Nest trampling and ground nesting birds: quantifying temporal and spatial overlap between cattle activity and breeding redshank

Conservation grazing for breeding birds needs to balance the positive effects on vegetation structure and negative effects of nest trampling. In the UK, populations of Common redshank Tringa totanus breeding on saltmarshes declined by >50% between 1985 and 2011. These declines have been linked to changes in grazing management. The highest breeding densities of redshank on saltmarshes are found in lightly grazed areas. Conservation initiatives have encouraged low-intensity grazing at <1 cattle/ha, but even these levels of grazing can result in high levels of nest trampling. If livestock distribution is not spatially or temporally homogenous but concentrated where and when redshank breed, rates of nest trampling may be much higher than expected based on livestock density alone. By GPS tracking cattle on saltmarshes and monitoring trampling of dummy nests, this study quantified (i) the spatial and temporal distribution of cattle in relation to the distribution of redshank nesting habitats and (ii) trampling rates of dummy nests. The distribution of livestock was highly variable depending on both time in the season and the saltmarsh under study, with cattle using between 3% and 42% of the saltmarsh extent and spending most their time on higher elevation habitat within 500 m of the sea wall, but moving further onto the saltmarsh as the season progressed. Breeding redshank also nest on these higher elevation zones, and this breeding coincides with the early period of grazing. Probability of nest trampling was correlated to livestock density and was up to six times higher in the areas where redshank breed. This overlap in both space and time of the habitat use of cattle and redshank means that the trampling probability of a nest can be much higher than would be expected based on standard measures of cattle density. Synthesis and applications: Because saltmarsh grazing is required to maintain a favorable vegetation structure for redshank breeding, grazing management should aim to keep livestock away from redshank nesting habitat between mid-April and mid-July when nests are active, through delaying the onset of grazing or introducing a rotational grazing system

Potential vectors of equine arboviruses in the UK

There is growing concern about the increasing risk of disease outbreaks caused by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in both humans and animals. There are several mosquito-borne viral diseases that cause varying levels of morbidity and mortality in horses and that can have substantial welfare and economic ramifications. While none has been recorded in the UK, vector species for some of these viruses are present, suggesting that UK equines may be at risk. We undertook, therefore, the first study of mosquito species on equine premises in the UK. Mosquito Magnet traps and red-box traps were used to sample adults, and larvae were collected from water sources such as tyres, buckets, ditches and pools. Several species which are known to be capable of transmitting important equine infectious arboviruses were trapped. The most abundant, with a maximum catch of 173 in 72 hours was Ochlerotatus detritus, a competent vector of some flaviviruses; the highest densities were found near saltmarsh habitats. The most widespread species, recorded at >75% of sites, was Culiseta annulata. This study demonstrates that potential mosquito vectors of arboviruses, including those known to be capable of infecting horses, are present and may be abundant on equine premises in the UK

Are agri‐environment schemes successful in delivering conservation grazing management on saltmarsh?

1.Grasslands occur around the globe and, in temperate regions, their natural management by fire, drought and wild herbivores has largely been replaced by grazing with domestic livestock. Successful management for agriculture is not always suitable for conservation and can have a detrimental effect on biodiversity. Conservation grazing of saltmarshes, delivered through agri‐environment schemes, may provide a solution to counteract biodiversity loss by providing farmers with financial incentives to graze these internationally important coastal wetlands more sensitively. 2.To assess whether conservation grazing is being achieved, and whether agri‐environment schemes are effective in delivering this management, we conducted a national survey on English saltmarshes, scoring the management on each site as optimal, suboptimal or detrimental in terms of suitability for achieving conservation aims for five aspects of grazing: presence, stock type, intensity, timing and habitat impact. 3.Although most saltmarshes suitable for grazing in England were grazed, conservation grazing was not being achieved. Sites under agri‐environment management for longer did score higher and approached optimal levels in terms of grazing intensity in one region, but sites with agri‐environment agreements were no more likely to be grazed at optimal conservation levels than sites without them overall, indicating that agri‐environment schemes, in their current form, are an ineffective delivery mechanism for conservation grazing on saltmarsh. 4.The low specificity of agri‐environment prescription wording may contribute to this failure, with prescriptions either being vague or specifying suboptimal or detrimental management objectives, particularly for grazing intensity, timing and stock type. These objectives are often set too high or too low, during unsuitable periods, or using stock types inappropriate for achieving conservation aims. 5.Synthesis and applications. Our national survey indicates that agri‐environment schemes are not currently delivering conservation grazing on English saltmarshes. Agri‐environment schemes are the only mechanism through which such grazing can be implemented on a national scale, so improving their effectiveness is a priority. Policymakers, researchers and managers need to work together to ensure better translation of conservation guidelines into schemes, increasing the specificity of management prescriptions and improving understanding of the need for management measures. A more detailed and reliable system of auditing to ensure that management activities are taking place would be beneficial, or alternatively moving to a results‐based scheme where payments are made on desirable outcomes rather than on evidence of management

Chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer: four systematic meta-analyses of individual patient data from 37 randomized trials. Advanced Ovarian Cancer Trialists' Group.

The purpose of this systematic study was to provide an up to date and reliable quantitative summary of the relative benefits of various types of chemotherapy (non-platinum vs platinum, single-agent vs combination and carboplatin vs cisplatin) in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Also, to investigate whether well-defined patient subgroups benefit more or less from cisplatin- or carboplatin-based therapy. Meta-analyses were based on updated individual patient data from all available randomized controlled trials (published and unpublished), including 37 trials, 5667 patients and 4664 deaths. The results suggest that platinum-based chemotherapy is better than non-platinum therapy, show a trend in favour of platinum combinations over single-agent platinum, and suggest that cisplatin and carboplatin are equally effective. There is no good evidence that cisplatin is more or less effective than carboplatin in any particular subgroup of patients

Evaluation of salt marsh restoration by means of self-regulating tidal gate – Avon estuary, South Devon, UK

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Evaluation of salt marsh restoration by means of self-regulating tidal gate – Avon estuary, South Devon, UK journaltitle: Ecological Engineering articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.05.038 content_type: article copyright: Crown Copyright © 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

BACTON SANDSCAPING - BUILDING WITH NATURE TO SAFEGUARD THE UK'S GAS SUPPLY AND HELP COMMUNITIES ADAPT TO COASTAL CHANGE

The Bacton Sandscaping scheme is a large-scale beach nourishment, designed to protect the Bacton Gas Terminal from cliff and beach erosion while also reducing flood and erosion risk to the communities of Bacton and Walcott, buying the time they need for adaptation to coastal change. The scheme was inspired by the even larger Dutch Zandmotor project, translating the concept to the different geography and governance setting of the UK - it can be seen as the Zandmotor's 'little nephew'. The term 'Sandscaping' was introduced to illustrate the large-scale and ambitious nature of the concept: work at a large scale, designing to work with natural processes and to achieve multiple objectives.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/FA3DjdCgKrk</jats:p

Hypoglycemic Action of Monoamineoxidase Inhibitors (MAOI'S)

Insulin tolerance tests were carried out in six depressed patients before and after administration of mebanazine and in six before and after administration of phenelzine. There was no change in fasting blood glucose with treatment, but glucose levels after insulin were significantly lower during treatment with both these hydrazine MAOI's. There was no effect on the changes in pulse, blood pressure and sweating in response to hypoglycemia. The hypoglycemic action of mebanazine was further investigated in five patients from a diabetic clinic who were poorly controlled on sulfonylurea treatment and who were not depressives. Glucose tolerance was improved in all cases five weeks after addition of mebanazine, 20 mg. daily to the regime, and there was a significant (p = 0.031) reduction in blood glucose at all times of the glucose tolerance test. The mean glucose tolerance of four patients showed deterioration after discontinuation of mebanazine. Glucose tolerance did not improve in five patients treated with placebo. Insulin sensitivity of depressed patients was increased during administration of hydrazine MAOI's and a hypoglycemic action in diabetes was demonstrable in the absence of a depressive illness.</jats:p