Darwin’s Earthworms: A Groundbreaking Piece of Soil Ecology

Charles Darwin might be best known for his work on evolution and his time on the Voyage of the Beagle, but he is also recognised as the father of earthworm science. After 44 years of studying earthworms, he published a best-selling book dedicated to the group, which is still one of the go-to resources for researchers today. Join us on Darwin Day to look back at the history of earthworm science and research and learn about some of the experiments Darwin did with earthworms.

Kerry Calloway is an earthworm recorder, course tutor and secretary for the Earthworm Society of Britain. She is very passionate about all aspects of natural history but particularly engaging people in the world of the humble but super important earthworm.

Q&A with Kerry Calloway

  • How do earthworms drag the leaves into their burrows?
    Earthworms use their mouth. The mouth is covered by a fleshy lobe known as the prostomium, which is used to grab the leaves and move backwards to pull the leaf into the earthworm burrow.
  • Did Darwin investigate when and how earthworms evolved?
    I’ve not seen any reference from Darwin regarding earthworm evolution. He doesn’t talk about this in his earthworm book and I don’t recall them being mentioned (at least in any significant way) in On the Origin of Species. We now know that earthworm-like organisms (belonging to the class Clitellata) were around as early as the Upper Ordovician Period (around 450 million years ago). The oldest known evidence of an annelid is from the early Cambrian period (around 514 million years ago) and was a polychaete worm called Dannychaeta tucolus. Earthworms don’t fossilise well so they are not recorded in fossil records as readily as animals with exoskeletons or bones, with most fossil evidence coming from fossilised burrows and casts.
  • Does Darwin discuss species diversity mush in his earthworm book?
    No, Darwin doesn’t discuss earthworm species diversity in any detail in On The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms. We know from Darwin’s other research that he was interested in species diversity, so I personally find this really surprising. I think there were around 13 described species of earthworm in Britain around that time and Darwin was certainly aware of this, but he didn’t seem to collect and identify any earthworm specimens. Since Darwin’s work, other researchers have been to Down House where he conducted many of his experiments, and they have since found that the dominant species appears to be Aporcetodea longa (a large deep-burrowing species that casts on the surface).
  • Is it true that earthworms are not native to the USA?
    Not exactly. There are earthworms native to North America and these are found across much of the USA. This includes species that have since been introduced here, such as Bimastos eiseni, Bimastos rubidus, and Sparganophilus tamesis. However, there are parts of the USA (such as the Great Lakes area) that have not been naturally colonised by earthworms since the last ice age. European and Asian earthworms have been introduced by humans to these areas and are now causing issues as they change the ecosystem from the ground up. You can learn more about this in The Earthworm Invasion of North America blog by Professor Katalin Szlávecz.
  • Do earthworms die during floods?
    Different species have different tolerances to flooding. Earthworms actually require moisture to be able to breathe through their skin so being in water is not a problem for earthworms – and many species are actually wet soil specialists. However, if the water becomes stagnant and deoxygenated then the earthworms can die through suffocation. Earthworm populations are generally robust due to the cocoon stage of the life cycle, as these can survive more extreme environmental conditions. Even if the adults and juveniles are killed off by unsuitable environmental conditions, the next generation will wait out the unsuitable environmental conditions in the cocoon stage.
  • What is the impact of non-native invasive flatworms on our earthworm populations?
    We have a number of non-native invasive flatworms in the UK, none of which were ever mentioned by Darwin and we have no evidence to suggest that they were around in his day. There has been research into the impact of the New Zealand Flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus) and we know that this impacts the larger deep-burrowing species in particular. We know very little about the impact of the Australian Flatworm (Australoplana sanguinea), Obama Flatworm (Obama nungara) and other earthworm-eating non-native invasive flatworms. the Earthworm Society recommend that people record these flatworms when they see them by taking photos and submitting their records to iRecord so that we can build a picture about where they are and how they are spreading. Once a flatworm is established it is pretty much impossible to get rid of, but understanding how they spread may help us fend off future threats such as the New Guinea Flatworm (Platydemus manokwari), which is impacting earthworm populations on mainland Europe. Check out the Earthworm Society’s Flatworms page for more info.
  • What one thing can people do to improve their garden for earthworms?
    There are lots of different species of earthworm and gardens are really good for housing a wide range of species. Having a range of habitats and places for earthworms to live will help support more diversity in your garden. Having a lawn is good for soil-dwelling earthworms and having leaf litter is great for surface-dwelling species. There are also specialists that you’ll find in compost or associated with deadwood, so introducing these microhabitats to your garden will provide what these species need. Earthworms love residing underneath things, so having plant pots provides this for them. It’s also important to ensure that you leave something for them to eat, such as leaving dead leaves for the deep-burrowing and surface-dwelling species. You can learn more about this in the Gardening For Earthworms: Mutual Benefits of Earthworm-friendly Gardening entoLIVE blog by Keiron.

