Tag: Conservation

This week in biodiversity news – 27th November 2023

Climate Crisis

Plants may absorb more CO2 from human activities than previously thought, according to new research. More realistic modelling that considers critical physiological processes inside plants paints a more positive picture than previous predictions. The efficiency of carbon transport in plant leaves, the ability of plants to adjust to changes in temperatures, and how plants distribute nutrients in the canopy, often ignored in climate modelling, were examined in this study. Scientists stress that simply planting more trees is not a silver-bullet solution, but that the research does underline the importance of efforts to conserve existing vegetation.

Beach forest
Beech forest by Picccus via Flikr.

Red alerts have been issued as Brazil suffers an unprecedented heatwave. Temperatures are likely to remain 5°C above average for longer than five days and could pose a serious danger to human health. Rio de Janeiro recorded 42.5°C, breaking November records, and due to high humidity felt like 58.5°C according to authorities. The heatwave has been attributed to a combination of the El Niño climate phenomenon and climate change. The human impact of such extremes is significant with “unbearable” temperatures leading to sleepless nights, exhaustion, illness and death.

Pollution

Most bathing spots in English rivers and lakes have unsafe pollution levels, according to a new report. The campaign group Surfers Against Sewage took a sample of popular swimming and water sports locations and found that 60% had unsafe levels of pollution. This year across the UK, untreated sewage was discharged 399,864 times into waterways, resulting in a reported 1,924 cases of illness. The report highlighted the case of a physics teacher from Exeter who contracted an incurable disease known as Ménierè’s disease after surfing at Saunton Sands in Devon. 

flooded river
River Windrush by Dave_S via Flickr.

The high court has ruled that Defra’s failure to protect and restore water bodies is ‘unlawful’. Fish Legal and Pickering Fishery Association took the government to court over its river basin management plan for the Costa Beck, a small river in Yorkshire. They argued that the Environment Agency had failed to follow through with proposed action against polluters. The judge accepted discharges of pollution were contributing to the poor condition of the river and that the government and Environment Agency had failed in their mandatory duty to put in place measures to restore rivers under the Water Framework Directive.

Extinction Risk

Blue Whales have returned to safe havens in the Indian Ocean where they were wiped out decades ago. Underwater recordings made by researchers in the Seychelles revealed that the whales spend months in the region, suggesting that they may be breeding there. The discovery has been hailed as a “conservation win” given the decimation of whale populations by commercial whaling. More than 300,000 Blue Whales were killed by whalers in the southern hemisphere with around 30,000 killed in a single year during the 1930’s. A crackdown on commercial whaling in the 1980’s brought the species back from the brink of extinction; however, Blue Whale numbers remain a fraction of what they once were before the development of industrial whaling operations in the 20th century.

blue whale tail
Blue Whale surfacing by Kenny via Flickr.

New research has revealed that there is a significant threat of future waves of invasive species. Biological invasions can cause extinctions, spread diseases and cost trillions in damage and control. Researchers found that, on average, around 1% of all living organisms have been transported by humans somewhere in the world. The study indicates a huge potential for future biological invasions with an expected rise in associated socio-economic and environmental impacts.

Conservation

A hedgehog fence in Dorset is helping to protect threatened seabird chicks. Little Terns are one of the most threatened seabirds in the UK and the RSPB’s Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project seeks to reverse its decline. Trail cameras had revealed that hedgehogs had been eating Little Tern eggs. Given the protected status of hedgehogs, the project worked with the charity Hedgehog Friendly Portland to design a hedgehog fence and implement diversionary feeding. At least 45 Little Terns successfully fledged at Chesil Beach in 2023, compared with just three in 2021.

hedgehog looking out from a bush
Hedgehog by Kalle Gustafsson via Flickr.
Policy

The US will outline its nuclear fusion power strategy at COP28. John Kerry, the US Special Envoy on Climate Change, will set out the plan at the UN summit that will be held in Dubai from the 30th of November. The plan has been described as being the first international strategy for nuclear fusion power commercialisation. Nuclear fusion has long been looked at as a potentially limitless source of clean energy.

Read the last edition of Biodiversity News from the NHBS Blog which follows stories on endangered echidnas and an explosion in jellyfish numbers.

This week in biodiversity news – 13th November 2023

Extinction Risk

First images of a lost echidna species prove that it is not extinct. An expedition to the sacred Cyclops Mountains in Indonesia uncovered evidence of Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna. Echidnas are ancient egg-laying mammals thought to have emerged 200 million years ago when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Until now, the only evidence for this particular species of echidna, named after Sir David Attenborough, was a museum specimen. Scientists hope that the discovery of living echidnas will help make the case for conservation efforts in the Cyclops Mountains. In addition to the echidna, new species of insects and frogs were discovered alongside healthy populations of birds of paradise and tree kangaroos.

Echidna by Rod Waddington via Flickr. (Species differs from that mentioned in the above text).

Fewer than half of Bornean Sun Bears survive after release due to habitat loss and poaching, according to a recent study. Sun Bears are a keystone species in the jungles of South-East Asia, helping to sustain healthy forest ecosystems; however, fewer than 10,000 Sun Bears are thought to remain in the wild due to pressures from deforestation, habitat degradation and poaching. The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) looks after Sun Bears rescued from captivity and releases them back into the wild. A recent study has shown that many released Sun Bears die due to the dangers they encounter in the wild, including poaching, territorial disputes and starvation. A lack of familiarity with their new surroundings may also contribute to this high death toll despite the released bears being skilled climbers and foragers.

Malayan Sun Bear by cuatrok77 via Flickr.
Conservation

An ambitious project in the Fens seeks to reclaim thousands of acres for nature. The Great Fen Project, organised by Wildlife Trust conservationists, aims to purchase 9,000 acres of farmland around two Fenland nature reserves to allow water to return to the land. This will support the formation of water meadows, streams and pools which will encourage wetland species such as Bittern and Marsh Harrier. By rewetting fields, it also seeks to preserve peat and reduce carbon emissions. With a projected price tag of around £30 million, the project will be one of the most ambitious restoration projects in all of Europe.

Wicken Fen by Alex Brown via Flickr.

