Solving the Plastic Problem.

Plastic has revolutionised the World. Due to its low cost, versatility, ease of manufacture and water resistance, plastics are used in a huge range of products in our every day lives. It has now almost completely replaced numerous traditional materials such as wood, stone, leather, paper, metal and glass in many of their former uses. Unfortunately, the success of plastic has now led to massive environmental concerns due to its slow decomposition rate after being discarded. 

Many different kinds of plastics exist and the rate of decomposition can depend largely on their chemical composition. Attempts have been made to estimate the decomposition rates of several plastic products. The Marine Conservancy estimates that a foam plastic cup will take 50 years to break down fully, a plastic cup will take 400 years and a fishing line will take 600 years to degrade.

Nearly 90% of debris in the ocean is plastic.

The recycling initative has been in place for many years now as a result of this problem, but it appears to be doing little to halt the endless plague of plastic pollution.

So what is the next step?

How about some plastic eating worms? or maybe plastic destroying bacteria will solve the crisis? 

Well recently, Icelandic product design student Ari Jónsson attented the DesignMarch exhibition in Reykjavik, with an innovative and ingenius new idea. He has created a biodegradable, EDIBLE, algae-based bottle that breaks down as soon as it is empty.

It is created using a powdered form of agar, which is derived from algae. When the powder is added to water, it forms into a jelly-like material which can be shaped and moulded. The bottle needs to contain liquid in order to keep its shape but once empty, it will immediately start to decompose.

The Agar Bottle's life cycle, created by Ari Jónsson.

 

With hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic being produced globally every year, there is an urgent need to find environmentally friendly alternatives to popular products like water bottles and coffee cups, so that huge amounts of unrecycled waste don't end up in landfill or the ocean. This impressive idea once developed further, could very well lead on to a new era of environmentally friendly packaging.

.. Jónsson describes the taste of the bottle as resembling "seaweed jello", in case you were interested!

Birds of Paradise - "Why do they do that?"

There are 42 different birds-of-paradise and most can be found on New Guinea and the surrounding islands. The majority of birds-of-paradise live in tropical forests including rainforest, swamps and moss forest, with nearly all of them being solitary tree dwellers.

They are a special group of birds with amazing colours, large feathers and impressive dancing. Some species carry out such elaborate and strange displays that it leaves those who see it in awe, wondering how and why they perform in this way.

The Raggiana Bird of Paradise performing it's dance.

Europeans first discovered the birds in 1522, when Magellan’s only surviving ship returned home after its world voyage. Naturalists Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin then visited New Guinea in the 1850s. They were awestruck by the beauty and variety of the birds. It was the amazing colours and enlarged feather plumes that caught Darwin’s interest, since they seemed to conflict with his developing theory of natural selection, which favors traits that offer the best survival for the individual. Darwin believed the colours, modified plumes, and dances were intended to help males gain favor with females and had nothing to do with survival. Years later, he explained that the male beauty was a result of sexual selection, a concept that was far ahead of its time.

These bizarre and interesting dances aren’t random coincidence. Young males inherit the dance moves from their fathers, then refine them through practice and watching adults. The females watch carefully when the males perform as it is ultimately their choice that decides which dances are the best and will make it to the next generation.

Below are a couple of videos where I have created a collection of weird and wonderful bird dances and mating displays, which includes many varieties of the birds-of-paradise so you can see for yourself some of the amazing dances they perform.

Enjoy!

 

Creating a Safe Haven for Wild Reptiles: Hibernacula & Refugia.

Yesterday whilst volunteering at my local Lee Valley Park, I assisted with the creation of a new hibernacula for reptiles. The word hibernacula comes from the Latin phrase meaning, "tent for winter quarters" but these refuges may be utilised all year round, perhaps even just as a wildlife corridor.

With a little planning, you can easily create hibernacula and refugia in your own garden which can make a big difference by providing extra food and refuge for reptiles and compensating for the loss of appropriate habitats in surrounding areas and creating secure passages through the landscape.

There are a variety of materials you can use. Tree roots, deep leave litter, compost heaps, log piles and rock piles are locations that can be great refuges and hibernacula for reptiles as well as amphibians - providing habitat, cover, locations to bask, and food.

You can find out if reptiles are using your garden by leaving out spare wooden boards, roofing felt or carpet tiles, which may be used for basking or taking refuge underneath.

