Conservation Science and Policy
The range of knowledge and experience of the Associates enables us to aid clients in achieving best-practice in the conservation of biodiversity within the context of their business objectives or in resolving problems. Projects have included :-
- Research to establish the causes of decline in formerly nationally-important populations of waterfowl at Grafham Water reservoir SSSI, Cambridgeshire, and the production of management recommendations.
- Review of barn owl status, population monitoring methods, ecology and mortality factors, including road deaths, to evaluate the implications of licensed release of captive-bred birds.
- Development of best-practice conservation guidelines for Internal Drainage Boards, encompassing the range of requirements under wildlife law, biodiversity priorities and other relevant considerations.
- Production of Technical Advice Notes for a statutory nature conservation agency on topics including re-establishment of heather, grassland and montane vegetation on land disrupted by roads, pipelines and recreational uses; livestock and deer fencing methods and costs; effects of deer on tree regeneration; upland erosion and other topics.
- Development of guidelines for vegetation management in riparian corridors for use by river engineers, integrating nature conservation and cost-effective river maintenance practice.
- Study of the effects of quarry water discharges on the biodiversity of streams in the Mendips.
- Production of formal guidance on the preparation of Water Level Management Plans for hydrologically-sensitive SSSIs and other important nature conservation sites
- Advice on the development of a company policy on biodiversity conservation and production of biodiversity action plans for twenty quarries in East Anglia, southern and south-west England.
Barn owl