Svalbard is letting nature take back one of its massive coal mines. The Svea mine in Svalbard, Norway, which produced 34 million metric tonnes of coal over its lifetime, is undergoing a significant natural restoration project. The restoration effort, costing approximately 1.6 billion Norwegian kroner (€1.35 million), aims to return the site to its natural state, allowing nature to reclaim the land. This move is part of Norway’s commitment to preserving the wilderness of Svalbard, as the region transitions away from the fossil fuel industry, closing coal mines and shifting towards tourism and scientific research.

Climate Crisis

Surges in jellyfish numbers in UK waters are an indication of warming oceans, according to the Marine Conservation Society. The number of jellyfish seen on UK beaches has increased by 32% in the past year. Warm water jellyfish such as the Crystal Jellyfish have been spotted following global ocean temperatures reaching a record high in August and marine heatwaves in June which caused UK sea temperatures to rise by 3–4°C. Experts have said that more research will be needed to determine the exact cause of the jellyfish blooms this year.

Jellyfish on Cefn Sidan Sands by Reading Tom via Flickr.

Global temperatures will reach the 1.5°C threshold this decade, according to a new report. In 2015, countries agreed to take measures to hold global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. New research by a team of scientists from Columbia University and NASA suggests that this goal is already out of reach, which may raise alarm bells at the coming COP28 climate talks. Other estimates suggest that the threshold will be breached in the 2030s.

Education and awareness

The RSPB is to give under 25s free access to its nature reserves in a bid to increase youth engagement with nature. The charity is set to roll out the two-year pilot program this month. The programme seeks to address what research has shown to be a dip in nature connectedness in teenage years. Similar worries prompted the government to introduce a new GCSE in natural history, and other nature charities are seeking to focus on outreach to the younger generations.

RSPB Fowlmere by Airwolfhound via Flickr.
Discoveries

Chimpanzees in Ivory Coast have been observed using military-like tactics to gain an advantage over rivals, a study has revealed. Chimps were observed seeking high ground for reconnaissance missions and making strategic decisions based on the size and proximity of rival groups. This behaviour, similar to the concept of “occupying the high ground” in warfare, may have deep evolutionary roots, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. 20,000 hours of recordings revealed that chimps would climb hills at the edge of their territories, rest quietly at the top to listen for nearby rivals, and then decide whether to advance or retreat. While many animals take to higher ground to keep watch, chimp tactics are more sophisticated, anticipating where conflict may occur, assessing risk, and making collective decisions on how to proceed.

Chimpanzee by Nigel Hoult via Flickr.
Diplomacy

An agreement has been reached for a loss and damage fund in the run-up to COP28. The fund, which aims to help countries cope with the irreversible effects of climate change, had been established last year at COP27, but negotiations had come to a standstill over which organisation would administer the fund. However, an agreement was reached in Abu Dhabi over the weekend with recommendations to be considered at COP28 which starts in late November in Dubai.

The Seal Project: Q&A with founder Sarah Greenslade

The Seal Project text written in a circle with a multicoloured seal pup in the middle.The Seal Project is an environmental conservation charity based in Brixham, Devon, which monitors, surveys and manages the welfare of seals on and around the South West coast, particularly Torbay and South Hams. Alongside seal conservation, the charity also focuses on engaging, involving and educating the community on the importance of protecting our ocean wildlife through presentations, talks, assemblies in educational settings, workshops and public events. Sarah Greenslade spent many years working as a key member of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue before establishing The Seal Project in January 2019. 

Sarah, founder of The Seal Project, took time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions on the amazing work of The Seal Project, the effects of climate change on the local seal population, the importance of raising awareness, and how the current pupping season is going. 

What is the Seal Project and where are you based? 

The Seal Project exhibition stand gazebo showing a plastic skeleton of a seal, seal pup and a seal fin with images of seals hung from the roof and a blue information board.

The Seal Project is a small conservation charity based in Brixham that monitors the Grey seals in South Devon – mostly around Brixham, but we now also monitor the coast between Dawlish and Prawle Point, including the River Dart. The charity was born out of a need to protect the seals seen locally, many of which are animals we know individually from all around our stretch of coastline. 

How did you get into seal conservation?

The story began when I encountered a Common Seal Pup stuck in Brixham’s Shoalstone seawater pool – who do you call at 5.30 in the morning? Myself and my best friend had no idea. The RSPCA don’t wake up that early and we had no clue what to do, but we knew that leaving the pup where it was wasn’t an option as people were walking dogs and the seal was clearly in the wrong place. My partner Lee (now a trustee of The Seal Project) suggested wrapping it up in something and putting it back in the sea. We had no hoodies or coats, so my friends partner was called and he brought down their most luxurious fleecey blanket off their sofa (as you do!) The seal, who had been swimming in the pool, came out and literally stopped at my feet. I scooped up the pup in the blanket as if it was a sleeping child and it never struggled once. We never touched it as we carried it over the rocks to the sea and let it free. As soon as we released it, another seal appeared – knowing what I know now that was most likely its mum – and off they went. The pup had clearly come in on a high tide and got stranded and the mum couldn’t get through the railings. If that was a grey seal it would have been abandoned there and then but Common seals are more devoted mums, and I hope to see this seal as an adult at some point.

After this, I became a Marine Mammal Medic for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which sends medics to call outs for marine life in distress, mostly seals, dolphins and whales. My first call out was to a ‘speared’ seal which quite literally resembled a tv ariel in the sea. She was eventually sighted locally without the spear attached, however it seems that every seal has some kind of back wound. She, like all seals, has unique identifying marks including their individual fingerprints and fur patterns, in this case a specific ‘W’ shape to the right-hand side of her head. I knew I had a photo showing that she was alive and well, and that resighting along with later  identification of an animal known by the Seal Research Trust (Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust), with whom we share all our data, are what first sparked my interest in using photos to identify individual seals. After providing the identification I spent two weeks getting called out to every seal sighting in search of the previously speared individual, and it’s all gone a bit mad since then! 

Photograph of 8 people in high viz jackets and wetsuits practicing seal rescues with an inflatable seal at the waters edge on a pebbly beach in Devon.

We are at the end of October, which is around the time Seals finish pupping. What has it been like in the Torbay area for pups this year? 

