BSBI Recorders' Conference 2018
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Heritage 226 Q2 2017
No. 226 1 April - 30 June 2017 Editorial Panel: Helen Ikin, Steve Woodward, Jim Graham. Honorary Secretary: Sue Graham, 5 Lychgate Close, Cropston, Leics. LE7 7HU (0116-2366474) LOUGHBOROUGH IN BLOOM The civic gardeners and park keepers do a great job in Loughborough (Queen’s Park looked fantastic this summer) but this article is about the effort to record the ‘wild’ plants in our town. Local botanists are working hard to update the distribution of plants for a new national atlas – a project promoted by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI). The emphasis is on wild plants, but all species that have found their way into ‘wild’ places are within the scope of the survey. Three LNC members have been particularly active in the Loughborough area: Steve Woodward, Helen Ikin and Hazel Graves. The recording unit is the tetrad, a grid square measuring 2x2 km, and the objective is to make a complete list of vascular plants (flowers, trees, IN THIS EDITION grasses, ferns, etc.) for each one. The town is spread across nine tetrads, centred on SK51J. Steve and Helen have made a point of visiting all of them CLASSIFIED RECORDS (see map), though none has been covered thoroughly. Hazel, accompanied by Sara Botterell, Ÿ Mammals Page 3 has concentrated on a couple of adjacent squares Ÿ Birds Page 4 (SK52L Stanford and SK52R Hoton). Of course, any unusual plants are recorded with better precision, Ÿ Reptiles and Amphibians Page 9 typically a 100 m grid square. Details of all records go the BSBI via the Vice-county Recorder. -
Environment Agency Midlands Region Wetland Sites Of
LA - M icllanAs <? X En v ir o n m e n t A g e n c y ENVIRONMENT AGENCY MIDLANDS REGION WETLAND SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST REGIONAL MONITORING STRATEGY John Davys Groundwater Resources Olton Court July 1999 E n v i r o n m e n t A g e n c y NATIONAL LIBRARY & INFORMATION SERVICE ANGLIAN REGION Kingfisher House. Goldhay Way. Orton Goldhay, Peterborough PE2 5ZR 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 3 1.) The Agency's Role in Wetland Conservation and Management....................................................3 1.2 Wetland SSSIs in the Midlands Region............................................................................................ 4 1.3 The Threat to Wetlands....................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Monitoring & Management of Wetlands...........................................................................................4 1.5 Scope of the Report..............................................................................................................................4 1.6 Structure of the Report.......................................................................................................................5 2 SELECTION OF SITES....................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Definition of a Wetland Site................................................................................................................7 -
Reusable Templates for the Extraction of Knowledge
Reusable templates for the extraction of knowledge by Paul J Palmer A Doctoral Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University © Paul J Palmer 2020 November 2020 Abstract ‘Big Data’ is typically noted to contain undesirable imperfections that are usually described using terminology such as ‘messy’, ‘untidy’ or ‘ragged’ requiring ‘cleaning’ as preparation for analysis. Once the data has been cleaned, a vast amount of literature exists exploring how best to proceed. The use of this pejorative terminology implies that it is imperfect data hindering analysis, rather than recognising that the encapsulated knowledge is presented in an inconvenient state for the chosen analytical tools, which in turn leads to a presumption about the unsuitability of desktop computers for this task. As there is no universally accep- ted definition of ‘Big Data’ this inconvenient starting state is described hereas‘nascent data’ as it carries no baggage associated with popular usage. This leads to the primary research question: Can an empirical theory of the knowledge extraction process be developed that guides the creation of tools that gather, transform and analyse nascent data? A secondary pragmatic question follows naturally from the first: Will data stakeholders use these tools? This thesis challenges the typical viewpoint and develops a theory of data with an under- pinning mathematical representation that is used to describe the transformation of data through abstract states to facilitate manipulation and analysis. Starting from inconvenient ‘nascent data’ which is seen here as the true start of the knowledge extraction process, data are transformed to two further abstract states: data sensu lato used to describe informally defined data; and data sensu stricto, where the data are all consistently defined, in a process which imbues data with properties that support manipulation and analysis. -
A Building Stone Atlas of Leicestershire
