The Woodland Trust claim that an area of ancient woodland the size of Birmingham (100 square miles) has been lost in the last decade. The rate of this loss is said to be comparable to the rate of forest loss in the Amazon.

Keith Kirby, of the British Ecological Society’s Forestry group said: “The pressure on these very valuable woods is great, but there are major restoration programmes taking place. We are encouraging the Forestry Commission and private owners to protect them, but we are aware that planning authorities still take other things into account when deciding on developments,”

Present and future threats to Britain’s ancient woodland include transport development, golf courses, pylons, housing and airport expansion.

The report coincides with plans by the government to purchase and level a wood outside of Weymouth for a motorway bypass. The ancient wood is associated with the writer Thomas Hardy and famed for beautiful bluebell displays.

A variety of species from different groups depend upon ancient woodland, these include: the willow tit, marsh tit, barbastelle bat, Bechstein’s bat, pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and dormouse. Both the willow and marsh tit as well as the pearl-bordered fritillary are known to be seriously declining, and this report highlights their plight. Changes in woodland management are thought to be linked to these declines too.

Many of the woods that have been lost so far in are in the South east, notably in East Sussex. A third of these woods are threatened by road schemes.

Ed Pomfret of the Woodland Trust said: “It’s up to the public to put a stop to this destruction; we can’t rely on any official body to help us. We need eyes and ears for woodland to help stop ancient woodland destruction on our doorsteps. That’s why the Woodland Trust has launched WoodWatch to provide tools and information for people to find and save threatened woodland in their local areas.”

The Woodland Trust lists woodland locations around the UK that face various threats:

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/woodsunderthreat/tell-us/where-are-threats.htm

The director general of the International Livestock Research Institute, Carlos Sere has urged policy makers not to impose policies on farmers in developing countries to curb livestock use and production.

The institute recognises that livestock production is responsible for an estimated 18% of global greenhouse gases (GHGs), whilst transport contributes 13% overall.

Policies aimed at globally reducing meat consumption might make the livelihoods of small scale farmers in developing countries even more difficult than they already are.

Sere recognised the plight of the half a billion people around the world that rely upon domestic livestock: “If you stop [livestock] production, it will make a lot of people become poor … it’s important to have policies to facilitate these people so they can live and adapt to more modern challenges.” Sere believes that policymakers need to recognise the impacts of the decisions that they make.

As with so many global policy issues the policy, in most cases, must be fine tuned to the local level. In the Sci Dev article, Carlos Sere failed to mention the proportional impact that the enormous meat production industry in the West has, particularly the US and Europe. Carlos is right that small-scale independent farmers should not be ‘forgotten’ when policy is proposed. However the link between consumer demand, and where the impact of that demand is felt must be of chief importance in policy development in this area.

BES members and blog readers are invited to comment.

Marine Biologists have disturbingly discovered that some of the UK’s harbour seal Phoca vitulina vitulina populations have and are undergoing ‘massive’ declines. The results are particularly concerning given that scientists are as yet, unable to account for exactly why these declines are occurring at their present rate.

Ian Boyd, a professor with the sea mammals research unit at St Andrew’s University said:

“This is very abnormal. To give you an idea of the level of abnormality, the rates of decline are equivalent to these populations producing no offspring for five or six years.”

The declines coincide with reports that other groups in these areas (Orkney islands and East England) such as sea birds are undergoing similarly rapid declines. Last month scientists at the University of Stockholm reported that their ‘junk food hypothesis‘ could offer some explanation to the declines. The theory goes, that as key prey populations in the North Sea such as cod Gadus morhua have depleted to near extinction, fish such as sprat Sprattus sprattus have grown considerably in abundance, replacing the cod’s ecological niche. However despite their abundance, they lack the nutritional value of cod leading to leaner seabirds and lower survival rates in young.

Other theories researchers have put forward include an increasing range overlap with gray seals Halichoerus grypus resulting in greater competition, direct persecution at fishing grounds by shooting, and a greater reported abundance of killer whales around Orkney and the North sea, leading to increased mortality of seal pups.

The report comes at a time when Scotland is consulting on a Scottish Marine Bill. Conservationists have called for the abolishment of the Seal Conservation Act that permits seal shooting near fisheries, and for protection under the existing Wildlife & Countryside Act.

Since top predators such as seals are sensitive to perturbations in community dynamics, the declining trend seen in many of their British populations should be a considerable cause for concern. Continued monitoring will provide a better understanding of whether this is a natural fluctuation in their population dynamics or a more concerning trend.

Blog readers are invited to comment on this article

A conference is being held in Brussels on 11 November entitled: “A Global Contract Based on Climate Justice – The Need for a New Approach Concerning International Relations.”