I’ll be honest, it has not at all been as expected. Three of our known mums have not been seen for ages, and a first-time mum has been identified as a seal we know which we didn’t expect to be pupping just yet. The strange summer/autumn weather also means people are now using the coastline with their watercraft year-round and paddleboards and kayaks are now easily affordable too, so people are everywhere. Pupping seals who once had the coastline to themselves once September kicked in are now finding they don’t have these spaces to themselves, and as such pups are born or washed up in busy locations. This often results in a call out to BDMLR (as has just happened on the day I’m writing this).

Four large brown seals lying on a wooden pontoon in Brixham harbour.

Being based in a tourist area, what challenges do the seals and The Seal Project face? 

That’s a good question. Hand feeding is probably our biggest problem. When we first started, our mentor and amazing friend Sue Sayer MBE thought that us starting a Brixham-based project would have a negative response as this is a major fishing port and some believe that seals ‘eat all the fish.’ But bar the odd comment, and a tiny number of incidents involving fishing and tripper boats hand feeding seals, we have experienced very few problems with the commercial operators in Brixham.

As a tourist area another big problem is angling-line entanglements. Our Breakwater is a busy area for novice anglers and they tend to feed the seals in an attempt to make them go away – clearly that doesn’t work. Also, some seals are sadly too habituated and get caught in angling line regularly. With adult seals there is nothing that we can do about this, and they have to be left to themselves until the hooks rust or fall out. Stones are also often thrown at seals to make them go away, and the animals are uncommon at a couple of locations where more ‘commercial’ land angling takes place.

Our biggest challenge is lack of awareness. We spend so much of our time trying to raise awareness and get the message out there which requires help from the local authorities and the tourist boats, but this doesn’t seem to be happening and it’s frustrating for us. We should all be working together, and the amazing local wildlife – including seals – should be respected and appreciated. Without our incredible wildlife many tourist boats would just be ferry services.

The Seal Project founder Sarah Greenslade taking a photograph on a harbour pontoon in Devon with a long lens camera facing away from the camera.

What projects or research have you been carrying out or got planned for the future?

We monitor and record all seals, sightings, dates and locations to try to build up a big picture of the seal population around our coastline. We now know many seals well and have been gathering data since 2016/2017. Matching our seals to individuals from Cornwall is difficult as there are very few other locations on the south cost carrying out monitoring in this way. Therefore, unless an image of a seal happens to be shared on social media or passed onto us from a private group, our records are mostly limited to the confines of our study area.

We do however have sightings of seals which have been released in Cornwall or seen in north Cornwall. We would love to be able to find out where else our seals have been seen and to build a better picture of their travels. Given that we do have Cornish seals visiting our area, we’d like to know if they behave differently to the individuals normally resident in Devon; my Cornish surveys show that the seals there are much more skittish than the individuals we see in Brixham, which tend to be relaxed and show little concern around the noise and traffic of this major fishing port. We do also have a couple of students planning research, but as of yet nothing is confirmed. Our data is not in the best shape and every sighting of each seal takes time to document – identifying one seal can take seconds or hours, and as this is all done by eye the catalogue is a minefield to get involved in! 

How has climate change impacted the local seal community? 

At this time, I can’t say for sure. My biggest concern is the fact that seal pups, born with white fluffy coats to be camouflaged in snow, are increasingly being born in hot September sunshine, and therefore once abandoned they are at a greater risk of dehydration due to being on sunny warm beaches when it should be much cooler. This year, numbers of seals appear to have been increasing unusually slowly as we head towards the winter months, but we’re yet to reach peak winter season to be able to confirm whether numbers will remain low. Our only other concern at this time is for the three mums who we’ve not yet seen pup this year, as they’ve been so predictable for the past few years.  

Do you have a success story you’d like to share with us? 

Photograph of Easter Bunny a brown and black seal sat on pipework in the sea in Brixham harbour.‘Easter Bunny’ is one of my favourite seals and can still be seen today resting around the local area. We first encountered him in 2020 as a juvenile seal entangled in industrial strength plastic. He vanished and we feared the worst, however a week later, on Easter Sunday, he was back in the same haul out spot on a girder in the marina, freed from the plastic. At the time of our first sighting, he appeared to have a bunny shape on his right-hand side (alongside a letter ‘A’), but this time the bunny seems to have disappeared with the ‘A’ is clearly visible. He reappeared regularly over the coming years, often seen for a few days and until the last several months always in the same spot, before disappearing for a few days and coming back again. We have seen him elsewhere a number of times, and last winter he was seen socialising with two ‘tagged’ seals (former rescued seals with plastic rear flipper tags for identification), so we look forward to seeing if they return to the area soon too.  

You can find out more about The Seal Project and the work they do via their website or by following them on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter.

This week in biodiversity news – 30th October 2023

Conservation

Wildcats are thriving in a Scottish Highlands conservation project with only one death. Nineteen of the cats were released into the wild in the Cairngorms National Park in the summer. Thirteen new kittens that have been bred for the scheme will be released into the wild next summer. Wildcats are one of the rarest and most endangered mammals in the UK. They live in moorland and grassland where they feed on small mammals and ground-nesting birds. Interbreeding with the domestic cat has eroded the wildcat’s genetic diversity. They also face threats from feline disease, road collisions and fragmentation of their habitat. A concerted effort by the Saving Wildcats project which brings together the expertise and skills of a range of national and international organisations provides a glimmer of hope for the species in Scotland.

wildcat in foreground with mouth open
Wildcat by Charlie Marshall via Flickr.
Media

David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III is both horrifying and awe-inspiring, critics have said. The opening episode of the third instalment of the highly acclaimed nature documentary series was viewed by 5.6 million people and has been described as “visually stunning” and “majestic”. The latest series of Planet Earth has a notably darker mood than its predecessors, focusing on animals fighting for survival in the face of constant environmental change.

Discoveries

The mysterious death of 385 elephants in Botswana and Zimbabwe in 2020 was caused by a little-known bacterium, scientists have revealed. Elephants were found walking in circles before suddenly dying by collapsing on their faces in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and north-western Zimbabwe. Tests on the elephants have now shown that the cause was a bacterium called Pasteurella. The bacterium can result in septicaemia under certain conditions and has been linked to the sudden death of around 200,000 saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan.

Elephant on one knee in savanna habitat
Elephant by Mario Micklisch via Flickr.
Climate crisis

Increased melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is unavoidable, according to new research. Scientists ran simulations and found that even under best-case emission scenarios, melting would increase three times faster than during the 20th century. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet holds enough ice to increase global sea levels by up to five meters. Significant sea level rises will be catastrophic for the millions of people living in coastal and low-lying areas.