Literature references

Further info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

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Local Nature Recovery Strategies: Update and Challenges

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are the government’s spatial strategies for nature. From late 2024 LNRSs must be in place across England. They must be evidenced-based, mapping the best locations to create, enhance and restore nature. LNRSs must identify and bring together a partnership group to align multiple nature-based projects and initiatives (the Nature Recovery Network). The collaborative approach will provide a means for consistent communication of local priorities, and efficient use of time and resources to ensure actions are completed.

Throughout 2020 and 2021 five LNRS pilots were run. The lessons learned have helped to shape the direction of LNRS design since then.

This blog offers an opportunity for all involved partners (Government, Landowners, businesses, local communities and conservation groups) to hear from experienced LNRS project leaders, as well as data providers, on their progress regarding spatial mapping. It features the following presentations (and associated links):

  • Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy: Challenges and Opportunities with Megan Lindeman (Westmorland and Furness Council)
  • The London Local Nature Recovery Strategy: The Journey So Far with Francis Castro (Greater London Authority)
  • Supporting and Designing an LNRS using BiodiversityView with Chris Burnett (Map Impact)
  • Panel discussion facilitated by Dr Dan Carpenter (Digital Ecology)

Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy: Challenges and Opportunities

Megan Lindeman (Westmorland and Furness Council)

Cumbria is one of five areas that were selected to pilot the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) in 2021. Megan will reflect on the lessons learnt from the pilot scheme and how Cumbria is building on the work that has already been done in the development of the current Cumbria LNRS. Cumbria is a large and ecologically diverse county; ranging from the highest peak in England to the coast, Cumbria’s habitats vary from montane to lowland wetland, coastal and estuarine to blanket bog, woodland to the productive grasslands of the Eden Valley. The presentation will discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by developing an LNRS across such a large, predominantly rural, and ecologically diverse county.

Megan Lindeman is the Technical Support Officer for the Cumbria LNRS and works for Westmorland and Furness Council which are the appointed Responsible Authority for Cumbria. She has over 10 years of experience working in ecological consultancy, specialising in the production and delivery of habitat management plans for a range of projects including renewables, infrastructure, housing, and conservation schemes. She specialises in project management and strategy development, with a particular specialism in upland habitat management and peatland restoration.

  1. Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy: https://cumbrialnrs.org.uk/
  2. Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy – Pilot Scheme: https://legacy.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/planning-environment/lnrs/default.asp
  3. Online maps from the Cumbria LNRS pilot scheme: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/about-us/projects/clnrn_story_map/
  4. LNRS policy paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-nature-recovery-strategies/local-nature-recovery-strategies 
  5. LNRS UK Parliament Post : https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pn-0652/

The London Local Nature Recovery Strategy: The Journey So Far

Francis Castro (Greater London Authority)

The LNRS for London is not about starting from scratch. It is about understanding the good work that is being carried out across London and empowering those (new and old) who want to continue this rich tradition of action for nature! With 33 local authorities (each a unitary council and a huge number of organisations and community groups passionate about the climate crisis facing us, This presentation will discuss what approach the GLA will take in making this process actually useful!

Francis Castro is an Ecologist and Local Authority Officer with over 18 years of experience. Key projects include successful application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Restoration of Hainault Forest. He is a veteran of conservation and environmental regulation in London and now works as a Biodiversity specialist at the Greater London Authority, overseeing the production of the London LNRS.

  1. London Environment Strategy https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/london_environment_strategy_0.pdf
  2. London Plan 2021: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/the-london-plan-2021-table-contents
  3. Green Space information for Greater London : https://www.gigl.org.uk/ 
  4. Urban Nature Network : https://www.futureparks.org.uk/urban-nature-networks 
  5. SUSTAIN Capital Growth Project: https://www.capitalgrowth.org/
  6. London National Park City Foundation: https://nationalparkcity.london/
  7. GiGL online portal: https://www.gigl.org.uk/discoverlondon/
  8. Natural History Museum Urban Nature Project: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/urban-nature-project.html
  9. Wild Green and Free Rewild Campaign: https://www.london.gov.uk/greenspaces
  10. GLA Biodiversity Page: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/biodiversity
  11. GLA Green Space Funding: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/green-space-funding
  12. All London Green Grid: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/environment-publications/all-london-green-grid
  13. London Climate Resilience Review: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/climate-change/climate-adaptation/london-climate-resilience-review
  14. London Wildlife Trust (Keeping it Wild): https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/keeping-it-wild

