Category Archives: Ecology
Government’s White Paper commitment reiterated
A written parliamentary question tabled by Bob Russell MP to DCLG today received an answer from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Fisheries in DEFRA, Richard Benyon MP. Question: “To ask the Secretary of State for … Continue reading
Evolution to join the National Curriculum
The Government has announced that the teaching of evolution will be a legal requirement in science teaching at primary schools from September 2011, although it will be left to schools to decide how it is done. The new curriculum is … Continue reading
Professor Sir John Lawton to Chair Review of England’s Protected Areas
Speaking at the tenth annual Darwin Initiative lecture last night (see post below for further details), Hilary Benn announced that Professor Sir John Lawton, ex-President of the BES, has been appointed to chair the review of England’s wildlife network. The … Continue reading
For Turtles, The Suburbs May Be Better Than Nature Reserves
Scientists at the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra, Australia, have found a turtle that does better in a suburban habitat than it does in nature reserves. Eastern long-necked turtles (Chelodina longicollis) living in the suburbs of … Continue reading
Noise Pollution Not an Insignificant Concern
A review of recent studies into noise pollution and biodiversity has concluded that noise is becoming a major threat, interfering with the way species communicate, mate and hunt. The authors found that man-made noise is already creating a host of … Continue reading
Developing the UK National Ecosystem Assessment
Last week the BES hosted a fascinating workshop on the development of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA), in conjunction with the UK Biodiversity Reseach Advisory Group (UK-BRAG). A morning of presentations and discussion were followed with lunch and an … Continue reading
Food for Thought at the BES Annual Meeting
The delegates have gathered, the vast array of speakers arrived, the sun is shining- the BES Annual Meeting 2009 has begun! One of the highlights of our year, the Annual Meeting is taking place at the University of Hertfordshire in … Continue reading
Red Leaves or Yellow Leaves in Autumn?
The BBC today highlights an interesting new theory to explain why trees in Europe tend to produce yellow leaves in autumn, whilst those in America and eastern Asia produce red leaves. Various theories for why leaves change colour have been … Continue reading
New Indicator of Climate Change’s Impact on Bird Populations
To date, few indicators have been developed that summarise the impacts of climate change on multiple species over large areas of land. Such an indicator is much desired by policy-makers, who want to be able to see the potential impacts … Continue reading
Climate Change killing Mediterranean Sea Life
Today is the inaugural UN-designated ‘World Oceans Day’, intended to highlight the value of our oceans and the parlous state many of them have fallen into. The theme this year is ‘One Ocean, One Climate, One Future’, and we therefore … Continue reading