The Greenland Ice Sheet could experience runaway melting if climate targets are not met. A study in Nature has suggested that the ice sheet’s melting will accelerate significantly if average global temperatures surpass a threshold of 2.3 C above pre-industrial levels. However, the scientists stress that action in the future could reduce ice loss even if the threshold is crossed. They argue that it is cheaper and easier to take action now rather than clawing back towards lower global temperatures later.

ice flow in between two rocky hillsides
Ice flow in Greenland by NASA Earth Observatory via Flickr.

Atlantic hurricanes are more quickly strengthening from weak storms due to climate change. Scientists have said that human-caused climate change is creating the conditions that lead to a quick intensification of storms. Hurricanes are fueled by high ocean surface temperatures which have been increasing in recent years as the world’s oceans have absorbed over 90 percent of the excess warming from fossil fuel emissions. This presents a challenge for coastal communities as forecasting becomes more difficult the quicker a storm intensifies.

cyclone from space in the pacific ocean
Tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.
Policy

Countries are deadlocked over a “loss and damage” fund before COP28. The fund was agreed last year at COP27 in Egypt and is designed to help countries recover and rebuild from damage due to climate change. Developing and developed countries are at odds about which organisation should oversee the fund, which countries should pay and who will be eligible to receive funding. Developed countries back the World Bank as the host of the fund; however, developing countries argue that this would give donor countries too much influence over the fund. Talks stalled recently in Aswan, Egypt and the committee responsible for designing the fund will meet again on November 3rd and 4th before the COP28 summit begins later in the month.

£1 billion electric vehicle fund remains unallocated three years after it was first announced. The fund was first announced in March 2020 prior to the first Covid lockdown. The fund was intended to be used to support electrical capacity at service stations to allow for rapid charging of electric vehicles. While 96% of motorway services already have charging stations, increased use of electric vehicles means that there will be a demand for more charging capacity.

black electric car on the side of a street charging up its battery
Electric vehicle on charge by Paul Wilkinson via Flickr.

This week in biodiversity news – 16th October 2023

Extreme heat from climate change may make parts of the Earth uninhabitable. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future and Purdue University College of Sciences modelled global temperature increases from 1.5°C to 4°C – a worst-case scenario. They found that a further increase of around 1°C would mean that 2.2 billion people would experience many hours of heat that surpass human tolerance thresholds. It would be particularly concerning for residents of high-humidity areas where heatwaves would be considerably more dangerous for human health. 

Dry Cracked Warm Earth by Live Once Live Wild via Flickr

Whales and dolphins in the US are losing food and habitat to climate change, according to a new study. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that over 70% of American marine mammal species stocks are vulnerable to threats associated with warming waters. This includes shrinking food and habitat availability, changes to ocean chemistry and reduced dissolved oxygen levels. Large whales such as North Atlantic Right Whales and Humpbacks are most at risk from the effects of climate change. This comes on top of new research published in Nature Climate Change that suggests that marine heatwaves are infiltrating deeper parts of the ocean, the consequences of which could have widespread impacts on marine ecosystems. 

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Lunge Feeding by Gregory Smith via Flickr

Conservation 

Beavers have been reintroduced to west London for the first time in 400 years. The release of a family of five Eurasian Beavers to wetlands in Ealing comes as part of a push to improve biodiversity and mitigate the impact of climate change. There had been plans to spend money on flood prevention measures in the area but beavers were considered to be a more cost-effective natural solution. 

Canada rejects pleas from environmental groups to protect endangered owl habitat. One wild-born owl remains in British Columbia where logging has severely impacted the species’ old-growth forest habitat. The decision means that the future of the species is uncertain. The rejection of an emergency order for the protection of the owl comes after an eight-month delay since the environment ministry was required by law to recommend an emergency order under the Species at Risk Act. Environmental groups have responded with legal action following the delay. Biologists advise that the species could recover with adequate protection of old-growth forest habitat. 

Extinction Risk 

Almost half of flowering plants could be threatened by extinction, scientists have warned. Researchers analysed data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, the world’s most comprehensive database of plants available, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and found that 45% may be at risk of extinction. Other key findings suggest that 77% of the 19,000 new plants and fungi species discovered since 2020 are endangered and that only 10% of an astounding 2.5 million species of fungi have been discovered. 

Flowering Plant by Choo Yut Shing via Flickr

Similar numbers of male and female sea turtles give hope for the survival of the species. Papua New Guinea’s Conflict Group’s analysis of turtle hatchings between 1960 and 2019 showed that an average of 46.2% have been female. Sea turtles are susceptible to rising temperatures due to their sex determination being temperature dependent. Scientists suggest the results are “likely rare in the global context” with sand temperatures having risen by 0.6°C over the same period. Another study of Green Sea Turtles from the same latitude showed that more than 99% of hatchlings were female, spelling decimation for the population. 

Sea Turtle by Daniel Chodusov via Flickr

Discoveries 

A small West African crocodile can moo like a cow, audio recordings reveal. Scientists use audio recordings to monitor elusive crocodile species which are difficult to confirm via visual surveys. The tiny African Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) inhabits the swampy forests of West Africa. Scientists believe that the crocodile is quite common given its common occurrence in the bushmeat trade. Consequently, they are using audio recordings to listen out for its calls and have discovered that the crocodile, surprisingly, moos like a cow. 

West African Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) by Heather Paul via Flickr

 

Animals fear the sound of a human voice more than that of a lion, according to researchers. A study in South Africa’s Kruger National Park found that, when playing recordings of human voices, 95% of animals were extremely frightened and ran away. Snarling and growling lion recordings provoked significantly less alarm among the wild mammals. The response to the recordings, which included human speech from local languages, suggests that animals have learnt that contact with humans is lethal. Researchers have noted that this may present a challenge for areas relying on wildlife tourism, as visitors can inadvertently scare away animals. 

Supplier interview with Faunus Nature Creations

Black bat box on tree in foreground with a bunch of other boxes on trees in the background

Faunus Nature Creations is an ecological design agency established in 2018 as a subsidiary of NatuurInclusief. They focus on designing, building and selling fauna facilities to create nature-inclusive urban living environments and are widely recognised for their creative nest boxes. Most of their products are made in-house and they work closely with their suppliers and partners to ensure both functionality and beautiful design.

