Download Annual Review 2008/09 - Queen`s University Belfast

Welcome to the…
Quercus/NHRP Annual Review
2008/09
Welcome to the…
Quercus/NHRP Annual Review
2008/09
Dr. Neil Reid
Centre Manager
Quercus/NHRP
Quercus
 Partnership between Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and
Environment & Heritage Service (EHS)
 Initial contract 2003 to 2005
 Extension 2005 to March 2008
 £2M core NIEA funding + £1.5M external funding
Natural Heritage Research Partnership (NHRP)
 New contract QUB and
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)
 June 2008 to 2018
 NHRP now a subset of Quercus activities
NHRP
Aims to…
“Provide high quality research to underpin decisions relating to NIEA
Natural Heritage’s statutory duties and to help deliver strategic targets
relating to Government’s key themes of sustainable development,
biodiversity and climate change.”
Objectives
1.
Provide NIEA with an effective, customer-focused mechanism for managing a large research programme
2.
Advance understanding of the natural heritage of NI by delivering innovative science of the highest
possible quality
3.
Develop, prioritise and agree three natural heritage work programmes for years 1-4, years 5-7 and years 810
4.
Develop and deliver approx. 110 high quality research projects using appropriate scientific techniques
5.
Establish a cost effective staffing structure which has flexibility to carry out urgent projects at short
notice
6.
Provide and demonstrate added value
7.
Encourage and demonstrate the development of skills of new researchers providing internships, students
projects and/or workshops
8.
Transfer scientific knowledge and skills to NIEA staff
9.
Disseminate research findings effectively to decision makers, practitioners and the general public
10. Develop partnerships with other organisations
NHRP research themes
NIEA Statutory
duties
Climate
change
Biodiversity in the
wider countryside
Research themes
1) NIEA statutory duties
• Management of designated sites
• Monitoring of designated site features
• Specialist survey, mapping and monitoring of freshwater and marine
designated sites
• Species distribution, abundance and habitat requirements
2) Biodiversity in the wider countryside
• NI priority habitats and species
• Ecosystem functioning
• Ecological genetics
• Invasive alien species
• Human impacts on biodiversity
3) Climate change
Management of designated sites
Sod removal at Montiagh’s Moss Nature Reserve
•
SAC designation for Annex II Marsh fritillary butterfly
•
Experimental assessment of ‘sod removal’
•
Successful in regenerating fen plant communities
…but not successful in regenerating Devil’s-bit Scabious
…applied conservation recommendations
Monitoring designated site
features
Lough Neagh diving ducks (PhD)
•
SPA / ASSI designated for bird assemblage
•
80% of UK overwintering ducks
•
Population declines
•
H1 - Has something changed in the Lough?
•
H2 - Are birds not returning?
Specialist survey, mapping and
monitoring of freshwater and marine
designated sites
Important Areas for Ponds (IAPs) in Northern Ireland
•
Collaborative project with Pond Conservation
•
Important Bird Areas (Birdlife International) / Important Plant Areas (Plantlife International)
•
Pond Habitat Action Plan (HAP)
•
9 IAPs indentified
•
Extensive ‘policy relevant’
recommendations
Species distribution, abundance
& habitat requirements
Northern Ireland Irish hare survey (2002-2009)
•
Irish hare listed on Annex II EU Habitats Directive
•
Requirement for regular monitoring
•
No significant population change
"Queen's University has done an
excellent job in providing scientific
population estimates which will be
used as the basis for future decisions about
protection for the Irish hare.”
Environment for the Minister, Edwin Poots.