Strategic Stone Study A Building Stone Atlas of Leicestershire First published by English Heritage April 2012 Rebranded by Historic England December 2017 Introduction Leicestershire contains a wide range of distinctive building This is particularly true for the less common stone types. In stone lithologies and their areas of use show a close spatial some parts of the county showing considerable geological link to the underlying bedrock geology. variability, especially around Charnwood and in the north- west, a wide range of lithologies may be found in a single Charnwood Forest, located to the north-west of Leicester, building. Even the cobbles strewn across the land by the includes the county’s most dramatic scenery, with its rugged Pleistocene rivers and glaciers have occasionally been used tors, steep-sided valleys and scattered woodlands. The as wall facings and for paving, and frequently for infill and landscape is formed principally of ancient volcanic rocks, repair work. which include some of the oldest rocks found in England. To the west of Charnwood Forest, rocks of the Pennine Coal The county has few freestones, and has always relied on the Measures crop out around Ashby-de-la-Zouch, representing importation of such stone from adjacent counties (notably for the eastern edge of the Derbyshire-Leicestershire Coalfield. To use in the construction of its more prestigious buildings). Major the north-west of Charnwood lie the isolated outcrops of freestone quarries are found in neighbouring Derbyshire Breedon-on-the-Hill and Castle Donington, which are formed, (working Millstone Grit), Rutland and Lincolnshire (both respectively, of Carboniferous Limestone and Triassic working Lincolnshire Limestone), and in Northamptonshire (Bromsgrove) Sandstone. -
The Rove Beetles of Leicestershire and Rutland
LEICESTERSHIRE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Rove Beetles (Staphylinidae) of Leicestershire and Rutland Part 1: Sub-families Paederinae, Pseudopsinae and Staphylininae Derek A. Lott Creophilus maxillosus (Graham Calow) LESOPS 24 (2011) ISSN 0957 – 1019 Correspondence: 5 Welland Road, Barrow upon Soar, LE12 8NA VC55 Staphylinids Part 1 2 Introduction With over 56,000 described species in the world, the Staphylinidae are the largest family in the animal kingdom (Grebennikov & Newton, 2009). Around a quarter of the British beetles are rove beetles, so they represent an important component of biodiversity in Britain. However, because of perceived difficulties in their identification, they have not received the attention that they merit. This paper aims to play a part in redressing that imbalance by listing all reliable records from Leicestershire and Rutland for the different species and analysing which species have declined locally over 100 years of recording rove beetles and which have prospered. The subfamilies treated in this first part include the largest and most conspicuous species in the family. The geographical area covered is the vice county of Leicestershire and Rutland (VC55). Some records from adjacent banks of the River Soar that technically lie in Nottinghamshire are also included. These records can be distinguished by the use of Nottinghamshire parish names. Identification Staphylinidae can be easily recognised among beetles in the field by their short wing cases that leave five or six segments of the abdomen exposed and flexible. In fact they look more like earwigs than other beetles. For identification to species, all the members of the subfamilies in this part will be covered by the forthcoming Royal Entomological Society handbook to Staphylinidae parts 6 and 7 due for publication in 2011. -
Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest: A Living Landscape An integrated wildlife and geological conservation implementation plan March 2009 Cover photograph: Warren Hills, Charnwood Lodge Nature Reserve (Michael Jeeves) 2 Charnwood Forest: A Living Landscape Contents Page 1. Executive summary 5 2. Introduction 8 3. A summary of the geological/geomorphological interest 13 4. Historical ecology since the Devensian glaciation 18 5. The main wildlife habitats 21 6. Overall evaluation 32 7. Summary of changes since the 1975 report 40 8. Review of recommendations in the 1975 report 42 9. Current threats 45 10. Existing nature conservation initiatives 47 11. New long-term objectives for nature conservation in Charnwood Forest 51 12. Action plan 54 13. Acknowledgements 56 14. References 57 Appendix – Gazeteer of key sites of ecological importance in Charnwood Forest Figures: 1. Charnwood Forest boundaries 2. Sites of Special Scientific Interest 3. Map showing SSSIs and Local Wildlife Site distribution 4. Tabulation of main geological formations and events in Charnwood 5. Regionally Important Geological Sites 6. Woodlands in order of vascular plant species-richness 7. Moth species-richness 8. Key sites for spiders 9. Key sites for dragonflies and damselflies 10. Evaluation of nature conservation features 11. Invertebrate Broad Assemblage Types in Charnwood listed by ISIS 12a Important ISIS Specific Assemblage Types in Charnwood Forest 3 12b Important habitat resources for invertebrates 12c Important sites for wood-decay invertebrate assemblages 12d Important sites for flowing water invertebrate assemblages 12e Important sites for permanent wet mire invertebrate assemblages 12f Important sites for other invertebrate assemblage types 13. Evaluation of species groups 14. Leicestershire Red Data Book plants 15. -