We had the opportunity to speak with Jarno Beijk, the founder of Faunus Nature Creations, about the company, their range of nest boxes and plans for the future.

What inspired the creation of Faunus Nature Creations?  

Faunus wood concrete General Purpose bat box in black.
Faunus General Purpose Bat Box.

Faunus Nature Creations (FNC) was founded in 2018 as a business unit part of ecological consulting agency NatuurInclusief.  At NatuurInclusief we regularly had to deal with mitigation projects as compensation for bat roosts getting disturbed. During field checks of these bat boxes, we discovered that the quality of the materials used were rapidly deteriorating. They did not meet any of the quality requirements and longevity that we wanted and expected from the bat boxes. From this moment the only solution we saw was to roll up our sleeves and design and build better nest boxes ourselves. Currently we are doing this with a team of ecologists, designers, engineers and architects. 

Could you tell us about the range of boxes produced by Faunus and which animals they are suitable for?  

In the beginning, our main focus was on roost boxes for bats, and nest boxes for House Sparrows and Swifts. The reason behind this choice is because they are the most strictly protected species by law. Fortunately, there is increasing awareness of building and designing in a more nature-inclusive manner, which means that there is increasing interest in nest boxes for other species as well. This includes species such as Kestrels, Storks, insects, and ground dwelling mammals etc. 

Integrated wood concrete bird box, Pino model, in a light brick wall with a swift poking its head out of the hole on the left hand side.
Pino built-in swift box.

Many of the boxes you offer are made from wood concrete. Could you tell us some of the benefits of using this material, both for the user and for the animal?  

All our fauna facilities are designed with the needs and requirements of the species in mind. Wood concrete has a long lifespan, also the hydrothermal modified wood that we use has a lifespan of more than 20 years. It is therefore mainly down to the preference of the user. 

Mario dual chamber wood concrete sparrow terrace box shown on the side of a dark red bricked house.
Mario dual chamber sparrow terrace box.

Wooden facilities are not suitable as a build-in option. For this, the better choice is going for wood concrete or even better for a ceramic option. The latter have the longest longevity. 

A great disadvantage of using wood-concrete and ceramics is that they do not lend themselves well for custom work. Therefore, wood is a very good option for custom work. That is why we make custom wooden bat boxes on request in all kinds of shapes and sizes. When customisation is required to be built-in, we make these on the basis of a cement board. 

Personally, we think wood is the most beautiful for external use, because it looks more natural, but other people appreciate the concrete look as well. You will not easily find plywood in our collection, because we find this material is insufficiently durable and has too short of a lifespan. 

Many of my colleagues have taken a liking to the names of your boxes, for example, Elisa and Gabriella. How do you decide these names?  

Three Faunus bat boxes, models Elisa and Gabriella, on the side of a red bricked house during the day with blue sky in the background.
Elisa and Gabriella bat boxes.

Every nest box or new design we develop and offer is a new family member to our collection. Each design therefore deserves a unique name and not just a code or number. The intention was to use the names of people in our team first, but some found it quite embarrassing if they had to promote a nest box that would bear their own name. We have therefore given the names a slightly Spanish twist. So, Roos became Rosita and Eva became Evita. Spanish names also sound more swinging than Dutch names. At the moment we have more models than employees, so we have now arrived at names of relatives, neighbours and friends. Our latest model nest box Milo is named after the newborn son of our colleague Roos. Furthermore, the mammal nest boxes have female names, and the bird nest boxes have male names.

Faunus Brigida bat box below the roof of a brick house on a sunny day.
Brigida bat box.

Have you found that environmental regulations have had an impact on the boxes you sell? 

In the Netherlands we have a quite strict Nature Conservation Act. Our authorities require many strict mitigation standards concerning fauna facilities, for example in the form of bat roost boxes and nest boxes. This is a major reason that many of our clients need to buy the products we make. We ourselves are not in favour of this strict legislation, because people will lack intrinsic motivation to do something good for biodiversity in the end. We ourselves believe that you can achieve more for biodiversity if you know how to make people aware and enthusiastic to do something positive for biodiversity. Legislation of this mitigation standards leads to “must do”, enthusiasm leads to “wanting to do”. 

Two Elisa bat boxes half way up two ivy covered trees in a woodland in winter with foliage in the foreground.
Elisa bat boxes on woodland trees.

What can you tell us about plans for new products in the future? 

Faunus Nature Creations does more than just develop fauna facilities. Of course, we will bring new and improved models to the market, but we also design many large custom facilities for biodiversity, such as designing and building bat towers. We noticed that there is a great need for this as well. Governments and project developers would like to show off that they are doing something great and important to boost biodiversity and they would like to have the label extravagant for that too. We think it’s a sport to combine functionality, quality and aesthetics. Our motto is not without reason: Building for Biodiversity. Let’s create something valuable! 

Faunus Products

Black general purpose Faunus bat box with two entrances, one at the front and one on the bottom.

General Purpose Bat Box 

The tree hanging General Purpose Bat Box is designed to suite crevice and cavity dwelling bat species in the UK. Made from wood concrete, this is a durable, long-lasting and breathable bat box offering a thermally stable internal climate for roosting bats and features two entrances, one at the bottom and one on the front.

Green rectangular Elisa bat box with curved entrance at the bottom.

Elisa Bat Box 

The Elisa wood concrete bat box is designed to provide an ideal summer roost and nesting space for a variety of UK bat species. When installed it sits close to the wall to minimise the risk of being knocked off and features a single internal cavity with an entrance hole at the bottom. Supplied without fittings. 

Light brown wooden Faunus Kiki bat and swift hybrid box with two entrances at the bottom.

Kiki Bat and Swift Hybrid Box 

Some swift and bat species can inhabit urban areas and each rely on buildings for roosting and nesting locations. To accommodate for both species, the Kiki hybrid box has four compartments: three for bats and one for swifts. This box can be hung from buildings and provides a suitable habitat for summer roosting. 

Grey wood concrete built-in Pino swift box with a small oval entrance hole on the bottom right hand side of the block.

Pino Built-in Swift Box 

Swifts often create nests in cavities and crevices in the eaves of buildings. The Pino built-in nest box is made from durable and breathable wood concrete, providing a stable internal thermal environment for any inhabitants, and is suitable for house sparrows, starlings and other small urban birds. 