Supporting and Designing an LNRS using BiodiversityView

Chris Burnett (Map Impact)

Map Impact has launched our England-wide BiodiversityView dataset that aligns with the Defra Biodiversity Metric Calculator. This presentation will talk about how the data is created, structured and delivered, and how it can support the objectives of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy by being an independent, objective, and large-scale tool that crosses boundaries, to aid in delivering the baseline strategies, and monitor their effectiveness over time.

Chris Burnett has more than twenty years of experience in the geospatial and Earth Observation sector, managing projects globally, and building products to support environmental applications.

  1. h3 hexagon system: https://h3geo.org/
  2. UKHab: https://ukhab.org/
  3. Greystones Farm: https://www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/greystones-farm
  4. Local nature recovery strategy statutory guidance, DEFRA: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6421a4bdfe97a8001379ecf1/Local_nature_recovery_strategy_statutory_guidance.pdf
  5. Local Nature Recovery Strategy pilots: lessons learned: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-nature-recovery-strategy-pilots-lessons-learned/local-nature-recovery-strategy-pilots-lessons-learned
  6. Future homes hub process overview: https://www.futurehomes.org.uk/biodiversity-net-gain-mapping-out-the-process
  7. Sentinel-2 imagery: https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/web/sentinel/missions/sentinel-2
  8. BiodiversityView summary: https://www.mapimpact.io/product/biodiversityview/
  9. BiodiversityView for LNRS and Local Authorities: https://www.mapimpact.io/product/biodiversityview/for-local-authorities/

Panel Discussion

Hosted by Dr Dan Carpenter (Digital Ecology)

  1. What do you think is key to a successful Local Nature Recovery Strategy?
    Megan: The key thing is that it is used and delivered. For this to happen it needs to be realistic and people need to be engaged with it.
    Francis: Integration with existing systems and policies is vital. It can’t work as a stand-alone document. We will also need big money to make this work – it absolutely needs to be funded and we need to be unapologetic about stating this.
    Chris: From a data perspective, it is important that we have data that is repeatable and that can be used to measure success.
  2. How do you work with neighbouring authorities?
    Megan: There is a wider northwest responsible authority group that meets and shares learning and progress. We also have informal catch-up calls with one another to keep up to date with each other’s progress. There are strategies underpinning our LNRS that cross boundaries and these should help us align with neighbouring LNRS areas. For example, the North Pennines National Landscape Recovery Plan will inform both the Cumbria and Northumberland LNRS.
    Francis: There is a real appetite for people to work together as we’re all working towards the same goal. We meet up with our neighbouring authorities and we also have a landscape that crosses borders, such as river catchments.
  3. How do you ensure that people living within the area are able to input into the LNRS?
    Francis: There are 9 million people living in London so we need to be realistic about the scale at which we can engage people. Within London, each of the 33 unitary councils/London Boroughs will have their own process for engaging with residents. We will provide guidance and tools to help with that process but also feed into existing pan-London partnerships, that already work with communities, enabling us to engage at a really local level rather than asking broad questions to a cross-London audience.
    Megan: We have 3 people (2 FTE) in the core Responsible Authority LNRS team. As individuals, the number of people and organisations we can engage with is limited, but we can use representatives for existing networks and groups to reach a wider audience. It’s also important that we engage different stakeholders at the right time in the process, and we have an engagement plan to help us do this.
  4. How reliable are the datasets behind habitat maps and how will we know how much things have changed over time?
    Chris: We use a combination of satellite datasets and well-maintained datasets (including the Priority Habitat layer from Natural England). As we work through the data, we do find anomalies and we fix these to reduce the impact of these (such as something that looks like a high distinctiveness habitat within an urban area). It is important that these datasets are ground-truthed where possible to check how reliable the satellite data is and to update the data regularly so that changes in condition are picked up.
  5. What is the one thing that you hope will be achieved through the development of your LNRS?
    Megan: There is lots of really good work already going on in Cumbria. I would like to see the Cumbria LNRS provide a strategic overview and help to join up these actions to deliver maximum benefit.
    Francis: A community who are passionate and working together to protect nature and demanding the investment needed to deliver nature recovery on the ground.
    Chris: Ensuring that nature is preserved and around for all of us to enjoy regularly.

