The April E-Bulletin ("Biodiversity News in Norfolk"): available to DOWNLOAD NOW (10/05/13)
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A collection of interesting national biodiversity news from April (08/05/13)
IEEM has become CIEEM
Professional Ecology and Environmental Management is changing as IEEM becomes CIEEM with a Royal Charter.
http://www.nbn.org.uk/News/Latest-news/Professional-Ecology-and-Environm...
Long-term farm research gives farmland birds a lift
For the last five years, Hillesden Farm in Buckinghamshire has been the home of a detailed study where areas of the farm have been managed under different Environmental Stewardship options to provide a scientific comparison on how best to tackle the ‘hungry gap’ for farmland birds - the period between mid-winter and spring when naturally available and planted bird seed food can be in short supply in the countryside. The Hillesden Farm study showed that winter food habitats were largely exhausted by the end of December and that the separate provision of food at the farm level appeared to significantly increase the number of birds surviving over the winter.
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2013/050313.aspx
A recent paper in the Journal of Wildlife Management says that increasing deer densities are damaging Britain's ecosystems and that annual culls of 50-60% are needed for certain species.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.530/full
http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2013/March/deer-cull-research
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21688447
National Federation for Biological Recording has become the National Forum for Biological Recording. It came to life at the annual conference in April.
http://www.nfbr.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Main_Page
Aquatic invasive species threat to UK rivers - Wildlifeextra.com
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/invasive-aquatics.html
Parks, gardens & green space in urban areas can improve the wellbeing and quality of life of people living there - BBC News Health - 22 April 2013
http://bbc.in/108jrTx
Forestry Commission - News - next generation may be the last to see the native bluebell - Forestry Commission - 17 April 2013
http://t.co/uYftjcYc0f
Citizen science projects are the ultimate in public outreach, but researchers need to know their goals - Naturejobs.com - 10th April 2013
http://j.mp/151dake
The UK's nature reserves act as 'ecological welcome mats' to new species, according to scientists - BBC Nature News - 10th April 2013
http://t.co/ZP5qUvn0kR
Taxonomists an endangered species - ETH Life
http://t.co/EehLyvxe1o
New report looks at our intergrated species monitoring programme - Natural England - 04 April 2013
http://ow.ly/jJSz8
Helpful wildlife that keep pests out of the veg patch - The Telegraph - 04 April 2013
http://t.co/riD6x68F2v
Are childhood experiences the key to the long-term health of nature and the conservation sector? - The Ecologist 04 April 2013
http://t.co/MUcBuu0KQs
Food chain in disarray after changes in voles' boom-and-bust breeding cycle - The Independent - 04 April 2013
http://ind.pn/12kcXs5
This frozen spring has cost us the buzz of the English bumblebee - The Independent - 03 April 2013
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/nature_studies/this-froz...
Field Studies Council (FSC) and Natural England announce ‘citizen science’ programme to train volunteer wildlife recorders - Natural England - 02 April 2013
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2013/020413.aspx
An update from the Moss and Liverwort worlds, including a new county record (03/05/2013)
Robin Stevenson has provided us with an early 2013 update on some interesting Bryophyte records. As it seems is customary he ends with poking fun at our occasional cake days and the excellent wildlife cake baked by one of our volunteers earlier in the year.....
A couple of snippets for you.
1) a new County record, 2) a couple of reappearances after long gaps.
1. On the Norfolk Bryology Group meeting to Marsham Great Wood, on 23rd February, Plagiothecium laetum (Bright Silk-moss) was found, new to Norfolk.
2. On 15th February, whilst making their way to Helhoughton Common to join up with the Norfolk Bryology Group, two Cambridge bryologists (Mark Hill and Jonathan Shanklin), stopped off in Helhoughton churchyard and found Leptobarbula berica (Beric Beard-moss). This is a very tiny, and therefore easily overlooked plant which was first found in Norfolk back in 1967, growing on damp brickwork on the Corn Exchange in King’s Lynn. It vanished from that site when the building was repointed and the down pipes repaired, although it was found in east Norfolk in 2011, in Gawdy Hall Big Wood. It is, however, a pleasure to welcome it back to west Norfolk.
The liverwort Frullania tamarisci (Tamarisk Scalewort) was last recorded in 1986, growing on a willow in Cranberry Rough. Much to my surprise a healthy colony turned up, again on willow, in Bawsey Country Park on the outskirts of King’s Lynn on March 15th this year.
If anybody decides they are going to do a Moss Cake for an office cake day, I am (in exchange for a slice of the cake), prepared to offer any technical assistance which may be needed to ensure accuracy.
Cheers,
Robin
CR Stevenson
Photos: Robin Stevenson. Top Plagiothecium laetum at Marsham Great Wood Feb 2013; bottom Frullania tamarisci at Bawsey Country Park
general email: 
Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts)
Go wild at Barton Broad
Public Policy Exchange Symposium “Protecting our most precious resource: tackling water pollution from the urban environment” 