Faunus bird and bat boxes are available to order from nhbs.com.

 

 

Conservation volunteering with Wild Planet Trust’s Seagrass Project

I recently had the opportunity to witness first hand a team from the Wild Planet Trust working to survey seagrass meadows in the Torbay area. The ‘Save Our Seagrass’ project, which has been going for some years, involves repeated survey work throughout the year to assess the meadows’ health and the diversity of marine life that they support.  Having lost over 90% of seagrass meadows around the UK in recent centuries, these surveys provide vital information about the growth or decline of existing meadows, as well as potential impacts from factors such as global warming.

Megan and her team of volunteer divers met with me early on a Saturday morning to travel out into the bay to survey three specific meadows: Fishcombe Cove, Torre Abbey and Breakwater Beach. Each of these meadows carry unique characteristics derived from their locations. Torre Abbey is situated close to the harbour entrance of Torquay and is very shallow during low tides. The Breakwater Beach area is home to local swimmers and tourists.

The third site, Fishcombe Cove, near the fishing town of Brixham, holds a key to solving one of the problems that has contributed to the deterioration of the meadows. There are typically many reasons why a meadow sustains damage and/or gets wiped out, the most obvious being where fishing nets are trawled across the seabed. But more and more these days, casual leisure boat users cause damage by dropping their anchors. When damage occurs, it can take ten years or more to recover, assuming that the conditions are favourable.

An innovative approach to solving this problem has been using the deployment of “no anchor” buoys such as those that are situated in Fishcombe Cove. Designed to allow up to three boats to moor without dropping anchor, these buoys are chained to the seabed and have smaller submerged buoys attached to them which keep the chain from scraping the seabed and damaging the seagrass.

The surveys such as the one I observed use two different methods: a transect and a spiral form, and each dive team is equipped with a float with a GPS unit that stays on the surface and records their location as they move through and around the seagrass meadows. Each diver carries two hours’ worth of oxygen to be able to carry out the surveys at anywhere up to ten meters depth.  With underwater cameras they record the general health of the area and any unusual sightings along with expected marine life.

One of the observations from the divers from the surveys that I attended was the extent of life that had grown on the chains for the buoys, along with shoals of Bib (Trisopterus luscus) that were using the seagrass for cover. Around the meadow near Torre Abbey, plenty of additional life was found including Pipefish (Nerophis ophidion), Common Cuttlefish eggs (Sepia officinalis), Hermit Crabs (Pagurus bernhardus), gobies, periwinkles and Sea Slaters (Ligia oceanica).

All the data from the dives will be collated and, following a single additional dive day schedule in October, the team at the Wild Planet Trust will start the process of analysing the collected date from this year, looking at how the meadows have changed in comparison to previous years.

Learn more about the Wild Planet Trust’s ‘Save Our Seagrass’ project on the Wild Planet Trust website, where you can also find out more about their other work and ways to support them.

This week in biodiversity news – 2nd October 2023

Policy

Oil-rich states should pay a climate tax, says Gordon Brown. The ex-prime minister has argued that soaring oil prices have caused an inordinate transfer of wealth to oil-rich states from the world’s poorest countries, with global oil and gas revenues soaring to a record $4 trillion. His suggestion of a $25 billion levy would be used as part of a climate fund for poorer countries who are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.

Oil rig, California by ElMelindo via Flickr
Conservation in action

Several Wildlife Trusts have launched a new Welsh-English project to restore nature and boost rural prosperity across the historic Marches region. The name of the new project “Wilder Marches” describes the unique natural and cultural landscape spanning the Welsh-English border region. The region measures approximately 100,000 hectares and includes a wide range of natural habitats including ancient woodlands, peatland, flower-rich meadows, and wood pasture. There are also areas of intensive farming and forestry in the region, and the project involving the Herefordshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Shropshire Wildlife Trusts seeks to encourage regenerative farming and local sustainable food production.

Meadow by Andrew Gustar via Flickr

Hampshire County Council has secured funding to save endangered UK orchids. The council has secured £98,000 from Natural England to aid its nature recovery project aiming to boost Red- and Long-leaved Helleborines, some of the UK’s rarest orchids. The county contains the East Hampshire Hangers, known for its rare ancient woodland, which provides a habitat for the rare orchids.

Science and research

Psychologists have received funding for a three-year project to investigate meerkat responses to human emotions. The scientists at Nottingham Trent University are seeking to better understand the impact of zoo visitors on animals. The research will investigate whether meerkats demonstrate empathy by mirroring people’s emotions. They hope that the study will improve our understanding of human-animal interactions and may have implications for how zoo animals are managed.

Meerkat by Ulrika via Flickr

Carbon offset schemes in the United States may be ineffective according to new research. Researchers looking to assess farmer perspectives on soil carbon offset programmes put in place since 2017 found that farmers were largely using the schemes as “gravy on top” of what they were already doing. They largely considered payments to be too low to incentivise new adoption of practices that would increase carbon sequestration. As a result, carbon credits have largely been generated from farmers who were already motivated to improve soil and crop health with the aim of securing long-term economic sustainability.

Extinction risk

Global rhino numbers are recovering despite poaching and habitat loss. In a win for conservation, rhinoceros numbers have bounced back to 27,000, new figures show. Black Rhinos, native to east and southern Africa, and Southern White Rhinos, found in the south of Africa, have seen an uptick in their numbers since last year. The increase has been attributed to efforts by conservationists to establish new populations which have continued to grow. Javan and Sumatran Rhinos, however, appear to remain on course to go extinct with only tiny pockets remaining in southeast Asia. Experts believe there may be as few as 34 remaining in a fragmented forest landscape where finding mates is increasingly difficult.

Rhino, Caprivi, Namibia by s9-4pr

One in six species are at risk of extinction in Great Britain, according to a new report. The 203-page State of Nature report, produced by more than 60 conservation organisations, found that 16% of 10,000 amphibians, birds, insects, mammals and plants are threatened. Iconic species such as the Turtle Dove and the Hazel Dormouse are among the list. Nature conservation organisations urge more investment in nature and an increased uptake of environmentally-friendly farming practices. Studies have shown that such practices can boost both production and biodiversity, likely due to the increased presence of insects that pollinate plants. The government has highlighted its pledge to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030, but conservationists have argued that more needs to be done to reverse declines.