Stage 1 - Location

Preferably you should plan where you want to put your hibernacula first, as it could involve digging an area to put your materials. The most important thing to remember here is drainage, you don't want to dig a hole in the ground as though you would a pond, as it will just collect water and won't be fit for purpose.

Also avoid using straight sides and edges, a sloped pit will be much better for draining away water. Our hibernacula yesterday was dug into the side of a small hill not too far from some hedgerows and trees.


Stage 2 - Placing your materials
  

 After you have dug out the area for your hibernacula, the best first layer will be rocks and stones. These should be placed around the bottom area to create your base and should have gaps inbetween when piling them on top of each other. Remember that you aren't trying to make it inpenetrable! If you don't have rocks or stones, broken up bricks can be used as an alternative.

After the stones are placed, logs, sticks and branches are a good next layer. As before, be careful not to create an inpenetrable pile of wood, be sure to put the logs at different angles on top of each other to allow spaces and gaps inbetween. Don't worry if you have limited materials available to you, anything natural will do. You can use wood, tree roots, rubble, compost, mulch etc. Mix up your materials in a natural way and avoid being too tidy, a messy design with varying shapes, levels and gaps is exactly what you want.

Stage 3 - Cover

Finally, you should cover the top of your hibernacula with any suitable vegetation but ideally from the same location or area. A natural grass and bramble mix works well, this is similar to what we used for ours (shown to the right). Due to the location, we had plenty of surrounding vegetation on the hill that will grow around the refuge and set it in. If you are creating one in your garden, then planting or relocating suitable scrub on the northern side can also provide extra cover and shade, especially if your refuge doesn't have many plants or trees around it that are naturally occurring. You can place any soil or mud that you dug out previously on top of the refuge, this can help to protect it.


Remember: If you believe reptiles or amphibians may already be using your garden and the site is overgrown and you need to strim the area beforehand or carry out maintenance and gather materials, do a careful search to check for animals before you start in the area and proceed with caution. If the area you are creating your refuge on is a sensitive reptile site, or maybe Great Crested Newts could be present, contact a herpetologist or an organisation such as FrogLife, who will be able to advise and assist you.

Our completed hibernacula at Lee Valley.

Depending on your location you may likely see Slow-worms and Grass Snakes using the refuge. It is rarer to see Adders and Common Lizards, but still possible!

Feel free to comment or message with pictures of your own DIY hibernacula, it'll be great to see how you got on.

Hedgehogs: Endangered Species or Prickly Pest?

The British love hedgehogs. They are associated with the UK and are considered to be a national species. In 2013, the Hedgehog even won the UK natural emblem poll. However the once common hedgehog is now under threat from various factors including development and habitat loss.

In the last 10 years, numbers have fallen by 30% and there are now thought to be fewer than 1 million left in the UK compared to the 36 million estimated in the 1950s.  

The UK's favourite cute and prickly animal.
Photo: Michael Gäbler.

There could be many factors that are contributing to the decline of hedgehog populations in the UK. The increasing use of impenetrable fencing around gardens, which reduces movement of hedgehogs between gardens, has led to fragmentation of urban populations and is likely to have contributed to declining numbers. Pesticides have reduced amounts of invertebrates available for hedgehogs to eat in gardens. Furthermore, slug pellets are also thought to impact directly, causing mortalities. Herbicide use on lawns also reduces the availability
of earthworms, a main prey species.

Due to agricultural intensification, there has been around a 50% decline in hedgerows in rural Britain since 1945. Hedgerows provide ideal locations for hedgehog nesting sites as well as being important movement corridors. Another issue is with the way hedges are managed. Mechanical flailing has replaced traditional coppicing in many places resulting in hedgerows that are increasingly gappy and lack a dense base. This makes them far less suitable as places to shelter from predators and for nesting or hibernation.

In the UK it has been estimated that up to 15,000 hedgehogs are killed annually on roads. Roads also act as barriers to the movement of hedgehogs, causing fragmentation of populations. 

Numerous campaigns, charities and societies have been set up to raise awareness and protect this much loved animal and save it from going extinct.

But meanwhile in New Zealand..

Hedgehogs are thriving. They are viewed as a pest and are an invasive species, being a threat to native wildlife.

The hedgehogs were brought to New Zealand by British colonists in the 1870s to remind them of home. The first recorded introductions were in 1870, with subsequent introductions in 1871, 1885, 1890 and 1894. Aside from acclimatisation, hedgehogs were also introduced to control garden pests such as slugs, snails and grass grubs. Hedgehogs are now present in almost all New Zealand habitats, including urban, rural, braided river and forests areas.  