Questions About BiodiversityView

  1. Are there any plans to expand Biodiversity View to include marine environments?
    Map Impact: BiodiversityView for marine environments is a future product development that we are considering (in particular to align with incoming marine legislation). We would welcome collaborative conversations with other organisations regarding development and implementation of an expanded product.
  1. How are you dealing with the uncertainties in Living England?
    Map Impact: We are aware that there are uncertainties within the current Living England data and we have engaged with the Natural England team to provide feedback. Within Map Impact, we have performed a range of corrections and enhancements on the data, such as re-classification of wetland habitats in certain locations.
  1. Is there an aim to increase resolution over time?
    Map Impact: We are exploring provision of a more granular resolution product within certain use cases (e.g. urban environments).
  1. Will BiodiversityView be available for academic use?
    Map Impact: BiodiversityView is not yet available with a specific academic use license. We would encourage anyone who is interested in academic use to contact us at info@mapimpact.io, to discuss their requirements.
  1. How can BiodiversityView improve on the NVC survey and condition assessment datasets for priority habitats that are already held for some regions?
    Map Impact: BiodiversityView provides a consistent approach to mapping habitats and condition across all of England (not just priority habitats). It can therefore complement data already available by providing a complete picture of the status of biodiversity.
  1. Does BiodiversityView focus on tree cover and greenness when using satellite imagery to assess habitat condition?
    Map Impact: We are using a range of satellite indices to assess habitat condition, with greenness being one of the indicators considered. Alongside greenness we are considering factors such as soil moisture. A further explanation is provided in the Can Satellite Imagery Data Be Used For Biodiversity Net Gain? article.

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Leeches: Life History and Identification

Despite their gruesome reputation leeches are fascinating animals. This talk will explore their natural history and cultural significance, including why leech conservation is important and what it involves. Craig will also give an overview of British leech diversity and provide information on some of the different species of leech and how to identify them.

As Conservation Director, Craig Macadam heads up the Conservation team at Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. He leads Buglife’s freshwater work and is particularly interested in developing conservation action for less well-known species such as leeches.

Q&A with Craig Macadam

  • Why are there relatively fewer species of leech in the UK compared to Europe?
    We tend to have lower diversity of most groups in the UK. This is typical island biogeography. Great Britain has been harder to colonise for species since the last ice age because it involves crossing the English Channel and we will be further from the source population than our neighbours on mainland Europe. Climate change may impact this in the future too, as we’re seeing some species moving north through Europe as conditions change and new areas are now within the climatic envelope in which they can survive – but getting across the English Channel is still going to be a challenge for these species!
  • Have the leech species been mapped in the UK?
    There was a leech atlas produced during the 80’s, but this is now obviously out of date as there have been changes. I’ve been working on a status review of leeches for Natural England and this will contain the most up-to-date data for leeches that we have and will be published by Natural England once it is complete. Most of this data comes from government agencies like the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Natural Resources Wales and the Environment Agency, meaning that there is a big focus on running water. So we need more people looking at leeches in still waters.
  • What is the size range of leeches in the UK?
    Adult leeches range in size from about 10 mm to 200 mm, depending on the species. Measuring leeches is not easy because each individual leech will have a contracted length and an extended length. To measure Medicinal Leeches, we use the size of the rear (posterior) sucker as a proxy for its size.
  • How much can a leech see with its eyes?
    the eyes are very primitive so leeches will not be able to see the kind of detail that insects can see with compound eyes or that we can see with our eyes. they’ll be able to detect the difference between light and dark only.
  • How long do leeches live?
    Longer than you think! Some species do have an annual life cycle, but some of the larger species can live for 3-5 years and possibly even longer.
  • Are any leeches used as indicator species for the environments that they are found within?
    Due to their diet, leech populations are likely to be closely linked to the organisms that they feed on. Therefore, leeches that prey on molluscs are going to follow the same patterns as the molluscs in an ecosystem. One thing that they can be a good indicator for, would be pollution from veterinary worming treatments such as avermectins. As worms, they are sensitive to these pollutants and we believe one of the drivers causing issues for the Medicinal Leech was the rise in worming treatment in the mid-1900s (as leeches would feed on livestock and be poisoned by the worming treatments within the blood).
  • Where can we submit records of leech observations?
    We ask people to submit their leech observations through iRecord as this is where we are collating data for the Leech Recording Scheme. Photos are really useful for helping us to confirm the species, and these can be submitted with the record on iRecord. If you have a decent photo but aren’t sure of the species, you can still submit the record and choose the ‘Uncertain’ option in the certainty field and we’ll see if we can help with the ID.
  • How long would the leeches last as stock in pharmacies?
    Typically they were transported in sacks of vegetation and then stored in the jars on the pharmacy counter. Within the jars, they would be stored in water and they would be starved so they were ready to use. Leeches can last a relatively long time between meals and would be fine until they were sold.
  • Do you know what species of leech has been feeding on amphibians in Hampshire?
    This is quite a gruesome story! there have been reports of leeches feeding on the eyes of live toads and frogs on the Isle of Wight and spreading into Hampshire. We think that it is a new species of leech to the UK and are working on confirming this. We believe it is a species from Southern Europe that has managed to colonise and hope to have more news on this soon.