The conference aims to highlight the ongoing need for international agreement and collaboration in the fight against climate change, given that it is known to worsen existing global inequality. It is hoped that a post-2012 agreement will result in much greater progress towards global sustainable development.

Notable speakers at the event include Lord Nicholas Stern, Pavan Sukhdev, and Hans Joachim.

The conference will be held in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium on 11 November 2008.

Registration for the event is essential but free, available at http://www.global-contract.eu

Considerable research efforts have suggested that there is, or could be a link between insect pollinator decline and agricultural output. The body of science on the subject of pollinators and agriculture has influenced policy at the highest level; the creation of the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators (IPI) at a United Nations meeting in 2000.

However, new research published in Current Biology suggests that agriculture has not been affected by the decline of key insect pollinators.

Examining a period spanning over 40 years, Alexandra Klein’s research time investigated agricultural productivity of crops requiring pollinators with those that do not. Contrary to popular belief, the researchers found that crop yields have gone up consistently, with growth rates of up to 1.5%, despite the falling numbers of pollinators. Focusing on tropical agricultural regions, no difference in yields were found between breeze and insect pollinated crops, (though it is not known whether these regions had experienced significant concurrent pollinator declines).

It is possible that the researchers, having grouped together all crops globally, might not be picking up on detail happening at finer spatial scales.

The results of this work are out of sync with the work of many others such as Taylor Ricketts, director of WWF’s conservation science programme. Rickett’s group found that coffee plantations were 20 per cent more productive when grown within 1km of forested areas. Other work has also suggested that an abundant diversity of pollinators increases crop yields.

Some scientists remain sceptical. Jaboury Ghazoul, a plant ecologist at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, believes that few crop species actually depend on pollinator species.

Klein however does not rescind the notion that pollinators are very important for agriculture. She suggests that actions by farmers at the local level, (such as hand pollination or pollinator transplantation) may mask the extent of pollinator decline. Klein anticipates that a crop productivity crash could occur any time soon – many major crop plants now are pollinator dependent, 15% up from 8% in 1961.

Do blog readers think that agricultural productivity can continue with a concurrent decline in pollinators? Is there an optimum spatial scale to conduct this kind of research? Is pollinator diversity important?

Source: Aizen M. A., Garibaldi, L. A., Cunningham, S. A. & Klein, A. M., 2008, Current Biology, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.066

New research published in Nature indicates that tropical Atlantic cyclones are increasing strength, concurrently with warming oceans.

The suggestion is that as sea surface temperatures (SST) rise, the seas have more energy and thus increase the likelihood of more severe hurricanes occurring. This theory is known as the ‘heat-engine theory of cyclone intensity.’

Looking at maximum wind velocities in tropical cyclones from global satellite data, the researchers revealed that stronger cyclones were associated with the highest recorded wind speeds; a 31 per cent increase per year for each one degree rise in SST.

The researchers also found regional trends. They expect that warming of the coolest oceans such as the North Atlantic, the eastern Pacific and the southern Indian Ocean, should expect to show the greatest increase in intensity of tropical cyclones.

Source: Elsner, J.B., Kossin, J.P., Jagger, T.H. (2008). The increasing intensity of the strongest tropical cyclones. Nature. 455: 92-95.

As existing oil supply reaches its peak and begins to dwindle, rather than investing in clean alternatives, oil companies are seeking to continue profiteering from remaining stocks that are locked up in remote, sensitive and fragile biomes such as the Amazon.

The western Amazon, (which includes Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil and Columbia) is relatively untouched, yet plans have been hatched to open up the region to scout for and extract oil.

Close to 180 ‘blocks’ that have been allocated by regional governments overlap with some of the most biologically diverse regions of Amazonia, not to mention some of the last few uncontacted tribes in the region. In Peru, 58 of the 64 blocks allocated to prospective oil companies have already been allocated to indigenous tribes.

As directly illustrated by the recent documentary led by Bruce Parry on the BBC, once roads have been carved through the forest, it can become cleared for at least 30km either side of the road. Spillover effects include increased levels of illegal bushmeat hunting, logging and human settlement.

However the human element cannot be taken out of the equation. Many involved in activities that lead to forest destruction directly or indirectly, do it out of financial necessity or survival. Positive engagement and incentivisation not to destroy and take at the local level is required, and this needs to begin at the government level. Research into the value of the ecosystem services provided by the forests suggests they are worth considerably more standing than cleared. However, without funds directed from the thriving ‘carbon market’ and invested in the forest, they will continue to be destroyed for local and commercial purposes.

