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CapsuleBlack Grouse declines across Scotland were greatest on less heterogeneous moorland, at low to intermediate altitudes and, more weakly, around post-thicket woodland. AimsTo examine correlates of change in abundance of Black Grouse across Scotland. MethodsChanges in abundance within 5-km squares between national surveys in 1995/96 and 2005 were modelled in relation to measures of habitat cover and woodland age derived from satellite imagery. ResultsPopulations across Scotland were most stable where unenclosed moorland comprised rough grassland, intermediate heather cover and at higher altitude. Declines tended to be greatest in squares which had transitioned from pre-thicket to closed-canopy woodland. ConclusionMoorland will be most beneficial where it is heterogeneous in composition, and the role of woodland maturation in driving regional declines has support, albeit more weakly, at a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on the 2009 bird Ringing Scheme of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) covering Great Britain and Ireland to better understand population change. Due to low productivity in 2007 and 2008 and freezing winters, there were decreases in species such as Wren Troglodytes troglodytes, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus and Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus. The number of birds ringed was the highest recorded at 935,867 and recovery total was also high at 14,643.

Capsule Set-aside schemes have allowed breeding Woodlarks to colonize farmland, but heathland and forestry habitats remain the stronghold. Aims To determine which habitats provide the best conditions for breeding Woodlorks and whether a buffer effect is operating, with density increasing faster in the poorer quality habitat as the population grows. Methods Habitat colonization was examined and breeding success compared among heathland, clear- felled and young conifer plantations, and farmland set-aside. Results Woodlarks on heathland and forestry habitats had similar clutch sizes and nesting success, but clutch sizes may be lower on farmland. Heathland was recolonized when population density was low in forest habitats, while farmland was colonized when density was increasing, and areas close to forest were preferentially occupied. Woodlarks breeding on farmland preferred set-aside stubbles to other field types. Conclusion Forestry and heathland habitats are similar in quality for breeding Woodlarks, with no evidence for a buffer effect. Farmland set-aside may be suboptimal but the area available is much greater than the area of forest or heathland, and could therefore make a significant contribution to the conservation of the Woodlark population. However, set-aside should not be seen as an alternative to the conservation of forest and heathland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is valuable to society, including through its contribution to cultural benefits: "the non-material benefits people obtain from biodiversity and ecosystem services through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences". Biodiversity encompasses numerous measures, but the distinct values of these measures have been little studied. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit respondents' (n = 3000) willingness to pay for increases in four measures of bird diversity in UK coastal ecosystems: number of bird species (species richness), number of individual birds (abundance), probability of seeing rare or unusual bird species, and probability of seeing large flocks of birds (wildlife spectacles). Respondents had a positive willingness to pay (through one-time voluntary donations) for increases in all four measures (mean £3 to £5 per household). However, using latent class analysis we found considerable heterogeneity of preferences, identifying four classes of respondents with strikingly different levels of marginal willingness to pay for the four measures. Income, age, environmental activity, visits to environmental settings, and gender were important determinants of class membership. While focussing on birds, our results demonstrate the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of biodiversity in broader ecosystem management, rather than focussing on a single aspect such as species richness or abundance. Our findings also highlight the implications of heterogeneous public preferences for biodiversity for conservationists, planners, shoreline managers and developers. These need to be considered in the development of new frameworks for ecosystem services, and when planning and funding conservation actions so that the cultural benefits will accrue across a range of social groups. • We used a choice experiment to value four different measures of avifauna biodiversity. • Respondents valued species richness, abundance, rare species and wildlife spectacles. • Latent class analysis found considerable heterogeneity in preferences. • Ecosystem management must consider multiple measures of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory species face geographically dispersed pressures over the course of their annual cycles. Designing effective conservation strategies for these species requires a detailed understanding of how these different pressures affect demographic rates throughout the annual cycle. As a long-lived species, population trends in the rapidly declining Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata are likely to be highly sensitive to impacts on adult survival. We combine data from multiple sources to analyse survival rates of overlapping populations that breed and/or winter in the United Kingdom. Our analyses demonstrate that curlew survival rates are reduced by cold weather and at high density; however, overall survival rates are high and have increased in recent years. Current population declines are, therefore, likely to be driven by low productivity. As such, efforts to stabilise and reverse declines should focus on increasing breeding success from current estimated levels of 0.25 chicks nest−1 to 0.43 chicks nest−1. In addition to increasing productivity, effective conservation strategies will need to maintain high levels of survival, which requires an improved understanding of population connectivity and demographic variation throughout the annual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]