  

Their foreign diet includes the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds and they are already believed to have contributed to the decline and extinction of up to fifteen bird species and are a threat to those that remain.

Hedgehog preying on ground-nesting bird eggs.
Photo: Martin H. Smith.

Species they impact include riverbed breeding birds such as banded dotterel and black-fronted tern, of which they predate on their eggs and chicks. They are known to predate upon the rare giant native centipede and the critically endangered Cromwell chafer beetle. Lowland populations of Powelliphanta snails are also affected, and although only smaller juvenile snails are eaten, this severely affects recruitment and population recovery. Hedgehogs also prey upon lizards, particularly in cooler periods when lizard activity slows and Skinks are particularly at risk from them.

New Zealanders are encouraged to trap and control hedgehog numbers to protect native birds during their breeding seasons in particular. This is a huge leap from the intense campaigning going on in the UK to protect them, considering they are at risk of dying out!

It is amazing how different species adapt and react to different environments. Even in their natural home they are worse off than in a location with a very different climate and environment. The invasive, introduced population in New Zealand is now higher than the native population in the UK. 

It is an important lesson, animals should not be moved and introduced to countries where they don't belong, as you can never fully predict the impact they may have and the problems they could cause in the future.

Beavers reintroduced to Scotland and England: What's happening now?

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) became extinct in Britain in the 16th century due to hunting for its pelt, meat and scent glands. Beavers bring numerous benefits to their local environments and so there have been talks and many debates in various places about the potential for reintroducing them. They are often referred to as ecosystem engineers. By modifying their habitats through the coppicing of trees and shrubs, the digging of canal systems and damming of water courses, beavers create and maintain diverse wetlands that bring huge benefits to other species including otters, water voles, birds, invertebrates and fish. This kind of habitat restoration can be extremely costly to achieve by artificial means.

Beaver dams also play a role in slowing water run-off during periods of flooding and can help sustain flows during periods of low water. Beaver inhabited landscapes have been linked to counteracting pollution from human activities. The open nature of beaver generated environments commonly results in a vigorous community of vascular plants. Where agricultural nitrates leak into these environments they are rapidly absorbed.  It has been estimated from studies in Bavaria that up to 28kg of soluble nitrates can be captured through the annual habitat creation activity of a single beaver.

Scotland

In 2009, wild beavers were first reintroduced into Knapdale Forest in Argyll, Scotland after being extinct in the UK for over 400 years. The trial is a partnership project between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the Forestry Commission. It is the first official project of its kind in Britain and was followed by a five year study to explore how beavers enhance and restore natural environments. 

Breeding beavers in Scotland.
Photo: RZS Scotland.

England

A colony of wild beavers were spotted living on the River Otter, Devon, in February 2014. The origin of the population is unknown, It is presumed to be the result of an escape or unsanctioned deliberate release. There is now evidence of beaver activity on the River Otter from Honiton to Budleigh Salterton, a distance of around 12 miles. A breeding pair with young was filmed in 2014 on land south of Ottery St Mary. It is estimated that there are at least nine beavers on the river, including one confirmed breeding group. 

Beaver in the Devon trial area.
Photo: David Plummer.

In January 2015, Natural England granted Devon Wildlife Trust a licence that allowed the beavers to remain on the river, as part of a pilot experiment and five year monitoring. The River Otter Beaver Trial will work with international experts to record and evaluate the impact of the animals. At the conclusion of the project in 2020 the River Otter Beaver Trial will present Natural England with its evidence. Using this information a decision will be made on the future of the beavers on the river.

What's happening now?

Following the scientific work undertaken on the Scottish Beaver Trial, Scottish Natural Heritage have since released their report ‘Beavers in Scotland’. The report uses 20 years of work on beavers in Scotland, as well as experience from elsewhere in Europe and North America. It provides a summary of existing knowledge and offers four future beaver scenarios for Scottish Ministers to consider. The Trial is now in a holding period whilst awaiting the decision from the Scottish Government about the future for the beavers, but there is no news as of yet.

The beaver trial in England is ongoing and the surveying and monitoring is set to conclude in 2020, ready for the government to evaluate the evidence and come to a decision on the beavers remaining at the site in Devon, as well as potentially increasing trials to other locations.