LEICESTERSHIRE and RUTLAND BAT GROUP Summer Programme
LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND BAT GROUP Summer Programme 2016 NB – As with all evening walks, even in summer the weather can be cool after sunset. Bring warm clothes and a torch. If the weather looks ‘iffy’ it is worth checking with the named contact that the event will be going ahead. If it is throwing it down with rain the walk is unlikely to go ahead. National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) This scheme is run by the Bat Conservation Trust. It involves evening counts at roosts in June of four species – Natterer’s, Brown Long-eared, Common and Soprano Pipistrelle – and two types of field transect surveys: the Noctule, Serotine, Pipistrelle field survey (undertaken in July) and the waterways survey for Daubenton’s bats (undertaken in August). May Thursday 5th May, Ulverscroft Nature Reserve, (near Copt Oak) bat box checking 10am start, should end around 12.30pm Come and help check these wooden and woodcrete bat boxes. There are approximately 25 boxes to check. So far I have found pips, brown long-eareds, noctules and Leisler’s in these boxes. Ideal for people currently training to get their bat license as you’ll get the chance to learn how to do bat box checks, open some boxes, use an endoscope and hopefully handle a few bats too. You must be rabies vaccinated if you wish to handle the bats. Booking essential – please call Nathalie on 07932 866197 or e-mail [email protected] Sunday 8th May, Charnwood Lodge nature reserve (near Copt Oak) bat box checking 10am start, should end by around 2pm. -
North West Leicestershire Draft Local Plan Background Paper 11
NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE DRAFT LOCAL PLAN BACKGROUND PAPER 11 Policy En1: Nature Conservation 1 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This is one of a number of background papers which have been published to support the draft Local Plan. The purpose of these papers is to provide more information in support of Policy En1 (Nature Conservation) than can be included in the draft Local Plan document itself if it is to remain of a manageable size. 2.0 THE POLICY 2.1 Policy En1 seeks to minimise the potential impacts of development on areas of biodiversity importance and, where possible, achieve net gains in biodiversity. Policy En3: Nature Conservation (1) Proposals for development will be supported which conserve, restore or enhance the biodiversity in the district. (2) Where a proposal for development would result in significant harm to one of the following and which cannot be avoided, or mitigated or compensated for, then planning permission will be refused: Special Areas of Conservation (SAC); Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Local and Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites (RIGS)and candidate Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites (cRIGS) Local Wildlife Sites (LWSs), Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) and candidate Local Wildlife Sites (cLWSs) which meet the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland LWS criteria; Local and National Biodiversity Action Plan-related (BAP) priority habitats; River corridors; Irreplaceable habits (defined as Ancient woodlands; Mature plantation or secondary woodland; Species –rich ancient hedgerows; Ancient or veteran trees; Species –rich neutral grassland; Acid grassland and heath grassland; Dry and wet heathland; Bogs and Sphagnum pools and Rock outcrops) (3) New development will be expected to maintain existing ecological networks , hotspots and landscape features (such as water courses and waterways, disused railway lines, hedgerows and tree lines) for biodiversity, as well as for other green infrastructure and recreational uses. -
Heritage 212 Q4 2013
No. 212 1 October - 31 December 2013 Editorial Panel: Helen Ikin, Steve Woodward, Jim Graham. Hon. Sec. Judy Johnson, 27 Sandalwood Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3PR (01509-214711) Recording at Beacon Hill, Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood The Club has responded to requests from the owners of these sites to update wildlife records. At Beacon Hill, Mick Moffatt was interested in records for the restored grass/heathland. Some members undertook fieldwork there in 2013. SFW and HI made a detailed study of the grassland vegetation, using the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) recording method. A report on these surveys was compiled by SFW in Jan 2014. An electronic copy has been lodged at LRERC and is available to members upon request to SFW or HI. As he explained at the Recorders' Conference on 22 February, Peter Tyldesley at the Bradgate Park Trust is keen for the Club to be involved in biological surveys. HI and SFW are particularly interested in the bees, wasps and ants in Bradgate Park. They have also begun to investigate the ponds, streams and ditches for aquatic life. GLF has arranged for a moth trap to be run, more-or-less regularly, at the Deer Barn. He is also sampling the beetle fauna of the park. Once again, public events led by LNC IN THIS EDITION CLASSIFIED RECORDS Ÿ Mammals Page 2 Ÿ Birds Page 3 Ÿ Reptiles and Amphibians Page 5 Ÿ Fish (including Crayfish) Page 6 Bradgate Park© Sue Graham Ÿ Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 9 members have been scheduled in the BPT Ÿ Butterflies Page 10 programme of walks. -
