Identifying pathways of exposure to highway pollutants in great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) road mitigation tunnels: Exposure pathways of highway pollutants to Triturus cristatus

Road mitigation tunnels are increasingly deployed for amphibians but very little is known about chemical pollution in such schemes. We assessed pollution pressures associated with road runoff at a major great crested newt mitigation scheme in England. Sediments and waters in the mitigation system were analysed for major physico-chemical parameters, trace metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons and compared to a nearby reference site. Seven out of eight tested metals including copper, zinc, lead and iron were in significantly greater concentrations in the tunnels than at a reference site and at environmentally significant concentrations. Water samples also exhibited elevated concentrations of aluminium and chromium and occasionally extreme alkaline pH associated with leaching of portlandite in tunnel cements. High conductivity values in waters and sediments corresponding with seasonal de-icing salt application were also apparent. The study highlights the potential pollutant pressures for amphibians associated with large-scale urban development and road mitigation schemes

Citizen science and wildlife disease surveillance

Achieving effective wildlife disease surveillance is challenging. The incorporation of citizen science (CS) in wildlife health surveillance can be beneficial, particularly where resources are limited and cost-effectiveness is paramount. Reports of wildlife morbidity and mortality from the public facilitate large-scale surveillance, both in time and space, which would otherwise be financially infeasible, and raise awareness of incidents occurring on privately-owned land. CS wildlife disease surveillance schemes benefit scientists, the participating public and wildlife alike. CS has been employed for targeted, scanning and syndromic surveillance of wildlife disease. Whilst opportunistic surveillance is most common, systematic observations enable the standardization of observer effort and, combined with wildlife population monitoring schemes, can allow evaluation of disease impacts at the population level. Near-universal access to digital media has revolutionized reporting modalities and facilitated rapid and economical means of sharing feedback with participants. Here we review CS schemes for wildlife disease surveillance and highlight their scope, benefits, logistical considerations, financial implications and potential limitations. The need to adopt a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to wildlife health surveillance is increasingly recognized and the general public can make a significant contribution through CS

The landscape ecology of brown hares and European rabbits in pastures in the north east of England

The declines of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus), a priority species for conservation in the UK, may have been caused by changes in agricultural management. This study aims to identify hare distribution, density, habitat selection and demography in grasslands in order to benefit their future conservation. In addition, this study aims to investigate the impact of current agricultural management on the populations of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major agricultural pest and potential competitor for hares. Hare and rabbit populations were surveyed in several large, pasture-dominated, sites in north–east England between 2007 and 2009. Estimated density of brown hares in the studied region was far higher than the published national average density for this species in pastures but with very large variation between superficially similar sites. We explored a new method to survey hares using night-time line transect distance sampling and compared this method with day time surveys. Night-time distance sampling produced improved precision estimates of hares with considerably less survey effort by maximising detectability during surveys. Hares and rabbits had different habitat requirements in grassland areas and areas dominated by intensive sheep grazing produced the lowest hare densities and in most cases were associated with high rabbit densities. Field size was an important determinant of the distribution of both hares and rabbits but with contrasting effects for the two species. Predator control appeared more important in increasing rabbit numbers than hares in the studied region. Our results indicate that recent changes in pasture management in the UK might favour high rabbit densities with potentially significant economic impacts for the agricultural sector. Hare productivity was high but female fertility and survival, in particular juvenile survival, were relatively low. Hares in the studied region were generally in good condition and reached sizes comparable with hares from arable areas. Population modelling suggested the hare population in the area was slowly increasing but was susceptible to decline even at relatively moderate levels of hunting. Radio-tracking indicated that habitat heterogeneity was important for hares at both between and within field levels. Hares preferentially used field margins during both active and inactive periods and selected woodland edges and unimproved grassland during diurnal periods, suggesting that they might benefit from measures designed to increase heterogeneity and re-establishment of non-farmed habitat features, particularly field margins. Equally, hares avoided sheep grazed fields with short swards for both foraging and resting indicating that reducing grazing intensity in pastural areas would also be beneficial for hare conservation. We suggest that grassland management could be adapted in order to minimize damage by high numbers of rabbits and increase the presence and abundance of the brown hare, a species of conservation concern in Europe and the UK

