CONSERVATION & ECOLOGY The scale of a site and opportunities for


expansion of lichen communities is vitally important; fragmentation of sites through development impacts directly on species that are not able to disperse spores over distance. Neighbouring riverine, hedgerow and way-side trees are important links in the continuum of diversity.


Saproxylic insects


Saproxylic species are not only specialised to what is now quite a rare habitat but are also only able to disperse over small distances. This makes fragmentation a real threat. These beetles now mainly reside in the isolated refuges that have been able to provide a continuous and plentiful source of dead wood.


Almost one-fifth of Europe’s wood beetles are at risk of extinction due to a widespread decline in ancient trees, according to a new report which suggests their demise could have devastating knock-on effects for other species.


18% of saproxylic beetles now exist on a conservation plane between “vulnerable” and “critically endangered”. Another 13% of the insects are considered “near threatened” and their disappearance could have a disastrous impact on biodiversity and ecosystems.


What can you do?


The demise of insects, especially bees and butterflies, is well documented, with a 40% decline estimated worldwide.


Sometimes, it seems that ‘doing your bit’ in your corner of the world will have little effect, but leaving a fallen tree or branch to go through its natural decaying process is one of the simplest things to do - assuming it hasn’t fallen across a fairway! Even then, the tree can be moved to a safer place and/or chopped up and converted into log piles and living walls. Include signage to explain to members and the general public the reasons behind these seemingly disregarded areas. Write about them in your newsletters. The more you inform, the more informed they will be and, given the concerns for the welfare of the planet in general, you are likely to garner the respect of your members ... and the wildlife you are helping!


The good old days!


I remember a time when mum used to hang fly paper from the kitchen ceiling to catch flying insects - especially houseflies and bluebottles - in an effort to stop them infesting the house. No home, it seemed, could avoid half a dozen or more houseflies dizzily circling the lampshade, whilst bluebottles entered any open window or door - at speed - and proceeded to visit every room in the house like an out of control drone, bashing themselves senseless against any closed window in the process. This would go on for what seemed an eternity until the bluebottle either exited from whence it had come, or dad had been successful in hunting it down with a rolled-up newspaper or a purpose-made plastic fly swat.


Outside in the garden, the buzz of bees could always be heard and butterflies fluttered prettily by, whilst wasps would pester anyone foolish enough to be holding a soft drink, jam sandwich or similar sweet confection, often resulting in much thrashing about and screaming. “Just sit still” would come the not so reassuring advice from parents. Summertime car journeys would result in hundreds of insects being splattered against windscreens and headlights; so many, at times, that the driver would be required to pull over to remove them using a scraper kept in the boot for just such a purpose. Wipers and screen wash did nothing more than smear them over the glass!


May Bugs (cockchafers) and flying ants would swarm in vast numbers, with the former happy to settle in the back-combed or permed hair of young ladies; their buzzing leading to screams of delirium from the temporary host!


Cabbage white caterpillars would appear in huge numbers on dad’s prize vegetables and proceed to munch away at the leaves. No problem for me as I despised cabbage!


Many common garden butterflies, such as red admiral, comma and small tortoiseshell, laid their eggs on stinging nettles, the host plant providing food for the caterpillars. Now, nettles are often grubbed out to make way for more ‘attractive’ plants.


If all this seems a tad fanciful to younger readers, believe me, it is not. Such was the abundance of insects in the sixties through to the eighties. Such occurrences are very rare these days and most car journeys now are ‘fly free’, whilst homeowners can open their windows and doors safe in the knowledge that, apart from the occasional six-legged intruder, the same is true. So, what happened?


Musk Beetle (Aromia moschata)


Intensive farming, in short. It is too deep a subject to go into in detail, but an ever


PC June/July 2020 119


increasing - and demanding - human race required feeding, so all manner of chemicals were poured onto the land to achieve this, whilst hedgerows and trees were grubbed out to provide the maximum area for growing produce and raising livestock.


Supermarkets too insisted on perfect products. No spots on apples, no blemishes on fruit, uniform vegetables, and a plentiful supply of cheap and tasteless chicken; all requiring considerable ‘advances’ in land management. Something had to give. The first real signs of anything being wrong came in the early 1980s when a sharp decline in farmland birds was observed; a trend that has sadly continued. A few years later, and woodland birds also suffered a decline in numbers, although not to the same extent. The decline in wetland and water birds has not been so marked, quite possibly because much of their food source is not affected by chemical use. That said, we may yet see a decline in this sector due to microplastics in the sea.


Whilst insects are at the bottom of the food chain, their importance to all life cannot be overstressed. From general pollination - an essential role in itself - through to being a vital food source for birds and animals, insects demand both our respect and protection.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156