It will be very interesting to see what they decide. The trials have been successful and the benefits of having beavers living naturally is proven. As well as this, the UK has obligations under the EU’s Habitats Directive to consider reintroductions of extinct native species, so reintroducing beavers to certain areas could also assist with this. 


For more information and to keep up to date with the beaver trials you can visit:
http://www.ScottishBeavers.org.uk
http://www.DevonWildlifeTrust.org/devons-wild-beavers
http://BeaversInEngland.com

The Most Trafficked Mammal in the World - Pangolins.

Pangolins are the only mammal in the world that are covered with scales. They are often referred to as scaly anteaters as they also eat ants and termites with a long sticky tongue.

They are a fascinating species and today (20th February 2016) is World Pangolin Day, which is a great opportunity to raise awareness about this unique creature and the current threats they face.

There are eight different species of pangolin which are found across Asia and Africa.

African pangolins:

• Cape or Temminck’s Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) – Vulnerable

Photo by Nigel J. Dennis

• White-bellied or Tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) – Vulnerable

Photo: APWG, Zoological Society of London.

• Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) – Vulnerable

• Black-bellied or Long-tailed pangolin  (Phataginus tetradactyla) – Vulnerable

Photo by Rod Cassidy.

Asian pangolins:

• Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) – Critically Endangered

• Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) – Critically Endangered

• Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) – Endangered

Photo by Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra.

•  Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) – Endangered

Photo by Roger Dolorosa.

Pangolins are under threat from the illegal trade in their scales and flesh. They are one of the most trafficked mammals in Asia but increasingly in Africa. As you can see by the above list the effect the illegal trade is having on the Asian populations is very significant, with all species listed as endangered. Although the African species are currently listed as vulnerable, the problem is spreading and increasingly impacting these species also.

The pangolin got its common name from the Malay word 'pengguling', meaning 'rolling up', in reference to their defence mechanism of rolling into a tight ball when threatened. Unfortunately, this makes it even easier for them to be captured and smuggled, as hunters can simply pick them up.

Nobody knows for sure exactly how long they live. It is presumed that pangolins have an estimated lifespan of twenty years in the wild, since the oldest recorded pangolin lived for 19 years in captivity. They are very rarely found in zoos as time spent in captivity tends to bring about stress and malnutrition, leading to early death. As such, it is unknown how long a pangolin can actually live for making this interesting creature even more mysterious.

For more information you can watch the short video below and visit:
http://pangolins.org or http://savepangolins.org.

Attracting Birds to Your Garden: Which Box is Best?

This week is National Nest Box Week. Here i've written a handy blog post on the types and variations of available nest boxes and preferences of different species you may be looking to either attract, or benefit birds you already see in your garden.

Research has found that there are over 60 UK bird species that have used or benefitted from nestboxes. The most important details are the type of box and its location.

A key point to remember that is true for all species, is that the perch is not necessary! Many nestboxes you might find in shops come with perches attached that are largely for decorative purposes but they can actually be detrimental as predators use the perches to gain access to birds inside. Birds do not need perches to get inside or out of a nest box so always remove it if possible.

Blue tits using the most common style of nest box,
and showing how there is no need for a perch.
(Photo: CJ Wildbirdfoods Ltd)

Nestboxes for Small Birds.

These sorts of birds will be fine with the common style of nestbox (see picture, right) with 4 walls with a roof and a hole for entry and exit. The average specifications which will be suitable are 22 x 20 x 16 cm.

A 25mm sized hole is best suited for blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits.

A 28mm sized hole will attract pied flycatchers, great tits and tree sparrows.

A 32mm sized hole will suit nuthatches and house sparrows.

If you want to create or buy a nestbox for starlings, then you can use the same design as above but it will need a 45mm hole, with dimensions of around 31.5 x 18.5 x 18 cm.

The nestboxes should be positioned 2 to 4 metres up a wall or tree in an area avoiding strong sunlight where possible. It is important for all nestboxes that it can be opened somehow either through a removable roof or hatch, for end of season cleaning. Used nestboxes should be removed and cleaned in the autumn once the birds have stopped using the box to clear any fleas or parasites. Use boiling water only, never insecticides or other powders/chemicals.

If you can only get a nestbox with an entrance hole larger than you would like, you can always fix a plate onto it in order to reduce the size as shown below. These will prevent larger birds from using your nestbox as well as further protect it from predators, with the steel stopping the entrance from being clawed away at or damaged to gain access.

Photo: RSPB

Open-fronted boxes.