The researchers in Finer et al’s study outline the following policy initiatives to curb the social and ecological breakdown:

• roadless extraction methods to greatly reduce these impacts
• attention to be paid to the rights of indigenous peoples, especially those living in voluntary isolation who by definition cannot be consulted or give their consent
• clarification of who controls the land and its oil and gas resources as this would greatly influence the development of the region
• regional Strategic Environmental Assessments conducted by neutral parties to prevent habitat fragmentation and progressive damage across large areas of untouched forest
• support Ecuador’s Yasuni-ITT proposal², which seeks compensation from the international community in exchange for leaving the country’s largest oil fields, located beneath untouched rainforest, unexploited.

Sceptics believe that economising the forests could lead to rich countries being allocated funds for their remaining rainforest’s as well. Priority really should be given to developing countries that house some of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. What is certain is unless real action is taken soon, there will be little left on the ground to conserve.

BES members and genuine blog readers are invited to comment

Source: Finer, M., Jenkins, C., Pimm, S., et al. (2008). Oil and Gas Projects in the Western Amazon: Threats to Wilderness, Biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples. PLoS One. 3(8): e2932 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002932.

Two non-native invasive species; the chinese mitten crab and the non-native crayfishs‘ ranges are set to overlap in the near future.

Both crustaceans are formidable predators, with a tendency to damage the ecology of their local environment. The signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus, has so far caused the most widespread damage, in part because it is a vector for the plague disease that affects our native white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes.

Speaking to the BBC, ecologist Stephanie Peay said: “Where the non-natives move in, the white-clawed crayfish [sic] are lost. Survey work has shown that it only takes between four and seven years from first arrival to achieve a complete local extinction. The only future for the white claws is in isolated water bodies that are completely free from non-native crayfish.”

Both the mitten crab and the crayfish have a broad, generalist diet, the mitten crab being particularly unfussy when it comes to prey items, (plants, fish eggs and molluscs among these). The ecological niches of both species directly overlap, so it is likely there will be some kind of clash when the two species inevitably meet.

When either species is present in any British waterway, they will cause an overall loss in biological diversity and abundance of native species. One of the known mechanisms leading to invasiveness is enemy release. Because of the practicality of introducing natural enemies to curb these exotic beasts, this approach will remain unlikely. Conventional removal of these species by local authorities is currently probably the best method of dealing with these alien predators.

Defra’s invasive non-native species framework strategy can be downloaded here.

The Environment Agency website lists some of the UK’s worst offending non-native invasives.

A team of scientists based at the Centre for Agricultural and Biosciences International (CABI), after extensive experimental trials, have finally found a solution to the super invasive Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica.

Japanese knotweed is one of several invasive non-native species, that are collectively estimated to cost the UK billions of pounds in eradication programmes. It is notorious for growing rapidly from tiny fragments, and has the ability to pierce and break-up concrete and tarmac.

The research team at CABI, have discovered that Aphalara itadori, a type of jumping plant lice, is an effective biological control agent against japanese knotweed. The louse could potentially save millions of pounds in chemicals and other means of removal that is otherwise necessary.

The leader of CABI’s research, Dick Shaw, said: “In the case of Japanese knotweed, doing nothing is not an option, so we are applying a century-old technique to a new target and are very hopeful of an effective and sustainable outcome.”

A. itadori has been through extensive trials, to make sure it has an exclusive preference to knotweed (over our native flora – 70 species having been tested). Only after having undergone a public consultation will the lice be ready for widespread use in the UK.

BES members and blog readers are invited to comment on this article

In a recent visit to a G24i, a solar energy technology centre, Assembly Minister Jane Davidson highlighted how clean technology lies at the heart of efforts to tackle climate change:

“Our ability to develop 21st century technologies that cuts our carbon and environmental footprints will be vital. G24i is a great example of how Wales is playing its part. The solar technology being developed and manufactured here is the future.”

Advanced solar cells that can be incorporated into fabrics in rucksacks are amongst some of the innovations G24i have developed. In a recent review of the top 100 technology companies in Europe, Wales is host to six of these; G24i featuring in the list.

Ms. Davidson went on:

“Here in Wales we are providing a lead when it comes to green technology. We have a number of pioneering companies that are developing science that will play a huge role in our lives. Climate change, the global economic situation and the rising costs of fuel mean mankind will have to discover and develop new ways to live and work – we are determined Wales plays a central part in this.”

Wales is currently the UK’s leader when it comes to developing clean technology. Of the UK’s regional administrations, Wales was the first to publish a Renewable Energy route map, leading the way on innovative alternative energy. Europe’s leading eco-centre – the Centre for Alternative Technology, also resides in Wales.