Tracking Mammals Partnership News

Small mammal pilot study complete

Small mammals are the main source of food for many species of Britain’s rarer birds and carnivores and are important indicators of environmental change, with several species being sensitive to changes in agricultural practices. However, accurate assessments of the conservation status of most small mammals are not possible because of lack of information. After successfully completing a one-year scoping study, The Mammal Society, with support from JNCC, commenced a two-year pilot scheme in 2006. Around 20 expert volunteers have spent many hours in the field over the last two years trialing a variety of methods in different combinations, including live trapping, hair tubes and sign identification, to develop a bi-annual, multi-species monitoring scheme that could be carried out using a nationwide network of volunteers. The final report of the pilot study is currently being assessed before any decision can be made regarding the implementation of a scheme for small mammal monitoring.

For further information, please visit The Mammal Society's website.

Review of UK BAP priority list of species completed

The review of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list of species and habitats was finalised in 2007. The review relied quite heavily on monitoring data to provide evidence on the status of individual species. As a result of the BAP review there are now 1,149 species on the UK BAP priority list, 18 of which are mammals. This exercise highlighte the paucity of information on habitat availability and use by species. To deal with the problem, all BAP priority species are being linked to BAP priority habitats to deliver future action plans.

Conservation Status Assessments for European Protected mammals

The reporting on conservation status of European Protected Species under the EC Habitats Directive is complete and the species status assessments are now available online. All species listed on the Annexes to the Directive, including 23 UK land mammals, have been assessed to see if they are at Favourable Conservation Status in the UK and other EC countries. The status assessment has involved examining each  species current range and change in range since historic times, population size and trends, availability of suitable habitat and  prospects for the future. The data from the TMP schemes has been used to improve information on distribution and to assess the state of populations, and has helped the mammal assessments to be quite detailed.

Update on TMP survey results 2008

Following the publication in 2005 of the first major report, UK Mammals: Species Status and Population Trends, the Tracking Mammals Partnership (TMP) has published the third annual update (2008). This update aims to provide a summary of current trends for all mammals covered in the TMP schemes, information on progress with improving species coverage, and explain more about the uses of the information collected by volunteers. The TMP is currently reporting annual trends for 35 terrestrial mammals, 54% of our land mammal fauna. Sixteen species, 46%, have increasing populations, and 11 species, 31%, have stable populations. Six species, 17%, are declining, and for two species the trends are unclear. Unfortunately, four of the increasing species - common rat, grey squirrel, sika deer and muntjac - are non-natives that cause problems for our native fauna.

Publication of National Gamebag Census 2007/8

The Game and Wildlife Conservation trust has published their latest research report Participation of the National Gamebag Census in the Mammal Surveillance Network 2007-08 which provides abundance and distribution data for 19 mammal species (Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, Brown Hare Lepus europaeus, Mountain Hare Lepus timidus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Red Deer Cervus elaphus, Fallow Deer Dama dama, Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi, Sika Deer Cervus nippon, Chinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus, Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis, Fox Vulpes vulpes, Feral Cat Felis catus, Weasel Mustela nivalis, Stoat Mustela erminea, Polecat Mustela putorius, Mink Mustela vison, Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus), based from information collected on 600 estates. At the UK level, mammal species coverage is good except for Chinese Water Deer and Wild Boar. At the UK level, the NGC data show significant medium-term (post-1960) increases in bag sizes for Rabbit, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Grey Squirrel, Fox, Stoat, Mink and Brown Rat, and significant medium-term decreases in bag sizes for Brown Hare, Hedgehog, Feral Cat and Weasel.

Publication of The State of the UK's Bats 2006

In February 2008, The Bat Conservation Trust published The State of the UK's Bats 2006 which is the third summary report on species population trends from the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) and covers the period Jan 1997 – Feb 2007. It aims to be a quick reference guide to NBMP trend results.

Update on TMP survey results 2007

This is the second annual update following the first major report on UK mammals’ status and trends, published in 2005. Eleven native species (mole, greater horseshoe bat, lesser horseshoe bat, Natterer’s bat, Daubenton’s bat, common pipistrelle, stoat, weasel, badger, otter and roe deer) have increasing populations. However, five non-native species (grey squirrel, rat, sika deer, fallow deer and muntjac) also have increasing populations, which can pose a threat to our more vulnerable natives, such as red squirrel and wildcat. There is bad news for some of our native species with continued declines for hedgehog, water vole and hazel dormouse. This update also provide a summary of current trends for all mammals covered in the TMP schemes, progress with increasing species coverage and explain more about the uses of the information collected by volunteers.

Publication of National Bat Monitoring Programme report 2006

The Bat Conservation Trust has published National Bat Monitoring Programme report 2006 which produces statistically robust population trends for 11 of the UK’s 17 resident bat species. Significant positive trends were reported for greater horseshoe (Colony Count), lesser horseshoe (Hibernation Survey & Colony Count), Daubenton’s bat (Waterway Survey), Natterer’s bat (Hibernation Survey) and common pipistrelle (Field Survey). The greater horseshoe and Daubenton’s bat trends should still be treated with caution, and Significant negative trends were reported for common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle (Colony Counts).. Surveys for other species showed no significant changes.

Publication of National Gamebag Census 2006/7

The Game and Wildlife Conservation trust has published their latest research report Participation of the National Gamebag Census in the Mammal Surveillance Network 2006-07 which provides abundance and distribution data for 19 mammal species (Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, Brown Hare Lepus europaeus, Mountain Hare Lepus timidus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Red Deer Cervus elaphus, Fallow Deer Dama dama, Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi, Sika Deer Cervus nippon, Chinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus, Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis, Fox Vulpes vulpes, Feral Cat Felis catus, Weasel Mustela nivalis, Stoat Mustela erminea, Polecat Mustela putorius, Mink Mustela vison, Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus).

Publication of The production of population trends for UK mammals using BBS mammal data: 1995-2005

The Brtitish Trust for Ornithology has published their latest report The production of population trends for UK mammals using BBS mammal data: 1995-2005 update which uses mammal data recorded by Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) participants on their 1-km squares. Annual indices of relative abundance are produced at a national scale for nine mammal species – Brown Hare, Mountain/Irish Hare, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Red Fox, Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Roe Deer and Reeves’ Muntjac. There are six mammal species (Badger, Mole, Hedgehog, Brown Rat, Stoat and Weasel) for which there were insufficient count data to produce indices of abundance, but for which evidence such as field signs, dead animals or gamekeeper knowledge could be used to record occurrence.

Publication of Red squirrel pilot study