Wildlife Trust Ecology Groups Reserves & Living Landscapes Survey and Monitoring Newsletter: Winter 2016/17
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Wildlife Trust Ecology Groups Reserves & Living Landscapes Survey and Monitoring Newsletter: Winter 2016/17 Dr Paul Tinsley-Marshall | Conservation Evidence Ecologist e: [email protected] w: http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk Kent Wildlife Trust, Tyland Barn, Sandling Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3BD Introduction reserves permits have carried out quantitative data using consistent The Ecology Groups winter surveys on KWT reserves, however and repeatable methodologies. In newsletter is an annual newsletter much of the survey data was creating the strategy and plans, we sent to all KWT Ecology Group collected in an ad hoc manner. With have assessed what groups of members, wildlife surveyors and the creation of the new post of species are most useful: species that reserves staff. This edition will give a Conservation Evidence Ecologist in are best suited to assessing the brief behind the scenes look at 2015, KWT launched the Reserves status and management of different KWT’s Reserves Monitoring Strategy, Monitoring Strategy to standardise habitat types. For instance, birds are and I hope the newsletter will clearly the way survey data is collected very useful in many habitats where explain the origins, aims and across the county, to ensure it there are distinct assemblages of structure of some of the provides a robust evidence base, specialist species of those habitat programme. Each year many and to inspire, train and involve types; woodpeckers, marsh tit and volunteers contribute enormously to volunteers through Ecology Groups. woodcock are woodland birds, reed the success of the programme and I and sedge warblers, water rail and am keen to ensure all those that are bittern are wetland birds. The same involved are as informed as possible. theory applies to butterflies, beetles and many other groups. The year in numbers 193 people are now on the Ecology Surveys Groups mailing list; 3 (up from 1) The surveys we carry out aim to 1) Ecology Groups are now up and establish species presence and running; 48 people took part in absence, population trends and Ecology Group surveys on 22 Unusual white pyramidal orchids at habitat condition, 2) inform the Wouldham Common management of reserves by reserves, completing 250 quadrats and generating thousands of plant Monitoring plans reviewing the success of previous species records, 3446 in the Each reserve and Living Landscape habitat management work and help Medway Smile alone! has a monitoring plan, based on plan for future management their key features as identified in strategies, 3) evidence the success Monitoring strategy management plans. These may be of our conservation work and 4) For many years, staff, volunteers, habitats such as chalk grassland and direct future surveying and amateur and professional naturalists woodland, or species of particular monitoring programmes. For each working under the auspices of KWT conservation importance such as KWT Living Landscape and reserve water vole or Adonis blue butterfly. the key features for which the sites Monitoring aims to collect are important are identified in the management plans and are intrinsic Key species available resources, and scaled-up to in the types of habitat in which they Butterflies and ground beetles are generate a representative map of occur. Features can be of nature especially useful in assessing the the distribution of the surveyed conservation, landscape, condition of chalk grassland, as habitat, species or attribute at the community, visitor or educational there are many species of each that whole site level. interest. For example at our are specialists; species only or Queendown Warren reserve in the mainly found in chalk grassland such Medway Smile Living Landscape, as Adonis blue, silver spotted chalk grassland, woodland and early skipper and bombardier beetle. Of spider orchids have been identified course many of these are species are as key nature conservation features. conservation priorities in their own Each feature will have a number of right. attributes which are its characteristics, qualities or Prioritising At Queendown Warren, with the A 25m grid might be appropriate for Marden properties. Attributes are the Meadow (right), but certainly not for resources available, we have measurable performance indicators Nashenden! (Left) which together help to indicate the planned to undertake a habitat An inherent issue with monitoring is condition of the feature. Examples condition assessment (a four year that it is impossible to be certain might be the size of an orchid colony baseline, then once every four what change will occur and where, or frequency and distribution of key years), orchid counts, an annual yet the purpose of monitoring is to grassland species. butterfly transect, and ground beetle pitfall trapping surveys. detect it. Another issue is that