Climate crisis

Antarctic sea ice is at a ‘mind-blowing low’, experts have warned. The quantity of sea ice surrounding Antarctica is far below previous winter levels. The total area of ice this year measures 1.5 million square kilometres less than the September average, a reduction equivalent to five times the size of the British Isles. Polar experts have warned that such low levels of sea ice could have major global consequences. Antarctic sea ice regulates the earth’s climate by reflecting light back into the atmosphere and cooling Antarctic waters. Dark areas of the ocean exposed as sea ice melts absorb sunlight and this leads to further warming.

Antarctica by Pedro Szekely via Flickr

UK firefighters are heading to Spain for specialist training after a twofold increase in recorded wildfires last year. Once a rarity in the UK, the EU’s Copernicus earth observation system has recorded the burning of 126,618 hectares since 2006. Accordingly, UK fire services are investing in new equipment and specialist training with some firefighters being sent to Catalonia – a region with a long history of tackling blazes. With temperatures exceeding 40°C for the first time last summer, the expectation is that wildfires will continue to become both more frequent and extreme.

 

This Week in Biodiversity News – 18th September 2023

Policy and diplomacy

The House of Lords will debate mandatory Swift bricks in England. New homes may be required to build Swift bricks into new homes if the amendment is passed in parliament. The hollow bricks are unobtrusive and are relatively easy to install. The presence of these bricks in new homes would help to revive a rapidly declining Swift population and other red-listed cavity-nesting species such as House Martins and Starlings. Swift populations have declined by more than 60% since the mid-1990s.

Swift bird perching on a barbed wire in the air
Swift perching on a wire. Image by Jo Garbutt via Flickr.

The UK government is preparing to revoke the ban on new onshore windfarms, according to reports. New guidance will require action from developers on the concerns and suggestions of residents, and council approval will depend on community support. The new rules will also give local authorities more discretion over the location of new onshore projects. Since 2015, there has been a de facto ban on new onshore windfarms as only a single objection is needed to prevent construction.

African leaders demand more support and financing as the first Africa Climate Summit opens. Africa has a population of 1.3 billion people and is projected to be worst hit by the effects of the climate crisis, despite contributing relatively little to the problem. Consequently, frustration has mounted in some countries at being asked to develop in cleaner ways than richer, more polluting countries.

Leaders meeting in front of flags at a summit.
African leaders meeting at a summit. Image by Embassy of Equatorial Guinea via Flickr.
Climate crisis

Respiratory illness patients are most at risk from climate change, according to an expert report. People with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Higher temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events will likely lead to an increase in airborne allergens, air pollution, humidity and mould. Babies and children, whose lungs are still developing, are thought to be particularly at risk.

Groundwater depletion rates could triple in India as climate warms, according to researchers. A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan has revealed that rising temperatures have led to an increase in the withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation by farmers in India. This could result in tripled groundwater loss by 2080, posing a threat to food and water security, as well as the livelihoods of over a third of India’s population of 1.4 billion.

Tractor and farmers with a big pile of hay on a road with green vegetation around it
Indian farmers close to the city of Madurai. Image by Surajram Kumaravel via Flickr.
Science and Technology

Scientists have discovered a technique for turning plastic waste into tiny bars of soap. The researchers found that it was possible to “upcycle” plastic waste into high-value surfactants. Surfactants are a key ingredient in a range of products from lubricants to soaps and detergents. Only around 10% of plastic waste is recycled and so experts are increasingly exploring solutions for turning waste into valuable materials. The technique only produces tiny amounts of surfactant at a time, but the hope is that the process can be scaled up in the future.

Extinction Risk

St Kilda has seen a dramatic fall in seabird numbers. Since the previous census in 1999, there has been a 64% decline in seabirds on the remote archipelago west of Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland conducted the first full survey in 24 years, finding a steep decline in the numbers of Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes. Kittiwakes were found to have fallen by 84%, Razorbills and Guillemots by more than 35%. Fulmar numbers dropped by over 45,000 on the islands. The dramatic declines are thought to be due in part to climate change and reductions of natural prey.

Guillemots sitting on the ledge of a cliff
Guillemots at Blackers Hole, Dorset. Image by Donald Macauley via Flickr.
Conservation

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest continues to decline according to Brazil’s National Space Research Institute (INPE). This marks the fifth consecutive month of decrease in deforestation in the region. The INPE’s deforestation alert system DETER showed that there was a 66% decline in forest clearing compared to the same month last year. The system has likewise shown a 43% decline in deforestation in the first eight months of 2023 when compared to the previous year. This follows commitments by Brazil’s president Lula da Silva to curtail the enormous forest losses seen over the past four years under the previous administration.

Read More

See our previous biodiversity news stories covering topics from bee-killing hornets to an flooding-earthquake disaster in California.

Author interview with Graham Tucker: Nature Conservation in Europe

This informative and wide-ranging book examines the nature conservation responses of the UK and twenty-five EU Member States, analysing their achievements and failures and providing notable case studies from which comparisons and lessons can be obtained. Covering topics such as biodiversity pressure, legislation and governance, biodiversity strategies, species protection, protected areas, habitat management and funding, the book provides an incredibly in-depth appraisal of our management of European ecosystems and species and how this has contributed to the current concerning state of nature in these regions.

Editor Graham Tucker is an ecologist and a leading authority on European nature conservation policy, with a particular interest in its achievements and failures. He currently works as an independent consultant and proprietor of Nature Conservation Consulting. Prior to this he worked for Birdlife International and as Head of the Biodiversity Programme for the Institute for European Environmental Policy.

We recently chatted with Graham about the book and about the necessity for international co-operation in conservation, the importance of funding, stakeholder engagement and societal support in the creation and maintenance of protected areas, plus his plans for the future.

This is an impressive endeavour into covering the enormous topic of conservation across Europe. What inspired you to create this book?

Several things drove me to prepare the book. Firstly, like many others, I am concerned by the ongoing decline in many species and degradation of habitats in Europe, and that nature conservation has not been able to halt, let alone reverse most losses. Whilst there have been successes for some species, they have been insufficient, and consequently biodiversity targets have been repeatedly missed. Secondly, having had the privilege to work over the last few decades with many nature conservation experts across Europe, I realised the reasons for these failures varied between countries. Whilst the broad approaches to nature conservation have been similar, there have been significant differences, especially in their implementation and outcomes. Comparing national experiences could therefore provide valuable lessons in terms of which nature conservation measures have, and have not worked, and why. However, nature conservationists have tended to mainly draw lessons from national experiences, in part because of language barriers and the other difficulties with finding relevant key information.