NI Priority Habitats & Species
Conservation ecology and genetics the northern mining bee (PhD)
•
Colletes floralis
•
SACs / ASSIs e.g. Magilligan-Umbra-Downhill sand dune complex
•
Preliminary work funded by DEL suggests the north coast population is
genetically distinct
•
Mapping distribution / Habitat analysis / resource availability / Genetics
Ecological genetics
Verification of hybridisation between European and Irish hares
•
Also invasive alien species research theme
•
17/33 samples (c. 51%) = Irish hares
•
6/33 samples (c. 18%) = European hares
•
6/33 samples (c. 18%) = Interspecific hybrids
•
4/33 samples (c. 12%) = Not identified
Bilateral hybridisation
5 = male European hares (♂) mating with female Irish hares (♀)
1 = female European hare (♀) mating with male Irish hare (♂)
Invasive alien species
Muntjac Knowledge Transfer
•
Review of invasive ecology
•
Appraisal of control procedures
•
Rapid genetic ID developed
•
5 response actions outlined
•
Muntjac judged ‘high risk’ invader
Update
Roadkill juvenile (8 months) recovered from Ards Peninsula
Human impacts on biodiversity
Impact of wind farm development on biodiversity
•
Review of published literature
•
Birds, bats, habitats, carbon storage
•
Development of guidelines for developers similar to SNH
Climate change
Identifying priority actions on climate change within the NHD
•
Review of internal NIEA processes and operations
•
65% of Natural Heritage Directorate staff experience weather-related problems
•
72% ‘unhappy’ with current climate change adaptation measures
•
4 broad recommendations, 6 key actions and 26 specific actions
Increase in work load
Flooding
Inability
to Reactive
meet required
targetsStorms
Proactive
Increase
in budget
Extreme
events
spending Preemptive
Drought
Public disquiet
Project list
 Total of 31 active projects since 23rd June 2008
-
8 (ca. 26%) from Quercus I or competitive tenders (NIEA and NPWS)
2007/08 (ongoing)
2008/09
2009/10
1. Corncrake recovery on Rathlin Island
1. NI Irish hare survey 2008
1. NI Irish hare survey 2009
2. Conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly
2. Conservation of Juniper
2. NHD climate change review
3. Magaritifera population restoration
3. Alder buckthorn genetics
3. Important areas for ponds
4. Water Crowfoot genetics
4. Raptor monitoring workshop
5. Invasive aquatic plants
5. Hydromorphology / macroinvertebrates
6. Grazing on sand dunes
6. Impact of wind farms
7. Rathlin Seabirds declines
7. Bloody-red shrimp invasion
8. Lough Neagh diving ducks
8. Northern mining bee ecology
9. Belfast tidal gauge
9. Wild Margaritifera reproduction
10. Regenerating fen vegetation
10. Brave New Ocean Symposium
11. Muntjac Knowledge Transfer
11. Hen harrier satellite tracking pilot
12. Invasive cordgrass distribution
12. Common lizard distribution and habitat
13. Mink predation and control
13. Irish hare leaflet for farmers
14. European hare hybridisation
15. Hen harrier SPA mapping
Project list
 Total of 31 active projects since 23rd June 2008
-
8 (ca. 26%) from Quercus I or competitive tenders (NIEA and NPWS)
-
26 (ca. 84%) funded by or related to NIEA
2007/08 (ongoing)
2008/09
2009/10
1. Corncrake recovery on Rathlin Island
1. NI Irish hare survey 2008
1. NI Irish hare survey 2009
2. Conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly
2. Conservation of Juniper
2. NHD climate change review
3. Magaritifera population restoration
3. Alder buckthorn genetics
3. Important areas for ponds
4. Water Crowfoot genetics
4. Raptor monitoring workshop
5. Invasive aquatic plants
5. Hydromorphology / macroinvertebrates
6. Grazing on sand dunes
6. Impact of wind farms
7. Rathlin Seabirds declines
7. Bloody-red shrimp invasion
8. Lough Neagh diving ducks
8. Northern mining bee ecology
9. Belfast tidal gauge
9. Wild Margaritifera reproduction
10. Regenerating fen vegetation
10. Brave New Ocean Symposium
11. Muntjac Knowledge Transfer
11. Hen harrier satellite tracking pilot
12. Invasive cordgrass distribution
12. Common lizard distribution and habitat
13. Mink predation and control
13. Irish hare leaflet for farmers
14. European hare hybridisation
15. Hen harrier SPA mapping
Project list
 Total of 31 active projects since 23rd June 2008
-
8 (ca. 26%) from Quercus I or competitive tenders (NIEA and NPWS)
-
26 (ca. 84%) funded by or related to NIEA
-
21 (ca. 68%) funded by or related to NHRP
2007/08 (ongoing)
2008/09
2009/10
1. Corncrake recovery on Rathlin Island