Literature references

Further info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

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The Return of the Native: The Great Fox-spider in Britain

With excellent eyesight, camouflage and speed, the Great Fox-Spider (Alopecosa fabrilis) is one of the largest of the Wolf-Spider family (Lycosidae) of spiders. An opportunistic predator which hunts at night, it is named for its wolf-like habit of chasing down its prey, across sandy terrain, over gravel and rocks before pouncing and capturing insects on the run. The Great Fox-Spider is Red-listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ and was feared to no longer exist in the UK as it had only ever been found at three sites but hadn’t been seen since 1999. This presentation will provide a status report on the rediscovery of the Great Fox-spider in the UK and provide autecological observations of the spider, contrasted with research in continental Europe. Modern threats to the species on its two present British sites will also be discussed.

Mike Waite is Director of Research & Monitoring at the Surrey Wildlife Trust. He is an experienced ecologist and naturalist, having worked previously with the Nature Conservancy Council, private consultancy, the London Ecology Unit and the GLA. His interest in spiders is a relatively new one, but no less intense for that.

Q&A with Mike Waite

  • How big is the Great Fox-spider?
    Spiders are measured from the tip of the head to the spinnerets on the end of the abdomen. Females are about 18 mm and males are slightly smaller (about 16 mm). With the legs, they look a lot bigger.
  • What was the name of the spider-hunting wasp referenced in the presentation?
    It was a wasp from the family Pompilidae called Arachnospila rufa and more information about this species can be found on the species page on the BWARS website.
  • How do these spiders dig?
    They dig with their forelegs and then reverse and use their back legs to shovel out material.
  • How many Great Fox-spiders make it through to adulthood?
    This is a great question and one we still know very little about. Spiders often have lots of young due to the risks of high-risk predation on spiderlings. These spiders take 2 years to reach maturity which means that young Great Fox-spiders have a relatively long period where they are exposed to predation risks and not producing young. It is a fair assumption that this species may have smaller numbers reaching sexual maturity, making it more vulnerable.
  • Where else can you find Great Fox-spiders?
    Their global distribution extends as far as China, though I don’t believe that this is continuous. They are certainly widespread across Europe and the studies I mentioned in the presentation were from the dune systems of Belgium and France. I think it would certainly be worth looking at potential sites across the UK where the habitat is suitable and searching using night-time surveys. I wouldn’t discount the dune systems across the North Sea coast.
  • Can we reintroduce this species to new sites to conserve this species in the UK?
    There are strict guidelines from the IUCN regarding reintroductions to consider before this is attempted, such as establishing that reintroducing this species would not have any negative impacts on other threatened species. It would also be important to establish what the extinction drivers are for this species, as we wouldn’t want to reintroduce these animals to a site where the population would face the same issue. We would first look for sites with ideal habitat, i.e. 100% similar to the known sites. We would then put some extra effort into figuring out the ecological communities of these sites to assess the risk on other species, with the idea being that it matched the ecological community of the existing sites. In terms of ongoing management of the site, we would be recommending the standard management practices for a dry heathland habitat. For example, managing a site for heathland reptiles includes ensuring plenty of bare ground scrapes are present and this is ideal for the great Fox-spider.

Literature references

Further info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

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Showcase Butterflies: Expanding Networks of Farmers & Biological Recorders

Farmland biodiversity is thought to be steeply declining throughout Europe, and society at large is increasingly concerned about the loss of public goods, such as iconic wildlife and cultural landscapes, yet to date few studies have been able to produce data to support or refute this claim. During this presentation, Stuart will showcase previous work establishing relationships between butterfly recorders and farmers, and how participating in monitoring on farmland influenced perceptions of biodiversity and biodiversity-friendly farming practices whilst providing valuable recorders to the record pool. Stuart will then discuss future plans to increase the scalability and capacity of this model to wider communities and taxa.

Dr Stuart Edwards is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Reading with an interest in agroecology, citizen science and sustainable farming.

