UK Conservation Perspectives

There has been a remarkable comeback of many of the UK’s carnivore species, with new research showing that their population numbers have improved since the 1960s as they recover from harmful human activities that have now stopped.

A report launched by The Mammal Society and Natural England is the first comprehensive review of British mammals for 20 years. It found almost one in five species face a high risk of extinction.

The only way to ensure the survival of the dormouse, according to The Woodland Trust, is to create stronger, more resilient landscapes by planting more native trees and diverse woods, better management of these woods and by bringing back hedgerows to create wildlife corridors that connect the woods and prevents further isolation of dormice populations.

Barn owls are adversely affected by large amounts of rainfall. They hunt in daylight, detecting prey primarily by sound, therefore relying on dry leaf litter to find voles and mice.

Small populations survived in Wales and areas of northern England at very low densities, but the only viable populations left could be found in the North West Highlands of Scotland where persecution pressures were less.

Last year was the UK’s second wettest year on record and although the high rainfall has benefited some species, 2012 was the worst year for butterflies since scientific monitoring began in 1976.

The EEA reported that invasive species are “a growing pressure on the natural world which are extremely difficult to reverse.” Especially since ecosystems are already weakened by other man-made threats, such as pollution and climate change.

It is thought that they were accidentally introduced to Europe and North America in the sediment found on the bottom of ships ballast tanks.

R. ponticum poses a major problem for conservationists by creating dense thickets and out competing our native shrub and tree species by smothering the understory of our woodlands. It is not a new problem but one we are still persistently trying to deal with.