State of Britain's Mammals 2011
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people’s trust for endangered species | The State of Britain’s Mammals Written by David Macdonald and Dawn Burnham, WildCRU 2011 The State of Britain’s Mammals 2011 1 Contents Preface 3 Wildlife disease: badgers and bTB 12 UK BAP process 4 Human wildlife conflict 14 Pine marten genetics 5 Other wildlife disease issues 14 UK BAP priority species 6 Problems and solutions to mole damage 15 Monitoring trends 8 Overcoming habitat loss and fragmentation 16 11 Marine mammal monitoring 8 Lost life: England's lost and threatened species 17 BAP species update 9 Reintroductions 18 Monitoring issues 10 Countryside legislation 20 Climate change impacts 10 People's Trust for Endangered Species 22 Invasive species 11 References 23 Laurie Campbell Acknowledgements We are very grateful to the following people who gave of their time and expertise: Nida Al Fulaij (PTES), Sandra Baker (WildCRU), Pete Brotherton (JNCC), Christina Buesching (WildCRU), Christl Donnelly (Imperial College), Steve Gardner (Scottish Wildlife Trust), Martin Gaywood (SNH), Merryl Gelling (WildCRU), Lauren Harrington (WildCRU), Matt Heydon (Natural England), Tim Hill (Natural England), Joelene Hughes (WildCRU), Kerry Kilshaw (WildCRU), Tiki Leggett (Wildlife Trusts), Claire Ludgate (Natural England), Tony Mitchell-Jones (Natural England), Angela Moffat (Natural England), Helen Perkins (Wildlife Trusts), Eva Raebel (WildCRU), Chris Sandom (Aarhus University), Rosie Woodroffe (ZSL). Particular thanks go to the eternally good natured Jill Nelson, Chief Executive of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, and to her wonderfully supportive Trustees for giving us the annual opportunity to present these personal perspectives on Britain’s mammalian landscape. 2 The State of Britain’s Mammals 2011 Preface On this anniversary, the tenth of our annual perspectives partridge by 90% - perhaps things aren’t so bad for on The State of British Mammals, we notice with surprise mammals – but we still don’t know! that despite their proper prominence in Macdonald & Moving through the list, regarding the robustness Tattersall’s original Britain’s Mammals: The Challenge for of evidence, in 2003 the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation in 20011, with which PTES launched its Conservation (CEBC) was established. In 2008 the GB campaign for British mammals, there has been no further Non-Native Species Secretariat was formed and six mention of red foxes! Since foxes are surely the most widespread bat species (Daubenton’s, lesser horseshoe beautiful, and arguably the most interesting, of British bats, noctules, common and soprano pipistrelles and mammals, let us remedy that immediately by reference serotines), were included as biodiversity performance to one of the most extraordinary mammalogical indicators6. discoveries of the year: red foxes perform ‘mouse jumps’ The tremors of environmental earth-movements (launching almost vertically to land pulverizingly, front began to stir with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate feet first, onto an indiscreetly squeaking mouse) most Change reports, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem often, and most successfully, on a north-south axis, Assessment7, and the government’s Chief Scientific apparently using a ‘vision’ of magnetic north as a precise Advisor, Sir John Beddington’s, initiatives on food range-finder with which to gauge infallibly the length of security. In 2010, the Marine Bill, WWF’s 8th Living Planet their pounce on that axis2. Report8, then, Global Biodiversity Outlook 39 and The Scarcely less remarkable is the spate of science Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity10 crystallising policy currently erupting. So, what has changed for the emerging realisation that the human enterprise has British mammals in the decade since 2001? For most been free-loading on nature. Next, Natural England, of those years, the answer might have been a dour ‘not bravely emerging from the Comprehensive Spending much!’ – especially considering the UK’s failure to meet Review, bloodied but unbowed, published its audit Lost the Convention on Biological Diversity target to halt life: England’s lost and threatened species11, identifying biodiversity loss by 2010 (shifted to 2020 under the nearly 500 animals and plants that have become extinct Nagoya commitment). Suddenly, however, it’s all-change. in modern times, and 1 000 native species that face But, first a reminder that, having identified four broad worrisome threats. September 2010 saw the publication categories of issues facing British mammals - conflict of Sir John Lawton’s review, Making Space for Nature12 with non-native species, toxic habitats, disappearing with its catchy advice of ‘better, bigger, more, joined’, habitats and direct conflict with man - the 2001 