if Habitat condition coverage of the whole site is not The attributes of the condition of Heat maps achieved, it is impossible to know if chalk grassland at Queendown We have adopted an approach ‘good’ areas are always in the same Warren (and other sites) include developed by Gloucestershire place, or if they move within a site. positive indicator species, Wildlife Trust that uses GIS The grid square approach allows us undesirable species, bare ground, (Geographic Information Systems) to clearly demonstrate that if a sward height, abundance of herb and the British National Grid to target habitat, species or attribute is cover, and extent of habitat. All create a grid square overlay for each increasing, the number of grid attributes have pre-defined of our nature reserves. This is used squares it occupies will also desirable ranges which represent to scale and structure our sampling increase. If habitat condition is the acceptable range of change by and make it easily repeatable. improving, the number of defining which the attribute can vary without high quality species within a grid cause for concern. If the limits are square will increase - depicted using exceeded then there is a cause for a ‘heat map’. Squares are coloured concern and management work will with a temperature scale, and the need to be planned to address the site will get ‘hotter’ as the number change. The surveys we conduct are of ‘hot’ squares increases. It also designed to monitor the attributes demonstrates exactly where these of each feature and therefore the areas are. You will find examples of condition status of that feature. these maps, produced from the surveys you have been involved in this year in this newsletter. The grid can be scaled to reserve size, resource availability and the required resolution of data. This square is very ‘hot’ (the most intense Wild thyme, a positive indicator species of colour in the scale), indicating that this part of chalk grassland The size of the grid can be scaled to the reserve has 15-19 positive indicator plant both the size of the reserve and the species Publishing findings survey techniques, and woodland Kent Wildlife Trust Ecology These maps are just a small part of plants are especially relevant to the Groups on Facebook the outputs of our monitoring. Over surveys we do on our reserves. The Don’t forget we are on Facebook, a 2017 programmes is almost ready to time I will be publishing more great way to keep in touch, share go to press and will be out soon, photos and identification tips. results from the surveys Ecology available from Groups carry out, demonstrating http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk Search ‘Kent Wildlife Trust Ecology how monitoring provides evidence /discover-learn/wildlife-study-days Groups’ and check out our of the Trust’s conservation webpages at management outcomes. http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk /wildlife/ecology-groups Ecology Groups survey programme Want to get involved? Each year a list of surveys across all For any queries or for further details the reserves are planned to help about Ecology Group activities, or to KWT monitor the condition of let us know about wildlife you have reserves and status of species. The seen please contact: paul.tinsley- programme will be sent to all [email protected] Budding carabidologists taking part in the Ecology Group volunteers and ground beetle study day published on our website and social media early in 2017. Recorder database Wildlife Study Days An exciting and critical new Many of the surveys we carry out do development behind the scenes at the Trust is that our Recorder not require volunteers to have any prior knowledge of skill; they need database is up and running; a single Ecology Group volunteers enjoying the view only turn up and learn ‘on the job’. central electronic storage solution while completing a grassland survey For those areas where a little more that holds all of our survey data. expertise is required, our Wildlife Thought all the data stayed on Thank you! Study Day programme is a great way pieces of paper in filing cabinets?! To all those of you who have been to learn and develop an interest in a Nope, thanks to the help of the Kent involved in surveys, collecting the new area, and Ecology Groups are a and Medway Biological Records data we need to assess our great way to put that new found Centre our database currently holds management and the success of our knowledge to use to help our 994,383 (and counting) species Living Landscape projects, I’d like to conservation efforts in Kent. This records for all KWT reserves and say a huge thank you. The Trust year an exciting new Study Day will Local Wildlife Sites, giving staff easy both values and relies on your be launched, focusing on hoverflies, access to the data you help us support. On a personal level I’d like and others such as get more from collect and allowing us to use it to to say a continued huge thank you your bird watching, introduction to help manage our reserves.