1. NI Irish hare survey 2008
1. NI Irish hare survey 2009
2. Conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly
2. Conservation of Juniper
2. NHD climate change review
3. Magaritifera population restoration
3. Alder buckthorn genetics
3. Important areas for ponds
4. Water Crowfoot genetics
4. Raptor monitoring workshop
5. Invasive aquatic plants
5. Hydromorphology / macroinvertebrates
6. Grazing on sand dunes
6. Impact of wind farms
7. Rathlin Seabirds declines
7. Bloody-red shrimp invasion
8. Lough Neagh diving ducks
8. Northern mining bee ecology
9. Belfast tidal gauge
9. Wild Margaritifera reproduction
10. Regenerating fen vegetation
10. Brave New Ocean Symposium
11. Muntjac Knowledge Transfer
11. Hen harrier satellite tracking pilot
12. Invasive cordgrass distribution
12. Common lizard distribution and habitat
13. Mink predation and control
13. Irish hare leaflet for farmers
14. European hare hybridisation
15. Hen harrier SPA mapping
Project list
 Total of 31 active projects since 23rd June 2008
-
8 (ca. 26%) from Quercus I or competitive tenders (NIEA and NPWS)
-
26 (ca. 84%) funded by or related to NIEA
-
21 (ca. 68%) funded by or related to NHRP
-
10 (ca. 32%) completed within first 15 months
2007/08 (ongoing)
2008/09
2009/10
1. Corncrake recovery on Rathlin Island
1. NI Irish hare survey 2008
1. NI Irish hare survey 2009
2. Conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly
2. Conservation of Juniper
2. NHD climate change review
3. Magaritifera population restoration
3. Alder buckthorn genetics
3. Important areas for ponds
4. Water Crowfoot genetics
4. Raptor monitoring workshop
5. Invasive aquatic plants
5. Hydromorphology / macroinvertebrates
6. Grazing on sand dunes
6. Impact of wind farms
7. Rathlin Seabirds declines
7. Bloody-red shrimp invasion
8. Lough Neagh diving ducks
8. Northern mining bee ecology
9. Belfast tidal gauge
9. Wild Margaritifera reproduction
10. Regenerating fen vegetation
10. Brave New Ocean Symposium
11. Muntjac Knowledge Transfer
11. Hen harrier satellite tracking pilot
12. Invasive cordgrass distribution
12. Common lizard distribution and habitat
13. Mink predation and control
13. Irish hare leaflet for farmers
14. European hare hybridisation
15. Hen harrier SPA mapping
Partnership
Management
Quercus/NHRP
NIEA
Building the Centre
Research staff
 Skilled researchers
 Professional development
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Dr. Jane Preston (Senior Ecologist)
Dr. Marc Ruddock (Hen harriers/wind farms)
Dr. Lynne Tinkler (Climate change)
Dr. Fiona Cooper (Juniper distribution)
Dr. Joanne Murdy (sea level change)
Dr. Katherine Webster (WMU hydromorphology)
Dr. Maria Hughes (Genetics)
Dr. Caroline Bradley (Plant genetics)
Tommy McDermott (WMU aquatic macroinvertebrates)
Gillian Robb (Hare survey/Spartina/Juniper)
Alan Harrison (Hare survey)
Iain Barrett (Hare survey)
Building the Centre
PhD Students




Building research capacity
3 Quercus scholarships
4 NHRP scholarships
2 NHRP part-funded scholarships
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Thomas Bodey (Rathlin corncrake recovery)
Emma Seale (Marsh fritillary ecology)
Conor Wilson (Margaritifera ex-situ cultivation)
Lorraine Chivers (Rathlin Seabirds)
Irena Tomankova (Lough Neagh diving ducks)
Ruth Kelly (Invasive freshwater plants)
Lyndsey Herron (Grazing on sand dunes)
Emily Davis (Northern mining bee ecology)
Kevin Gallagher (Hemimysis anomala invasion)
Building the Centre
Academic associates
•
•
•
•
>30 associated academics
School of Biological Sciences
School of Geography, Archaeology
& Paleoecology
Agri-food and land use
Building the Centre
ToR, Procedures & Dissemination
Building the Centre
Dissemination
 Annual Public lectures
- Prof. Graeme Hays, Swansea University
- Oliver Rackham, University of Cambridge
 Workshops & Conferences
- Raptor Monitoring Workshop: Hen Harriers
- Brave New Ocean Symposium, Jeremy Jackson, California
- Margaritifera Conference (1st October 2009)
- Irish hare leaflet
Building the Centre
Dissemination
 20,678 pages visited
- 92 countries
- 42% of global visits are from the UK
- 31% of UK visits are from Belfast
Research reports
Client reports (x15)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Reid, N., Ruddock, M., Barratt, I., Robb, G.N. & Montgomery, W.I. (2008) Northern Ireland Irish hare survey 2008. Report prepared by
Quercus for the Environment and Heritage Service (DOE, N.I.). UK.
