewer than 500,000 elephants persist in Africa, a considerable decline from 1.3 million in the 1970s. The destroyed ivory will be pulverised into powder which will be made into a monument symbolising the importance of elephant conservation in Nigeria.

Elephant Ivory carved in the shape of an elephant — Elephant Ivory by Theo via Flickr.

Norway is set to approve deep-sea mining operations despite major environmental concerns. The move will make Norway the first country in the world to open up its seabed for deep-sea mining. Scientists have voiced considerable concern over the potential impact on marine life and carbon storage. Recent studies in Norwegian waters have shown that mining operations would have severe impacts on unique marine wildlife. The EU and the UK have opposed such a move citing environmental concerns. Norway has claimed that exploiting deep-sea mineral deposits will aid the green transition.

Climate crisis

Scientists have confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record. Last year saw temperatures 1.48°C warmer than the long-term pre-industrial average temperature. The record high has been driven by a combination of human-caused climate change and the natural El Niño weather phenomenon. The latter half of 2023 saw temperature records for the time of year being broken almost every day with a worrying increase above previous records. 2023 was also notable for extreme glacial retreat, Antarctic sea-ice lows and record ocean temperature highs which far exceeded previous records.

polar bears walking on floating icebergs — Polar Bears on sea ice in Svalbard by Linking Tourism and Conservation via Flickr.

Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions hit a 70-year low in 2023, according to a German think tank. The low comes as Germany winds down its coal-fired power production resulting in a reduction of 73 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions this year. This was made possible by reduced overall electricity demands and increased foreign imports from renewable energy sources. However, the study also highlighted that only 15% of the total can be counted as permanent emission reductions with a large proportion due to unpredictable social or economic activity.

Coal power plant above a river — Coal power plant in Germany by eutrophication&hypoxia via Flickr.

Farmers have called for stronger river defences after Storm Henk wreaked havoc on their crop fields. Many thousands of acres of agricultural land have been left sitting under water in the wake of the storm which follows Storm Babet and Ciaran in the autumn. The National Farmers Union has also called for compensation for farmers who are directed to let their fields flood as part of efforts to protect towns from flooding. The extreme flooding has caused significant financial stress for many affected farmers. The government has said that £221 million was being spent on flood defence maintenance in 2023/2024.

Scientific discoveries

Sperm Whales live in culturally distinct units, a new study has revealed. Scientists at Dalhousie University, Canada, analysed Sperm Whale feeding habits and the sounds they made using underwater microphones and drone surveys and found that they organised themselves into female-based groups of up to 20,000 animals. These groups were divided by distinctive sequences of clicks in their vocalisations. The researchers discovered that while different clans of the whales might meet, they never interbreed, recognising and maintaining their differences.