Charnwood Forest LCA Chapter 5
Chapter 5.0 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS Area 1: Bradgate, Beacon Hill and Outwoods Heathland and Forest Area 2: Ulverscroft Wooded Valley Area 3: Charley Heath and Pasture Area 4: Swithland/Woodhouse Farmland Area 5: Groby Estate Woodland Area 6: Thringstone/Markfield Quarries and Settlement Area 7: Loughborough/Shepshed Mixed Farmland Area 8: Quorn/Mountsorrel/Rothley Settlements, Quarries and Farmland Area 9: Rothley Brook Lowland Farmland Area 10: Groby/Ratby Wooded Farmland Area 11: Thornton Plantation Farmlands LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT Charnwood Forest 57 Chapter 5.0 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS Introduction The overall character of Charnwood Forest is of a rolling Transport infrastructure includes the M1 motorway landscape with an elevated topography and areas of corridor which runs north to south through the woodland and agriculture closely related to geology area. The influence of the motorway varies. In some and hydrology. There are contrasts between upland and areas traffic is visible while in other areas, the heavily lowland which is closely associated with watercourses vegetated embankments screen views of moving and water features within the area. traffic. Noise from traffic is a more regular feature along the corridor and affects tranquillity in areas closer to Settlement is varied with some small vernacular villages the motorway. Other main roads include the A511 such as Newtown Linford and Woodhouse and larger which provides a link from Coalville in the west to the settlements such as Markfield, Groby, Anstey and M1 and the A50 which links the M1 to the A46 and Mountsorrel as well as the fringe of Loughborough. Leicester City to the east. -
Leicestershire Minerals and Waste Local Plan up to 2031
Leicestershire Minerals and Waste Local Plan Up to 2031 Pre-Submission Draft 2016 LEICESTERSHIRE MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN Pre-Submission Draft 2016 Contents CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................1 MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN........................................................................................................1 SCOPE AND NATURE OF THIS DOCUMENT................................................................................................2 2. SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS, VISION AND STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.................5 SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTY .........................................................................................5 Population ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Industry ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Transport................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Natural Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Built Heritage and Historic Landscape..................................................................................................................... -
Heritage 211 Q3 2013
No. 211 1 July - 30 September 2013 Editorial Panel: Helen Ikin, Steve Woodward, Jim Graham. Hon. Sec. Judy Johnson, 27 Sandalwood Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3PR (01509-214711) IVY Hedera helix - A PLANT FOR ALL SEASONS Ivy, our only evergreen native climbing plant, is well known to butterfly enthusiasts as being the second generation food plant of the Holly Blue larvae but I suspect far fewer appreciate its importance to large numbers of moth species such as The Chestnut, Dark Chestnut, Dark Sword-grass, Tawny Pinion, Green-brindled Crescent, The Satellite and Red-line Quaker. It is also one of two main larval food plants of an attractive little geometer moth, the Yellow-barred Brindle, whose other main food plant is the Holly - like the Holly Blue! Ivy also provides important winter hibernating cover for The Brimstone, The Peacock and numerous other insect species. It gives protection to hibernating insects and roosting birds in the worst of the winter's weather when the countryside becomes a wind-swept, hostile place to all living organisms and when decent shelter can make all the difference between life and death to creatures fighting to stay alive and doing their best to avoid being blown into oblivion! Like many another conservation-minded person, I guess, I went through a phase in my life when I thought that Ivy growing on trees was a bad thing and should therefore be prevented by cutting IN THIS EDITION CLASSIFIED RECORDS Ÿ Mammals Page 2 Ÿ Birds Page 3 Ÿ Reptiles and Amphibians Page 7 Ÿ Fish Page 8 Ÿ Butterflies Page 9 Ivy © Stephen Woodward Ÿ Moths Page 13 through the stems - how dangerous a little Ÿ Beetles Page 15 knowledge can be! With the passage of time and more knowledge, I now realise that Ivy is Ÿ Other Insects Page 18 ecologically one of our most important native plant Ÿ species and often more important than some of Plants and Ferns Page 22 the tree species up which it climbs for support.