The landscape ecology of brown hares and European rabbits in pastures in the north east of England

The declines of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus), a priority species for conservation in the UK, may have been caused by changes in agricultural management. This study aims to identify hare distribution, density, habitat selection and demography in grasslands in order to benefit their future conservation. In addition, this study aims to investigate the impact of current agricultural management on the populations of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major agricultural pest and potential competitor for hares. Hare and rabbit populations were surveyed in several large, pasture-dominated, sites in north–east England between 2007 and 2009. Estimated density of brown hares in the studied region was far higher than the published national average density for this species in pastures but with very large variation between superficially similar sites. We explored a new method to survey hares using night-time line transect distance sampling and compared this method with day time surveys. Night-time distance sampling produced improved precision estimates of hares with considerably less survey effort by maximising detectability during surveys. Hares and rabbits had different habitat requirements in grassland areas and areas dominated by intensive sheep grazing produced the lowest hare densities and in most cases were associated with high rabbit densities. Field size was an important determinant of the distribution of both hares and rabbits but with contrasting effects for the two species. Predator control appeared more important in increasing rabbit numbers than hares in the studied region. Our results indicate that recent changes in pasture management in the UK might favour high rabbit densities with potentially significant economic impacts for the agricultural sector. Hare productivity was high but female fertility and survival, in particular juvenile survival, were relatively low. Hares in the studied region were generally in good condition and reached sizes comparable with hares from arable areas. Population modelling suggested the hare population in the area was slowly increasing but was susceptible to decline even at relatively moderate levels of hunting. Radio-tracking indicated that habitat heterogeneity was important for hares at both between and within field levels. Hares preferentially used field margins during both active and inactive periods and selected woodland edges and unimproved grassland during diurnal periods, suggesting that they might benefit from measures designed to increase heterogeneity and re-establishment of non-farmed habitat features, particularly field margins. Equally, hares avoided sheep grazed fields with short swards for both foraging and resting indicating that reducing grazing intensity in pastural areas would also be beneficial for hare conservation. We suggest that grassland management could be adapted in order to minimize damage by high numbers of rabbits and increase the presence and abundance of the brown hare, a species of conservation concern in Europe and the UK

Road mitigation using tunnels and fences promotes site connectivity and population expansion for a protected amphibian

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanisation and road developments have substantial impacts on amphibian populations and road mitigation measures are increasingly used in order to reduce such risks. However, numerous important questions remain unanswered on the actual effectiveness of such ecological road mitigation projects. We used specially adapted time-lapse recording cameras and a custom image analysis script to monitor the amphibian usage and effectiveness of a multi-tunnel mitigation site in northern England over 4 years and used before-and-after pond survey data to evaluate the mitigation results from a population trend perspective. We monitored four amphibian species, including the European protected great crested newt (Triturus cristatus), the main target of amphibian road mitigation in the UK. Despite substantial evidence of mitigation rejection and U-turn movements inside the tunnels, overall, most amphibians entering tunnels successfully used them to move between the different parts of the site separated by the road. Road fences appeared effective for preventing amphibian road mortality and site connectivity was re-established via the wildlife passage system, with multiple new ponds across the road colonised by amphibians. Unlike frogs and toads, tunnel usage by newts was strongly autumn based, indicating that such systems are mainly suitable for supporting newt dispersal movements between breeding areas. The great crested newt population increased rapidly over the course of the monitoring period, suggesting that, together with habitat replacements and improvements, the road mitigation measures were effective at maintaining site connectivity and as a population conservation measure

Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects at retrofitted roads in Sweden.

Schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, yet, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here, we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. In mitigated road sections, the estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 85-100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25-340%. Data, however, suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasize the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings before and after amphibian passages are constructed

LES of the turbulent compressible flow spatially developing in a plane channel

Large eddy simulation of the turbulent flow which spatially develops in a plane channel with a length of 88h will be presented for Re=4880 and M=0.7. The effect of realistic inflow conditions and low reflective outflow conditions will be analysed and discussed. Supersonic channel flow case and distorsion of the flow by mean of adverse pressure gradient will be further considered

Synthetic Biology Policy Recommendations

This submission of evidence aims to address some aspects of the following questions: - What are the key biological security opportunities, challenges, threats and vulnerabilities facing the UK (now and in 5 years)? - How should the government prioritise its efforts to identify and respond to these

Detectability counts when assessing populations for biodiversity targets.

Efficient, practical and accurate estimates of population parameters are a necessary basis for effective conservation action to meet biodiversity targets. The brown hare is representative of many European farmland species: historically widespread and abundant but having undergone rapid declines as a result of agricultural intensification. As a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, it has national targets for population increase that are part of wider national environmental indicators. Previous research has indicated that brown hare declines have been greatest in pastural landscapes and that gains might be made by focussing conservation effort there. We therefore used hares in pastural landscapes to examine how basic changes in survey methodology can affect the precision of population density estimates and related these to national targets for biodiversity conservation in the UK. Line transects for hares carried out at night resulted in higher numbers of detections, had better-fitting detection functions and provided more robust density estimates with lower effort than those during the day, due primarily to the increased probability of detection of hares at night and the nature of hare responses to the observer. Hare spring densities varied widely within a single region, with a pooled mean of 20.6 hares km(-2), significantly higher than the reported national average of hares in pastures of 3.3 hares km(-2). The high number of encounters allowed us to resolve hare densities at site, season and year scales. We demonstrate how survey conduct can impact on data quantity and quality with implications for setting and monitoring biodiversity targets. Our case study of the brown hare provides evidence that for wildlife species with low detectability, large scale volunteer-based monitoring programmes, either species specific or generalist, might be more successfully and efficiently carried out by a small number of trained personnel able to employ methods that maximise detectability

Short-term movements and behaviour govern the use of road mitigation measures by a protected amphibian

Road mitigation infrastructure for pond‐breeding amphibians aims to provide a safe and sustainable passage for individuals between critical habitat patches. However, relatively little is known about how amphibians interact with mitigation systems because of the challenges of documenting movements at sufficiently large sample sizes. The effect of real or perceived barriers to short‐term movement could ultimately determine the success or failure of road mitigation schemes. We quantified behavioural responses of the protected great crested newt Triturus cristatus in a complex road mitigation system in the UK. We used fluorescent paint to mark individuals in order to measure distance travelled and trajectory orientation over two seasons (spring when adults migrate to breeding ponds and autumn when newts disperse) and in three components of the mitigation system (fences, tunnel entrances and inside the tunnels). A total of 250 juveniles and 137 adult great crested newts were marked and tracked during 38 survey nights. Adults were individually identified using belly‐pattern recognition. There was substantially greater activity along the fences during autumn (82% of newt captures) compared to spring. Triturus cristatus typically moved short distances each night (3.21 m per night in spring and 6.72 m per night in autumn), with a maximum of 25.6 m travelled inside a tunnel. Adult recapture rates were low (9.7%) and only 3% of the newts found along the fences reached the tunnel entrances. Movements were straighter in spring and inside the tunnels and newts had higher crossing rates in autumn compared to spring. Overall, behaviour and seasonal movement patterns significantly influenced the use of the mitigation system, in a way that could impact landscape connectivity for T. cristatus over the long‐term. Adequate incorporation of fine‐scale movement dynamics could help develop new behavioural models, inform our understanding of amphibian ecology and substantially improve future road mitigation projects