For attracting and supporting wrens, robins, pied wagtails and spotted flycatchers you should use an open fronted box placed low down, below 2m and well hidden in vegetatation. Ideal specifications for the box would be around 28 x 23 x 17 cm.

Woodpeckers also use open fronted boxes but they should be placed 3 to 5m high preferably on a tree trunk in an open area.

Open-fronted boxes like these are ideal for attracting birds such as robins and wrens.
Photos: RSPB

Speciality

A nestbox for swifts, sold by the RSPB.

If you have swifts, swallows or house martins then you will need a different design for your nest box if it is outside.

These need to be high up, at least 5 metres out of direct sunlight. It should ideally be positioned under the eaves of your house, outhouse or other building. The location must be undisturbed by people or potential predators and have an unobstructed airspace infront of the nestbox, which will allow the birds to fly in directly.

There are terracotta nest cups you can buy for house martins and swallows that are designed to copy the natural design of the nests they build themselves. Whilst staying at Blakeney I took a picture (below) of a swallow nest that had been built outside above the window to my room. Here you can see the similarities of these boxes to the real thing. If you do decide to invest in one of these, don't be disheartened if the birds continue to create their own nests nearby, it can take a couple of years of swallows and house martins returning to the property before they will use the nest cups.

Swallows I photographed in a natural nest and the shop-bought nests you can buy.

Nestboxes for Large Birds.

You might be surprised to know that birds such as owls are frequent users of nestboxes, for example, it is estimated that up to half of the barn owl population in the UK use manmade nestboxes. So if you are lucky enough to have owls and kestrels nearby, a properly positioned nest box can definitely help these birds.

Similar to the nest cups, it can take years before these boxes will be used properly, so give it time.

The minimum height these nestboxes should be positioned is 5m, you preferably want to fit them up a tree that has is not cluttered, with clear visibility and has clear flight path to it. It should be faced away from the main wind direction. The size of the nestbox will vary depending on which species you want to encourage.

A good kestrel box should be: Width - 28.5cm, Depth - 52cm, Height - 34cm.

Tawny owls nest in smaller cavities than other owls so a thinner but higher design is ideal. Specs should be around Width - 22cm, Depth - 41.5cm, Height - 77cm for a good quality tawny owl box.

A barn owl requires a larger nest with more space below compared to a tawny owl. The minimum size should be no less than Width - 57cm, Depth 49cm, Height - 67cm.

If you live in an area with little owls, then you may want to put out a smaller box. They require a box with a corridor and dark nesting area below, so unless you are fairly DIY savvy, I would recommend buying a premade certified box from a place such as The Barn Owl Trust, but it also has a great guide on how to create your own box if you fancy giving it a go.

Various nestboxes for large birds.

For more information, nestboxes available to buy as well as guides on making them yourself, there is great advice on the RSPB website.

I'll be putting my own box out this week and will post updates on what I attract to the garden. If you are putting out a nestbox this week, i'd love to see your box and hear about what you get visiting you, so feel free to write to me or tweet me any pictures and stories.

Green Mumbles Top 10 Critically Endangered Mammals Video.

I have decided to make videos alongside this blog under a YouTube channel of the same name as another side project.

The first I have made is a top 10 list of critically endangered mammals. Every species I have included in the list I picked due to their especially low population sizes and also due to them being relatively unknown compared to the "big names", such as the Javan Rhino and Amur Leopard that always pop up in similar lists.

It includes the Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), with an estimated population size of 250 - 300,

(The Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation)

the Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), with an estimated population size of less than 250,

(Photo by Daniel Heuclin)

and the tiny Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania), that also has an estimated population of less than 250.

(Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)

These species are all particularly interesting and are important to conserve. For example, genetic research has shown that the Pygmy Hog is the sole species in the genus Porcula meaning that if it died out, the entire taxonomic category would go extinct with it.

The Tamaraw is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Phillipines and is the only bovine species native to the country giving it high national significance.

The Vancouver Island Marmot is one of Canada's most endangered animals and is specifically only native to, you guessed it, Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is one of the largest members of the squirrel family and has a very successful captive breeding programme, which is likely (and hopefully) going to create a success story for this cute Canadian critter.

The list contains other interesting species such as these, many of which you may never have heard of. I hope you enjoy my first attempt at a wildlife related video and i'll be making the next one soon, so watch this space!

The Critically Endangered Mountain Chicken.

A "Mountain Chicken".