report ranking the priorities for improving management of listed five implements for tackling these issues - legal protected areas, increasing their size, creating new ones and policy framework, monitoring and research, conflict and joining them up. Similarly, the GBO3 predicted resolution, ecological restoration and conservation and that by 2050 some 200 000km2 of European marginal welfare. Macdonald & Tattersall nominated their top ten farmland would become available for rewilding. May personal priorities for mammal conservation (addicts can 2011 saw the launch of the EU biodiversity strategy, check the second ten in the original report): establish a linked to targets agreed at the CBD in Nagoya in national mammal monitoring network; alter the land-use October 2010. June greeted the UK National Ecosystem planning system to improve care for species; accelerate Assessment (NEA)13, which not only assesses but values shifts in agricultural policy to foster landscape-scale Britain’s nature and the ecosystem services it provides – conservation; extend legal protection to include local including mammals. The June crescendo was the Natural wildlife sites, buffer zones and corridors; ensure that Environment White Paper The Natural Choice: securing the conservation advice is scientifically robust; carry out value of nature, developing a 50-year vision from colossal large-scale experiments and long-term studies; heighten public consultation and moving towards a landscape-scale the focus on the effects of pollutants on wild mammals; approach to conservation. rationalise responsibility for management of alien species; So, more than the deckchairs have been rearranged increase the range of biodiversity performance indicators on this Titanic: in 2005 the American mink was renamed to include mammals; and coordinate the energies of Neovison and the British water vole became Arvicola mammal organisations. We also advocated the idea, amphibious, but these roses still smell the same, invasives proposed earlier, of creating large wilderness zones still threaten natives14. And the 2001 Top Ten have not from marginal farmland and perhaps fenced to contain yet been toppled from their pedestal (although climate predators. change is nudging up the charts). But 2011 sees a How is the scorecard, after ten years? Disappointingly, tectonic change in the frameworks within which they the UK still lacks an all-encompassing national mammal will now be tackled, so this tenth anniversary of PTES’ monitoring network3, although the Tracking Mammals mammal campaign and of our annual state of Britain’s Partnership4 made a brave, but now wavering, attempt mammals reports, may truly offer hope of many happy to monitor 35 terrestrial mammal species. So, as in 2001, returns for Britain’s mammals. mammal conservationists still cannot match the birders whose 2010 State of the UK’s Birds5 reported, with David Macdonald and Dawn Burnham mournful precision, that the lapwing has declined by 45% since 1970, the turtle dove by 89% and the grey The State of Britain’s Mammals 2011 3 dolphins, white-beaked dolphins, killer whales, long-finned UK BAP process pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins. Three group SAPs for baleen whales, toothed whales and dolphins covered all The history of formal wildlife conservation in Britain cetaceans occurring in British waters except for harbour spans over 60 years of designation for Sites of Special porpoises. Lead Partners were responsible for overseeing Scientific Interest (SSSIs) through the National Parks National SAPs that set the priorities, targets, actions and and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, and includes timescales for individual species, with Local Biodiversity 30 years of protected species legislation. This started Action Plans (LBAPs) implemented by local partners and with the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 1981 offering supporting the delivery of national priorities alongside protection for water voles and red squirrels (and birds), those identified locally. replacing the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Since the creation of the initial UK BAP, devolved Plants Act 1975 and the Protection of Birds Acts 1954 governments for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland to 1967. Then the Protection of Badgers Act in 1992, and Wales became responsible for the environment and the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations and produced their own country biodiversity strategies in 1994 added bats, dormice, otters, Scottish wildcats, from 2001, which have superceded the UK BAP, but and all species of dolphins, porpoises and whales to the which all include common elements, notably the BAP list of mammals with formal protection. The current priority habitats and species. At the time of publishing legislation is consolidated by the Conservation of British