Therefore, there seemed to be a need for a book that describes and critically examines the nature conservation objectives and actions that have been taken in Europe, primarily through individual country chapters written by national experts with a deep knowledge of what has really happened. Having discussed the idea with some nature conservationists I found that there was considerable enthusiasm for the book and many willing to contribute, despite the huge amount of work it would involve. This was also inspiring and persuaded me to go ahead as its preparation has depended on the hard work, generosity and patience of many people; of which I am especially indebted to the 52 co-authors.

Chapter 3 discusses the international drivers of nature conservation and their impacts on policies in Europe. How important is international co-operation and coherency in policy to nature conservation? Do you think there is enough large-scale international conservation?

International cooperation and coherence are vital for effective nature conservation. This is most obviously the case for migratory species, as well as rivers, seas and ecosystems that cross national borders, and transboundary protected areas. This has been widely recognised, so there is now a reasonably complete nature conservation framework in Europe, including the global UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and, of most influence, the legally binding EU Birds and Habitats Directives. These agreements have aided cooperation such as through sharing programmes of work, knowledge and funding. Most importantly, they have helped raise ambitions by creating a level playing field – which gives countries the confidence to act, knowing that they would not be alone.

Unfortunately, the UK’s departure from the EU has undermined this cooperation and alignment, resulting in potential divergence in ambitions, policies and legislation, both between the UK and EU and between the UK nations. So far there has been little divergence in UK practices and standards are being maintained. But this could change with time, especially in England as a result of the Retained EU Law Bill.

Chapter 5, ‘Conclusions, Lessons Learnt and Implications for the Future’, mentions that, while nature conservation has likely slowed the rate of decline, many habitats such as wetlands and semi-natural grasslands forests have continued to be lost or degraded. Do you think large-scale commitments such as the one to increase the UK’s and EU’s protected area network to 30% of both land and sea by 2030 will generate the right amount of funding, stakeholder engagement and societal support to create effective, large-scale conservation?

I am sure there is wide public support for the improvement and expansion of the protected area network, both on land and sea, in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. This is because the potential nature and wider related social and economic benefits of protected areas are increasingly appreciated. However, in most countries it is more important to improve the effectiveness of the existing network, in particular with stronger nature conservation objectives and better practical management. This requires more funding and stronger regulation, which I am doubtful that most governments are currently committed to.

This chapter also mentions that nature conservation is dependent on enforced legislation, funding and motivated people. Which do you believe is the hardest to obtain and therefore is the biggest threat to current and future conservation efforts?

All three are needed, and they are to some extent interrelated and dependent upon each other. However, the lack of funding, which is in part due to insufficiently motivated politicians, is currently the main constraint in most countries. This hampers the enforcement of legislation, as well as limiting practical nature conservation and restoration actions in protected areas and the wider environment.

Whilst public support for nature conservation is substantial in many countries, especially the UK, it varies greatly. Political support also tends to lag behind public support, in part due to the influence of powerful lobbying groups. Wider and deeper societal engagement is therefore essential to stimulate stronger political support, funding and regulations. It is therefore encouraging that support for nature conservation is growing. This is needed now to counter recent calls from some politicians in the UK and EU to weaken some environmental ambitions and slow down actions.

What impact do you hope that this book will have?

I hope that the book will clearly show that nature conservation works when it is properly implemented – such that it can halt biodiversity declines and even restore ecosystems. Therefore, the ongoing biodiversity crisis is not because we are doing the wrong thing. On the contrary, we need to massively scale up what we are doing already. As said, we know what we need: strong and enforced regulations, more and better targeted funding, and more deeply motivated people to call for and help conserve nature. We should still seek to improve the effectiveness of nature conservation measures, basing policy and practical decisions on evidence, but be wary of calls for radical changes in approach.

Of all the countries discussed within this book, which do you believe are leading the way in nature conservation?

Unfortunately, this is not easy to answer as it is often difficult to reliably compare data across the countries. For example, some countries have large protected area networks (e.g. Croatia, Slovakia and Slovenia) in contrast to others (e.g. Belgium, Finland, Ireland and Sweden). However, the statistics are not always reliable as some countries, such as Bulgaria, Denmark and UK include areas that do not meet internationally recognised protected area definitions. Furthermore, the effectiveness of protected area network is not necessarily closely related to their size, but more their conservation objectives and the effectiveness of their practical management. Similarly, comparing the adequacy of funding is difficult because needs vary and it is not always clear how much goes towards species and habitat conservation priorities, and what it actually achieves.

As described in some detail in the conclusion chapter, all countries have both strengths and weaknesses, so it is difficult to identify overall leaders. As regards the UK, we have been leaders in some respects in particular in relation to science and the strong role of NGOs, and producing a wealth of strategies, including the first Biodiversity Action Plan in the world in response to the CBD. However, the UK has underperformed overall, primarily due to poor implementation of its strategies and other initiatives, largely as a result of limited political support and therefore weak regulations and inadequate funding.

Do you have any future plans that you’re able to share with us?

As the book has taken over five years to prepare, I am having a bit of a break from writing for the moment. But I am continuing to work on EU and UK nature conservation issues, especially in relation to climate change.

The impacts of climate change on nature are of growing concern to me, as I think they will be much worse than many people realise. In addition to the increasing disruption to ecosystems, there is the likelihood of huge impacts from climate change mitigation measures and adaptation actions over the next 30 years. Whilst it is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many proposed responses can be highly damaging for nature, including widescale inappropriate afforestation, use of bioenergy, solar farms and hydro-energy. Damaging climate change adaptation measures are also likely to increase, such as increased water abstraction from wetlands, as is already affecting the Coto Donana in Spain. At the same time, well designed ecosystem-based measures can contribute substantially to mitigation and adaptation, whilst being beneficial for nature – but these are being underused. Maybe, in time, I will prepare a book on this.

Nature Conservation in Europe: Approaches and Lessons was published in May 2023 by Cambridge University Press and is available from nhbs.com