Contrary to the name, the Mountain Chicken isn't actually a large alpine bird. It is infact, a species of frog found only in the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. The name "Mountain Chicken" is actually only the local name that the people have given to the frog due to its very large size and the fact that it is eaten for food.

The common name for this species is the Giant Ditch Frog (Leptodactylus fallax) and it is currently highly under threat having declined by up to 90% in the last ten years and is listed as critically endangered as a result.

The real Mountain Chicken, showing just how large this species is!

The actual population figures for this species do not even reach 100. It is estimated that there are only 44 wild individuals left on the Dominica islands and 3 on Montserrat.

On Dominica, the population was once healthy and stable and the frog was a popular food source for local people, being particularly favoured for its legs which are cooked in traditional West Indian dishes. The Mountain Chicken actually used to be the country's national dish, but was replaced in 2013 after this became problematic considering it's conservation status. Prior to this, annual harvests were thought to be taking between 8,000 and 36,000 animals before the ban on hunting was introduced, but the population had already been highly damaged. The frog is particularly vulnerable as it has a small brood size, which limits its ability to recover from heavy losses. Its large size, loud calls and attraction to open spaces also made it an easy target for hunters.

 

Mountain Chicken's aren't very good at hiding or keeping out of sight.
Photo by Jenny Spencer.

This combined with habitat loss and introduced invasive predators have also had an effect on the population. But the most recent threat now comes from a familiar amphibian foe which has decimated frog populations worldwide... Chytrid Fungus.

Chytridiomycosis is the disease that occurs when an amphibian is infected with large amounts of the chytrid fungus "Bd". There are numerous varieties of chytrid fungus but the "Bd" fungus is the most problematic as evidence suggests that it is capable of infecting the majority of the world's 6000 amphibian species. The fungus causes the skin to become thicker and tougher. This is a huge issue for amphibians as rather than drinking water and gaining vital nutrients through their mouth, they absorb it all through their skin.

Global cases of Bd in 2009. (from Fisher, et al., 2009)

The fungus is highly infectious and spreads through habitats largely via water and moist or wet materials, being able to persist in the moist environments that amphibians favour for several months. The fungus was spread to Dominica and Montserrat in 2002 and quickly made its way around the islands infecting the Mountain Chicken population. 

Chytridiomycosis has quickly become the worst disease and one of the biggest threats to amphibians that the world has ever known. Steps being taken to combat it include the reduction in shipping of amphibians around the world and much stricter screening and quarantine measures. Fortunatly, scientists are on the case, and last year saw the first ever successful elimination of chytrid fungus in a wild amphibian population. This study is a significant step forward in potentially halting the damage of this disease but there is still a lot more research ongoing and lots left to do.

The paper can be found in Biology Letters here.

For more information on Mountain Chicken conservation you can visit: http://www.mountainchicken.org

https://www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/americas/mountain-chicken-frog-conservation

World Wetlands Day: All About Wetlands

Wetlands are an extremely important environmental asset, having huge biodiversity compared to other areas of the world. Throughout history they have been integral to human survival and development. They exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics.

Swamps: An important wetland habitat.

Wetlands are dynamic and variable. They can be freshwater, brackish or saline, seasonal or permanent, inland, coastal, natural or man-made.

Up to 42 types different of wetlands have been formally identified, some of these include:

• Lakes 
• Rivers
• Mangroves
• Swamps and marshes 
• Floodplains
• Bogs and fens
• Coral reefs

Wetlands are vulnerable to over-exploitation due to their abundance of water and natural resources such as fish. They are often targeted for drainage and conversion due to development pressures. The rate of loss and deterioration of wetlands is accelerating in all regions of the world. It is expected that the pressure on wetlands will intensify in the coming years due to increasing demand for land and water.

The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971 and is the international treaty dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It recognises the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their scientific, economic and recreational values.

 

 
Ecosystem Services: The Value of Wetlands to People

Wetlands are highly efficient at absorbing chemicals, filtering pollutants and sediments, breaking down suspended solids and neutralising harmful bacteria. As well as being the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, they provide valuable ecosystem services to people throughout the world.

The most significant social and economic benefit that wetlands provide is flood control. Peatlands and wet grasslands can act like sponges, absorbing rainfall and controlling the flow into rivers and streams.

Coastal wetlands such as reefs, saltmarshes and mangroves act as frontline defences against natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis. The roots of wetland plants bind the shoreline together, providing a strong barrier that slows down storm surges and tidal waves, thereby reducing their height and destructive power.