Q&A with Dr Stuart Edwards

  • How do you recruit participants for the project?
    We piggybacked on the local Butterfly Conservation groups. Each county has a regional coordinator, and these were able to send out details for getting involved to their mailing lists. This is a challenge that we’ll need to consider for other species groups, particularly ones that don’t have regional networks.
  • What were the motivations for participants getting involved?
    We had some recorders who really enjoyed just being out and about on farmland, and their regular walks had evolved into ad hoc recording and then on to monitoring. Some of the sites were in really beautiful parts of the country and getting involved in this project enabled people to volunteer in these wonderful habitats.
  • Were your records shared with other organisations?
    Our survey data was submitted to the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme website, so it will form part of the national datasets and this is also shared through County Recorders with the network of Local Environmental Record Centres. The surveys differed slightly from the UK Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey in that our transects were not in randomised squares, but at sites that we were selecting for monitoring.
  • Are there any plans for expanding the project?
    The workshops that I’m looking to run will investigate what biodiversity data farmers want and need to make decisions for considering and improving biodiversity on their land. The results of this will impact the direction we would look to take, for example, which national citizen science programmes we could tap into to facilitate that data collection. This in turn may impact where it would be feasible to undertake the project geographically.
  • Why is the survey undertaken just twice per year?
    Undertaking the survey twice per year does have limitations as it just gives us a snapshot of the species at the time of the survey, in contrast to the UK BMS which is a weekly survey over a set period. We opted to go for 2 surveys to balance the data requirements of the project with the amount of commitment we are asking for from our volunteers. If we asked for more surveys, this would have likely resulted in fewer surveyors.

Literature references

Further info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

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The Importance of BNG Data for Local Planning Authorities

Planning decisions rely on local biodiversity data to ensure that wildlife and habitats are considered during developments. This presentation will take a look at the importance of data for local authorities when applying the requirements of the Environment Act for Biodiversity Net Gain purposes.

Paul Mellor is a Chartered Town Planner and the Environment Manager at TfL, responsible for BNG across the organisation. He previously worked as a policy planner at a local authority on biodiversity and green infrastructure.

Q&A with Paul Mellor

  1. What would TfL like to see any surplus funds generated by data searches spent on?
    The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for London is going to be really complicated due to the number of authorities involved. TfL operates across all of these authorities and has a key role to play within the London LNRS. It would be great to see more funding going towards this.
  2. How do we avoid hollow promises for Biodiversity Net Gain off-site via Section 106 agreements?
    The priority is to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain on-site through planning conditions first. Where this is not possible, Biodiversity Net Gain should be delivered off-site. This off-setting will be through habitat banking and these need to be registered through Defra. The introduction of the Biodiversity Net Gain system for habitat banking should help ensure that off-setting is undertaken as it should be.
  3. Was the baseline biodiversity study based entirely on aerial/satellite imagery?
    Yes – it was based on aerial and satellite imagery. The work we are doing now to update this now has a pixelation with an accuracy of up to 3 metres. We’re also looking to ground-truth sites to calibrate that method and to check any site that we think has the potential to yield further units and contribute towards our habitat bank.
  4. Do you access data from the London Wildlife Trust or London Natural History Society?
    Our service level agreement is with GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) and they provide us with the data that they have collated from a wide range of data providers. Both the London Wildlife Trust and London Natural History Society submit biodiversity data to GiGL, so their data is included.
  5. How do Sites Important for Nature Conservation feature within your habitat banking work?
    We do hold quite a lot of sites that are designated as Sites Important for Nature Conservation (SINCs) and these are all registered with GiGL. These sites are designated for their ecological value and are therefore unlikely to feature within our habitat banking work as they already have a high value and it would therefore be difficult to improve. We will continue to look into how SINCs an be improved in terms of condition, but this is likely to be in parallel to the habitat banking work rather than as a part of it.

Further info and links

  1. Greenspace Information for Greater London: https://www.gigl.org.uk/
  2. BNG 2024 Virtual Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/596686684937
  3. Can Satellite Imagery Data Be Used For Biodiversity Net Gain? blog: https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2023/11/15/satellite-imagery/
  4. FREE Local Nature Recovery Strategies: Update and Challenges virtual event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/777642027237
Go to the Local Biodiversity Data Virtual Symposium page

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Day To Day Uses of Species Records in the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency (EA)help people and wildlife adapt to climate change and reduce its impacts, including flooding, drought, sea level rise and coastal erosion. Local Biodiversity Data is essential for the EA to undertake its work and this presentation will illustrate 10 routine uses of species records in operational activities of the Environment Agency.

