Public perceptions of a white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla L.) restoration program

The historic persecution and decline of European raptor populations precipitated the use of reintroduction as a species restoration tool in the late twentieth century. One of the key requirements of the World Conservation Union reintroduction guidelines concerns the need for social feasibility studies to explore the attitudes of local human populations toward restoration and reintroduction proposals. Ahead of any formal proposals to reintroduce white-tailed sea eagles to Cumbria, United Kingdom, we conducted a baseline public attitudinal survey (n = 300). We identified broad public support for this reintroduction, which transcended differences in the demographic, geographic, and employment profiles of the study cohort. There was public recognition that white-tailed sea eagles could deliver a broad range of socioeconomic and environmental benefits with few detrimental impacts. Although the value of attitudinal surveys of this nature has been questioned, we would argue that they provide a useful baseline “snapshot” ahead of a more structured and focused reintroduction consultation. These results reinforce the emergence of public interest in the restoration of European raptors in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century

The effects of forestry on hen harriers Circus cyaneus

Changes in the Scottish hen harrier population over the past 50 years appear to be associated with the development of coniferous afforestation. Increases or range extensions have occurred in some areas with recently established first rotation forests, where harriers are believed to have benefited from the increased cover and prey resources that result from fencing. Conversely, population declines have been reported in areas where maturing trees have reduced the availability of open and semi-open ground for nesting and hunting. Clear-felled plantations restocked with trees could potentially provide suitable habitat for a further period, although current evidence suggests that harriers make only sporadic use of second rotation forests for nesting. The extent to which harriers utilise first and second rotation forests for hunting has not previously been quantified, yet this knowledge is vital if we are to manage harrier populations effectively. This study examines time budget information from watches of breeding harriers which had access to various types of forest and moorland habitat. The relative use made of each habitat was determined, and preferences related to measures of vegetation cover and structure and estimates of prey abundance. Site occupancy and breeding success were related to the availability of the habitats studied. The study was undertaken in Argyll, west Scotland. Habitat selection by foraging harriers was investigated at 2 scales, the first reflecting the process by which a harrier came to be in a particular habitat, the second identifying specific components within habitats that were selected. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

A systematic review of group work interventions in UK high secure hospitals

Background: Rehabilitating high secure hospital patients poses significant challenges. Group work is thought to play a key role in patient recovery; however, there have been no reviews conducted specifically assessing group work interventions for high secure hospital patients. Objectives: To review the focus of group work interventions that are being implemented and evaluated with high secure hospital patients in the UK, and to examine the effectiveness of these interventions and the methods used to assess intervention effectiveness. Method: A systematic literature search combined with reference screening was conducted examining group work interventions with high secure hospital patients in the UK. Results: In total, 28 manuscripts (outlining 29 group work intervention evaluations) were identified for review inclusion. Across these, ten focuses of group work intervention emerged: anger/aggression, offence-specific, enhancing insight and understanding of mental illness, thinking skills/problem solving, substance misuse, self-harm, relationships, self-esteem and well-being, relapse prevention, and moving on. Positive outcomes were generally reported across all ten areas. Conclusions: Studies assessing the impact of group work interventions could be improved by increasing sample sizes, reducing sole reliance on self-report measures, employing clear statistical and clinical significance testing, and increasing the use of follow-up assessments and control groups

Diet specialisation and foraging efficiency under fluctuating vole abundance: a comparison between generalist and specialist avian predators

Specialist species, using a narrow range of resources, are predicted to be more efficient when foraging on their preferred food than generalist species consuming a wider range of foods. We tested whether the foraging efficiency of the pallid harrier Circus macrourus, a vole specialist, and of sympatric Montagu's harriers C. pygargus, a closely related generalist, differed in relation to inter-annual variations in vole abundance over five years (including two peak- one intermediate and two low vole abundance years). We show that the hunting parameters of pallid harriers strongly varied with vole abundance (higher encounter rates, capture rates and proportion of successful strikes in high than intermediate and low vole abundance years, respectively), whereas Montagu's harriers showed stable capture rates and hunting success (proportion of strikes that were successful), irrespective of vole abundance. Encounter rates and capture rates were higher for pallid than for Montagu's harriers when voles were abundant, but lower when voles were scarce. The hunting success of pallid harriers was also lower than that of Montagu's harriers when voles were scarce, and when they had to target alternative preys, in particular birds. Overall, estimated biomass intake rate was 40% higher for pallid harriers than for Montagu's harriers when voles were abundant, but 50% lower when voles were scarce. Our results indicate that specialists predators, like pallid harriers, which evolve specific adaptations or breeding strategies, do better when their preferred prey is abundant, but may face a cost of specialisation, being not efficient enough when their preferred prey is scarce. These results have broader implications for understanding why specialist predators are, in general, more vulnerable than generalists, and for predicting how specialists can cope with rapid environmental changes affecting the abundance or predictability of their preferred resources.This paper also contributes to the project Ecocycles (EUI2008-03641, BIODIVERSA. ERA-net project, European Union's 6th Framework Programme for Research).Peer Reviewe