Wetlands are natural filtering systems, removing nutrients through effective wetland plants. They remove pollutants such as phosphorous, heavy metals and toxins which get trapped in the sediments. One of their key roles involves filtering Nitrogen in water and transforming it into harmless nitrogen gas. 

Image displaying wetland nitrogren removal.

Wetlands are often viewed as wasteland, and more than 64% of wetlands worldwide have disappeared since 1900. They are extremely important for the benefits and ecosystem services they provide. Wetlands are also valuable habitats for numerous species such as migratory birds, and are key in the conservation of these animals.

Tomorrow is World Wetlands Day, a great opportunity to share information and spread awareness about the importance of wetlands. This is especially important as few people realise just how vital they are in our every day life and how much we depend on their functions.

Wetlands International   -    RAMSAR   -   World Wetlands Day 

Polecats: A British Conservation Success Story.

When discussing species and conservation efforts to protect them, it is not always good news. Rarely do you see such impressive recoveries like the UK polecat population is currently undergoing.

European polecats (Mustela putorius) are part of the mustelid family and are related to weasels and stoats. They are native to the UK but were almost made extinct here due to persecution.  Polecats can be identified by the mask-like pattern of dark and light fur on their face.  They are elusive animals that can be found in a wide range of habitats and can sometimes be spotted crossing roads, particularly at night. 

Polecat - Photo by Lily Mendes

The UK population of polecats was historically decimated in order to protect poultry and game birds such as pheasants. As a result of this, in the early 20^th Century, polecats could almost only be found in mid-Wales. Due to a decline in the numbers of gamekeepers and also through legal protection, the persecution of polecats has gradually diminished, allowing the population to recover. 

A recent survey shows that polecats are re-colonising and are turning up in areas where they haven't been seen for over 100 years. They have moved east into Norfolk and Suffolk, and also into South Yorkshire. A population that was introduced into Cumbria in the 1980s is continuing to thrive.

The results of the survey show a dramatic increase in polecat distribution.

This is especially good news as elsewhere in Europe there has been an unexplained decline in the population of polecats, whereas they previously did very well on the continent.

Although the polecat is recovering, it is still rare or absent in many parts of the UK.  They are capable of travelling long distances and current research is lacking so it is unknown as to whether roads hinder their progress.  Many are hit by cars in collisions and the increasing use of concrete central reservations in large roads can be a major physical barrier that is thought to make it difficult for them to cross. 

Another issue faced is the hybridisation of polecats with feral ferrets that may be affecting the true polecat population in some areas.  The hybrids usually have pale fur on their paws, white chest patches and more substantial pale face markings. 

However conservationists are optimistic, and it is expected from the current trend that over the next 25 years their numbers will continue to increase and they will re-colonise the areas they were once native to.

More information can be found at The Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Poaching for African Ivory: Perceptions and Problems.

Poaching for ivory, particularly in Africa, has been a huge topic in the international community for a while now and many people are outraged at the large numbers of animals being illegally killed for this black market trade. 

Poachers often come from local villages. It is the intermediate trade and export that is run by organised crime. In countries with poor government administration, the military and police may also poach regularly. 

Very recently an article was circulating about a poacher who was killed in a shootout by police in Zimbabwe. Currently it is unclear as to whether the man was a front line poacher who hunted the elephants, or an organised crime gang member who buys or collects the ivory to sell on to international buyers for export.

Either way, this subject provoked a lot of emotion from readers and this got me thinking about public perceptions of poachers and the anger and hatred people feel towards them. Below are some example screenshots I took of a few responses tweeted in reply to the article.

As a conservationist, I am strongly opposed to poaching and would seek to find solutions to solve the problem in order to protect endangered wildlife. However, I disagree with comments like these and actually found them to be a tad unsettling.

This is because, areas that are most rife with poaching generally suffer with widespread poverty, unemployment and bad governance. Many of these poachers are desperate, with most trying to support their family in any way possible, they know the risks, they know the danger. But a shootout with police is a risk they will take in order to survive. 

"Interview with an elephant poacher."

An interesting case study can be seen through the interview conducted with a man named John Kaimoi, a 33-year-old Kenyan who was caught poaching and completed a two-year prison sentence for this crime. In the interview he discussed how famine and drought drove him into poaching for ivory. Some extracts from the interview conducted by Stephen Messenger of "The Dodo" are below.