Marina Flamank is National Biodiversity Advisor for the Business and Professional Development Team (Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment) at the Environment Agency with responsibility to pull together information on wildlife sites and protected species for ‘Easimap’ and the National Permit Screening tool.

Q&A with Marina Flamank

  1. Does the Environment Agency share the species data that it generates with LERCs?
    Environment Agency data is all publicly available through the NBN Atlas with no restrictions on how it can be used. As a government agency, our work is funded by the taxpayer. To access this data, simply visit the NBN Atlas Environment Agency page.
  2. Is the species data that the EA use simple presence/absence data or does it have additional attributes?
    The data does have additional attributes, but it’s not as well structured as I would like. The data that we use is gathered from many different sources and these can be very variable between datasets, so many attributes are lumped together under the attribute ‘sighting’ so that I can use these many records as a single layer. If we wanted to look at specific information in the ‘sighting’ attribute, it is there but not in a manner where it is easily searchable at a national database level.
  3. Would it speed up the analysis of the data by the EA if they could have access to live datasets rather than holding an offline copy?
    We don’t do a lot of analysis on the data. We don’t have the capacity or budget to undertake analysis of the data. We use the data to produce the map layer that we need for our work and we have to hold an offline copy of the data due to the way this is set up.

Further info and links

  1. Environment Agency datasets on the NBN Atlas: https://registry.nbnatlas.org/public/show/dp138
  2. Signal Crayfish Virtual Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/773638793457
  3. River Restoration Project Manthorpe (Lincolnshire)
Go to the Local Biodiversity Data Virtual Symposium page

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Better Together: LERCs and Nature Partnerships, An Example From Lincolnshire

Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership works with 49 Partners across Greater Lincolnshire to achieve more for nature. The nature partnership also hosts the Local Environmental Records Centre. This close working relationship has allowed for multiple projects, which are highlighted in this presentation.

Charlotte Phillips is the manager of the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership, including the Local Environmental Record Centre. Charlotte is also a Director of ALERC and Trustee of The Wallacea Trust. With a background in both national and international conservation, Charlotte believes strongly in partnerships working across sectors to achieve current environmental goals.

Q&A with Charlotte Phillips

  1. Is it worth collecting records for Local Environmental Record Centres when some ecological consultants may not use them?
    LERCs use data for a wide range of services and data searches for planning are just one of those services – so yes, please do submit your records to your LERC to ensure that it is getting used. The importance of local data has been highlighted through the Local Nature Recovery Strategies. Secondly, it is best practice for data searches that form part of planning applications to include data searches performed by the relevant Local Environmental Record Centre(s). Ecological consultants are using our data in our county and this is increasing each year.
  2. What factors are you using to identify and prioritise opportunities for biodiversity mapping?
    My colleague designed a model that had over 1,000 different questions/rules behind it, but the biggest thing was linking the areas that are already in a good state for nature (such as Local Wildlife Sites, Local Nature Reserves etc.). Connectivity is really important for us. We’ve excluded grade 1 and grade 2 agricultural land as this is great for farming and the chances of it being taken out of agricultural use for nature recovery is almost zero.
  3. Are local geological sites included within Local Nature Recovery Strategies?
    This will vary by area and depend on the individual Local Nature Partnership and if this is something they are considering. We have 2 steps in mapping for the LocalNature Recovery Strategy. The first step is very prescriptive to ensure all regions are mapping things in the same way – giving us comparable baseline maps. This map will just include local wildlife sites and not local geodiversity sites. The second step is to add sites that are important for (or could become important for) biodiversity. This step is very much locally driven, so if there is an argument that geodiversity sites need to be considered it would be during this step. It’s also worth noting that a site may be both a local wildlife site and a local geodiversity site – in which case it would be included in step 1 anyway.
  4. Are you able to give us an idea of how much designing the LERC search cost?
    The tool was developed in 2017 and cost GNLP around £30,000 at the time. Our developer gave us a good deal in the hope that more partners would come on the journey, but this didn’t happen. We have just put in another £20,000 recently to upgrade the tool and add the search area function.
  5. Are there any improvements that you would make to your county’s nature partnership?
    More funding would always be welcome – we could do more with more staff! We have reached the limit of what we can do with the capacity that we have. Our partners are really supportive, and we’d love to get involved with more of the projects that they invite us to get involved with.
  6. How do you ensure that partners are not just signing up for greenwashing purposes?
    This is something that we are aware needs careful attention. We’re taking our time with this to ensure that we get things right. We’ll most likely stick with our current partners and introduce a system for supporters to get involved. Supporters won’t have voting rights on what we do and would still need to be in line with the ethos of the partnership – for example aligning with our position statements on things like tree planting and climate.