Cooper, F. & Reid, N. (2009) Conservation of Juniper-formations in Ireland. Interim report prepared by Quercus for the National Parks &
Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Republic of Ireland.
Bradley, C., Preston, S.P., Provan, J. & Reid, N. (2009) Current status and conservation genetics of Alder buckthorn Frangula alnus in
Northern Ireland. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency,
Northern Ireland, UK.
Bradley, C., Preston, S.P., Provan, J. & Reid, N. (2009) Current status and conservation genetics of the river water-crowfoot Ranunculus
fluitans. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Northern
Ireland, UK.
Preston, J.S. & Reid, N. (2008) Efficacy of sod removal in regenerating fen vegetation. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research
Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Northern Ireland, UK.
Dick, J.T.A, Provan, J. & Reid, N. (2009) Muntjac Knowledge Transfer: Ecology of introduced muntjac deer and appraisal of control
procedures. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency,
Northern Ireland, UK.
Robb, G.N., McDermott, T. & Reid, N. (2008) Current distribution of Spartina anglica in Northern Ireland. Report prepared by the Natural
Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Northern Ireland, UK.
Roy, S., Reid, N., McDonald, R.A. (2009) A review of mink predation and control in Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 40. National Parks
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland.
Hughes, M., Reid, N., Montgomery, W.I. & Prodöhl, P. A. (2009) Verification of hybridisation between introduced European and native
Irish hares. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency,
Northern Ireland, UK.
Ruddock, M. (2009) Processing informal appeals to designations for Hen Harrier Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Internal report prepared
by Quercus for the National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Republic of Ireland.
Reid, N., Harrison, A.T. & Robb, G.N. (2008) Northern Ireland Irish hare survey 2009. Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research
Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland, UK.
Tinkler, E. & Reid, N. (2008) Identifying priority actions on climate change within the Natural Heritage Directorate. Report prepared by the
Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland, UK.
Keeble, H., Williams, P., Biggs, J. & Reid, N. (2009) Important Areas for Ponds (IAPs) and other small waterbodies in Northern Ireland.
Report prepared by the Natural Heritage Research Partnership, Quercus for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland,
UK.
UWT, Meharg, M. & Reid, N. (2009) Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus): Information and recommendations for farmers. Leaflet prepared
for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland, UK.
Bodey, T. (2009) Impacts of predator manipulations on island predator and prey populations. Unpublished PhD thesis, Queen’s University
Belfast. Prepared for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland, UK.
Research excellence
Selected publications
1. Provan, J., Gemma, B.E., Andrea M., McDonald, R.A. McLaughlin, E., Preston, S.J., Wilson, S. (2008)
Restricted gene flow in fragmented populations of a wind-pollinated tree. Conservation Genetics, 9(6); 1521-1532.
2. Beatty, G.E., McEvoy, P.M., Sweeney, O. & Provan, J. (2008) Range-edge effects promote clonal growth in
peripheral populations of the one-sided wintergreen (Orthilia secunda). Diversity and Distributions 14, 546-555
3. Provan, J., Wilson, S., Portig, A.A. & Maggs, C.A. (2008) The importance of reproductive strategies in population
genetic approaches to conservation: an example from the marine angiosperm genus Zostera. Conservation
Genetics 9, 271-280
4. Reid N., McEvoy P.M. & Preston J.S. (2009) Efficacy of sod removal in
regenerating fen vegetation for the conservation of the marsh fritillary butterfly
Euphydryas aurinia, Montiaghs Moss Nature Reserve, County Antrim, Northern
Ireland. Conservation Evidence, 6; 31-38.
5. Bodey, T., McDonald, R.A. & Bearhop, S. (2009) Mesopredators constrain a top
predator: competitive release of ravens after culling crows. Biology Letters,
doi:10.1098/rsbl.2009.0373.
6. Wilson, C.D., Roberts, D., Preston, S.J. & Provan, J. (in press) Developing
strategies for introductions of captive-bred Margaritifera margaritifera (L.) into the
wild. Hydrobiologia.
Building the Centre
Finance
Strategic development
Strengths
Weaknesses
Partnerships
Science & Policy
Publications
Team
Dynamic staff
Successes
High priority
Opportunities
Threats
Strategic
Development
Short horizon
Marine
Economics
Ecosystem functioning
Recession
from little acorns…
… Natural Heritage Research Partnerships grow