Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

About: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is a nonprofit organization based out in Sandy, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Biodiversity. The organization has 670 authors who have published 1425 publications receiving 88006 citations. The organization is also known as: RSPB & Plumage League.

The distribution and habitats of crossbills Loxia spp. in Britain, with special reference to the Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica

Abstract: A study was carried out, primarily in northern Scotland, to relate bill and wing measurements to diagnostic calls of crossbill species, and thereby use the calls to describe the distributions and habitats of the different species Bill depth and wing length measurements from museum specimens and live-trapped birds were used to describe the size categories Almost all measurements of crossbills from England were similar to measurements of Common Crossbills from Fennoscandia Museum specimens showed that crossbills in northern Scotland between 1822 and 1990 were a combination of Common Crossbills, birds which were intermediate between Common and Parrot Crossbills (Scottish Crossbills), and perhaps a few Parrot Crossbills However, catches of crossbills between 1995 and 2000 showed that Parrot Crossbills (based on bill and wing measurements) were present at some sites in the Highlands Recordings of flight calls and excitement calls of birds of known bill sizes allowed a classification of crossbills according to call types Four different flight calls (referred to here as types 1–4) and five excitement calls (types A–E) were recognized A sample of small-billed birds, thereby identified as Common Crossbills, indicated that there were three groups of Common Crossbills: those giving type 1 flight calls and type A excitement calls (1A), type 2 flight calls and type B excitement calls (2B), and type 4 flight calls and type E excitement calls (4E) Large-billed birds identified as Parrot Crossbills gave mainly type 2 flight calls and type D excitement calls Birds with intermediate bill depths (Scottish Crossbills) gave type 3 flight calls and type C excitement calls Distributions based on calls showed that 1A Common Crossbills were widespread in Scotland but the other types of Common Crossbill were rare Parrot Crossbills were found in a few localities in the Highlands, and Scottish Crossbills (defined as those giving type 3 flight calls and type C excitement calls) were restricted to the northern and eastern Highlands Scottish Crossbills and 1A Common Crossbills had overlapping distributions, and overlapped greatly in the types of forests they used between January and March when the Scots Pine cones were still closed However, Scottish Crossbills were more frequently associated with stands containing Scots Pine compared with Common Crossbills

A Horizon Scan of Emerging Global Biological Conservation Issues for 2020.

Abstract: In this horizon scan, we highlight 15 emerging issues of potential relevance to global conservation in 2020. Seven relate to potentially extensive changes in vegetation or ecological systems. These changes are either relatively new, for example, conversion of kelp forests to simpler macroalgal systems, or may occur in the future, for example, as a result of the derivation of nanocelluose from wood or the rapid expansion of small hydropower schemes. Other topics highlight potential changes in national legislation that may have global effect on international agreements. Our panel of 23 scientists and practitioners selected these issues using a modified version of the Delphi technique from a long-list of 89 potential topics.

Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation

Abstract: Questions Does restoration management of a formerly afforested blanket bog lead to the vegetation, and the environmental conditions it indicates, becoming similar to intact bog? Location A 147-ha blanket bog in Scotland's Flow Country, afforested in the 1980s but undergoing restoration since 1998. Methods Vegetation in the restoration area was surveyed in nine, 1.6–6.4-ha plots, in 1998, 2003 and 2011. Each plot was matched to nearby plots that were either intact bog or remained afforested. Principal Response Curves were used to highlight the main axes of vegetation variation and test whether plant community trajectories in the restoration area differed from intact bog. The following restoration outcomes were assessed: floristic similarity to bog vegetation; and moisture, fertility and acidity, as inferred from vegetation using Ellenberg indicator values. Results In the 6 years after restoration began, vegetation developed towards bog-like conditions. In the subsequent 8 years, overall vegetation change stalled, and spatial variability increased, reflecting diverging trajectories in wetter and drier parts of the site. Ellenberg's F-values implied significant re-wetting in the restoration area, reaching moisture levels similar to intact bog. Other restoration outcomes progressed in wetter microsites and areas (furrows and flat ground), but stalled in drier locations (plough-ridges and steeper slopes). Conclusions Overall moisture conditions, as indicated by plants, have recovered. However, restoration progress has stalled in drier areas, where additional management may be needed. Long-term vegetation monitoring has helped clarify barriers to recovery and the management needed to overcome them. The value of such monitoring schemes in guiding restoration should be reflected in their wider implementation, within an adaptive management framework.