Further info and links

  1. Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership: www.glnp.org.uk
  2. Greater Lincolnshire Environmental Records Centre: https://search.glnp.org.uk
  3. Greater Lincolnshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy: www.glincslnrs.org.uk
  4. Greater Lincolnshire LNRS Linktree: https://linktr.ee/glincslnrs?utm_source=qr_code
  5. FREE Local Nature Recovery Strategies: Update and Challenges virtual event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/777642027237
  6. GNLP ‘Journey to Nature Recovery’ diagram
Go to the Local Biodiversity Data Virtual Symposium page

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Networks for Nature: How DBRC data is creating more species-friendly highways

The Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (DBRC) will be presenting its work partnering with National Highways and The Wildlife Trusts on the Networks for Nature project. DBRC are using local biological records and land use data to model species dispersal through a landscape, aiding in targeted habitat restoration to improve connectivity (such as culverted underpasses, green bridges and tree planting).

Adam Falconer is a technical officer for Devon Biodiversity Records Centre. He studied Biological Sciences at the University of Exeter and previously worked on revising the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Devon.

Q&A with Adam Falconer

  1. Did you use actual roadkill data in your model?
    Yes – roadkill data was used as part of the presence/absence data that we used to build our habitat area. Our road interaction data was fairly accurate, but where we had genuine roadkill data we updated the road interaction data if it didn’t think there was definitely a chance of roadkill there.
  2. What species did you choose for the model?
    There’s quite a long list that includes Badgers, Dormice, Harvest Mice, Hedgehogs, Otters, Barn Owls, Goshawks, Tawny Owls, Toads and Great Crested Newts. We also used Deer as a broad category and undertook some speculative modelling for Pine Martens. We tried to include Hobbies but they were very difficult to model. In contrast, the Narrow-headed Ant was relatively simple to model due to a single known population on either side of the A38.
  3. Have the Highways Agency provided any feedback regarding the impact of this project?
    This project is still ongoing and we are getting the final few models out. The Highways Agency will be going over our models and the research by ANIMEX, and then providing their feedback on the whole process.
  4. What was involved in the in-person surveys referenced in the presentation?
    I actually didn’t get to go on any as I was chained to my desk doing modelling! My understanding is that it involved noting the type of crossing point (e.g. culvert, bridge), dimensions of the crossing point and walking the crossing point if possible (as you can’t go through a small culvert obviously). Surveyors also walked both sides of the road and mapped the available habitat. From all this information, the specialists then came up with a list of suggested improvements that could be made for any species. This was then compared to the model and trimmed down to what species were likely to be in the area.
  5. What types of intervention are Highways Agency considering to assist wildlife crossing roads safely?
    Some of the interventions discussed included mammal shelves (these benefit a broad range of species including Otters), removal or widening of grates (to enable access to species that may have been too large and therefore barred from using the crossing point), raised flight lines (particularly relevant for Barn Owls as the nature in which they glide from highest point to highest point puts them at risk with taller vehicles like lorries). This project is focused on improving existing infrastructure, rather than constructing new features (like green bridges) and looking for quick but efficient improvements.
  6. Did you have a cut-off date for the age of the records used?
    We tended to use records within the last 10 years. However, if we were aware of records that were not in our database we could actively seek them out. For example, I was aware of a situation where Greater Horseshoe Bats used a culvert from a previous role and added this data as it was not within the LERC datasets.
  7. How long has this project been running and how many staff work on it?
    The project has been running for around 6 months and has had 1 staff member working on it throughout for about 2-3 days per week.

Further info and links

  1. Devon Biodiversity Records Centre: https://www.dbrc.org.uk/
  2. Devon Wildlife Trust: https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/ 
  3. ANIMEX International: https://animexinternational.com/
  4. Networks For Nature project: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/national-highways-and-wildlife-trusts-announce-biodiversity-boost-across-england
  5. Finch et al (2020) Modelling the functional connectivity of landscapes for greater horseshoe bats Rhinolophus ferrumequinum at a local scale: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00953-1
  6. Ciruitscape: https://circuitscape.org
  7. Can Community Science Support a County Wildlife Sites Framework in Devon? blog by article by DBRC: https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2023/07/19/can-community-science-support-a-county-wildlife-sites-framework-in-devon/
Go to the Local Biodiversity Data Virtual Symposium page

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