Chair's Introduction

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Nature News – and our new-look electronic Peter Bridgewater, Chair, JNCC © JNCC format, linking you to the latest information on national and international conservation.

I’m delighted to be able to tell you that Defra have reappointed me as Chair of JNCC for a further three years. The last three years have seen many challenges for JNCC and there are certainly more to be faced in the future. In particular, since the last issue of Nature News, the Spending Review has taken centre stage and will have a major impact on our priorities and the way we work. Exactly what it means for JNCC will become clear shortly. Despite the difficult circumstances, JNCC continues to make solid progress across a broad front thanks to the efforts of our staff and our partner organisations.

I was very pleased to present a keynote speech at the International Conservation and Management of Rivers Conference held in York in September. A similar conference was held 20 years ago and much has changed in the UK and the world since then – economically, politically, culturally and scientifically. Alas, the problems seen for some river systems 20 years ago are magnified now. And yet there are also good news stories about the cleaning of rivers and return of species, especially fish. The message is that we have more to do and must build on these successes to try and manage our natural world in a better way.

“Big Society” is the phrase of the moment and JNCC is ahead of the game having championed this approach to biological data collection for the last decade. Extensive networks of volunteers gather grassroots evidence which JNCC links together to create snapshots of UK and global biodiversity. The approach is explained in this edition’s citizen science feature.

UK seas have been in the headlines recently with the creation of fifteen new Marine Protected Areas. We’re proud of our input into this work and our involvement in the publication of Charting Progress 2, the largest and most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of animals and plants in UK waters and the pressures that affect them.

Enjoy this e-edition and explore the links from these pages, taking you to other useful information sources. Please feel free to contact the relevant project managers about stories we’ve featured this time around. And of course, if you would like to , I’d be delighted to hear from you!

Peter Bridgewater, Chair, JNCC

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Turning Tides for Waterbirds in the UK

The contrasting fortunes of the UK's wintering waterbirds are highlighted in the latest data from the Wetland Bird Survey of which JNCC is a partner organisation. The latest WEBs report covers the winter of 2008/09 and documents the expansion of four native waterbird populations in the UK, with Pink-footed Goose, Svalbard Barnacle Goose, Little Egret and Avocet all noted at record levels. In contrast, populations of six species reached an all-time low point; Mallard, Pochard, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Ringed Plover and Dunlin have all declined by at least 20% in the last twenty years.

UK Biodiversity Indicators update

The 2010 edition of the UK Biodiversity Indicators shows changes in the status of species and habitats, pressures on them and responses to those pressures. The indicators and National Statistics are produced by Defra and JNCC on behalf of the UK Biodiversity Partnership.

Nightingale Island Invaders

In this International Year of Biodiversity, co-ordinated invasive species projects are being supported by JNCC in the UK Overseas Territories. Nightingale Island, part of the Tristan group of islands, has seen the removal of alien vegetation by the local conservation team and bait stations set up to ensure the island remains free of rodents as their introduction would be devastating for birdlife and biodiversity.

Seabird surveillance - latest figures

Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 2010, partly funded by JNCC on behalf of the country conservation bodies, is the latest status report on the UK’s breeding seabird populations.

Status of water beetles

The latest species status report – A review of the scarce and threatened coleoptera of Great Britain has been published. The review assesses 311 taxa of which 35 taxa are found to be threatened using the IUCN criteria.

Breeding Birds Survey

The Kestrel, one of our most familiar birds of prey, has shown a significant decline in numbers according to the Breeding Birds Survey, partly funded by JNCC on behalf of the country conservation bodies.

Reappointment of JNCC Chair

Dr Peter Bridgewater has been reappointed Chair of JNCC for a further three years. The appointment took effect from the beginning of October. Previous to his initial appointment in 2007 he held the post of Secretary General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

New beginnings in Aberdeen

JNCC Aberdeen has now relocated to its new office building in the Torry area of the city. The new premises at Inverdee House are being shared with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Conservation and Management of Rivers: 20 years on

Twenty years on from the first rivers conference, greater integration of conservation with the management of river systems was discussed by scientists from 20 countries when they met at the University of York. The floods in Pakistan and Poland were part of the programme, contrasting with the droughts and dangerously low rivers in Australia and Pakistan. The cost to populations if some or all of the ecosystem services supplied by rivers were lost was also discussed. Papers from this conference will be published later this year.

Website News

This issue of Nature News highlights most major additions to the JNCC website and the articles provide links to them. Other recent key updates are:

Latest SAC and SPA submissions

Thirteen new candidate Special Areas for Conservation (SACs) and two new Special Protection Areas (SPAs) were submitted to the European Union in August 2010. In area terms this represents the biggest ever annual increase in the UK's Natura 2000 network.

Species designations update

JNCC has recently updated its collation of species designations. This is available as a downloadable spreadsheet. This information is now also accessible on the NBN Gateway - choose the 'explore designations' option.