John Kaimoi

 "I would plant maize and millet with my family; they would assist me. We could plant. We could till a small piece of land. We would just survive from that. That's how I [could] earn my living. So when problems arose, what I could I do?" 

".. because of the kind of life I was living by then, I had to risk it. I had to risk it. That's the time when I lived like that until I was arrested."

".. I had young kids, I could divide this money to meet the needs of my family -- to buy food and pay for my child to go to boarding school. This amount could change things."

".. If given an opportunity, I would work. Because what concerns me is the issue of my family, my young children who are still in primary school. So I don’t have another way. If given even something, anything."

The full interview can be found here. 
 

An African Elephant I was fortunate to see in the wild on a visit to South Africa.

The overall poaching problem is only going to be solved by addressing the demand for ivory, but lasting solutions are going to have to involve simultaneous action on the side of supply as well as the side of demand.

On the national level, appropriate legislation and effective law enforcement will be essential, as well as properly functioning authorities that are at less risk of corruption. Effective international cooperation will also be vital in combating the illegal trade on a global level. 

It is not guaranteed that increasing wealth of locals will reduce poaching incidents but currently the levels of poverty are a huge factor in driving people to poach. Bad governance in nearly all locations is also a decisive factor.

It is because of this that many protected and conservation areas have to gain funding from outside and external sources and prevent poaching with limited money and resources. They often use patrols and armed rangers that aim to stop poachers before they kill an animal, but this is a very short term solution and is not always successful in stopping deaths. 

Regulations and tighter rules and punishments for these crimes are clearly not working so this is likely to come down to national and international politics. Many charities run behavioural change communication campaigns in key consumer countries as well as public outreach initiatives, but in the end change is likely to only be achieved dependent on the political will of these countries to implement proper strategies and legislation and put a stop to the trade in ivory.

I don't think that arresting, punishing or even killing poachers is ever going to be sustainable or work as a solution to poaching as these are largely poverty stricken people who are in need of help and support in order to survive. I'm sure most would much rather work safely and legally if it was possible, rather than risking everything, including their lives, out in the wild.

"Penguin Awareness Day" - 10 Interesting Facts.

Today is "Penguin Awareness Day" so I thought i'd share some interesting facts on everyones favourite flightless aquatic birds.

1. There is debate as to whether there are 18 or 20 different species of penguin. The uncertainty comes from the White-flippered Penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata) which is considered by many taxonomists to be a colour morph or subspecies of the Little Penguin., with others believing it to be a seperate Eudyptula species. The other debated species is the Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) due to the controversy as to whether it truly is a seperate species or just a colour morph of the Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus).

Macaroni Penguin (left) and Royal Penguin (right).

Galapagos Penguin

2. All the species of penguin are found in the Southern Hemisphere,
but they are not exclusive to Antarctica or cold climates.

3. The Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is found close to the equator. It is endemic to the Galapagos islands and is the most northerly breeding penguin species. There are estimated to be less than 1200 mature individuals of this small endangered bird.

 4. The tallest penguin is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) reaching up to 48 inches in height. In comparison the smallest is the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) which grows to an average height of 13 inches.

Approximate height difference between an adult Emperor and Little Penguin.

5. The tuxedo-like colouring the penguins have is called counter-shading and is a form of camouflage that is used to protect them whilst they are swimming.

6. Most penguins return to the same nesting site each season and in many cases, the exact place they themselves were born. 

7. They are colonial and mostly breed in large colonies which can consist of tens of thousands depending on the species. The numbers vary greatly, however, for example Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colonies tend to be around 100 pairs whereas King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) colonies can reach into the several hundred thousands. 

Huge King penguin colony.

8. The majority of penguin species are monogamous, often returning to the same partner for many years in a row. In 2012, researchers in Argentina found a pair of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) had remained faithful to one another for sixteen years.

9. It is believed the earliest penguin relative lived over 60 million years ago. This means an early relative of the penguin survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event which wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. This is probably because..

10. Penguins used to be able to fly! Penguins used to fly but changed and evolved to be swimmers. A theory as to why this is suggests that their once flight-adapted wings simply became more efficient for swimming and so they eventually lost their ability to fly off the ground. Others suggest that it was because flying takes a lot more energy than swimming, so as their bodies adapted more suitably to the water, they began to hunt in the seas rather than the skies.

  Happy Penguin Awareness Day! :)