Lecture 4: Changing UK Landscape 3

Question 1

Ancient woodlands

Answer 1

Ancient woodland (pre-1650) is now a conservation priority due to both the tree and herbaceous species they contain, though they are not the original wildwood, which is now absent from the UK

• But even ancient woodlands are managed ecosystems, and this is what is being conserved – do not confuse the conservation of ancient woodland with the preservation of a pristine ecosystem that existed before human intervention –

all UK conservation is subjective preservation of land-management methods and associated biodiversity

Question 2

Species extinctions and introductions: Native

Answer 2

arrived naturally following glacial retreat, e.g. fox, oak tree,
lime

Question 3

Species extinctions and introductions: Naturalised

Answer 3

introduced by humans but maintain populations without further intervention, e.g. brown rat, pheasant, grey squirrel

Question 4

Species extinctions and introductions: Exotic

Answer 4

introduced by humans and dependent on domestication, e.g. guinea pig, walnut, cannabis

Question 5

Species extinctions and introductions: Extirpation

Answer 5

the removal of a species from a given geographical area, such that there is a gap in its spatial distribution (e.g. bears, wolves from the UK). Most UK extirpations have been mammals

Question 6

Species extinctions and introductions: Extinction

Answer 6

the loss of a species from the planet (e.g. dodo)

Question 7

Species extinctions- 130,000-190,000

Answer 7

130,000 - 190,000 BC, Britain supported species of lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, cave bear and sabre-toothed cat, though these mega-mammals were probably hunted to extinction by old stone age (Palaeolithic) humans

Within the Holocene, large (but not mega) mammals were extirpated from Britain by a combination of hunting and reduction of wildwood

Question 8

Grey wolf- extinction

Answer 8

(Canis lupus) was common until quite recently – not specifically associated with woodland, but mainly subject to persecution for agricultural, economic and even religious reasons
• Records are mainly from Wales and northern England until 1281, when Edward I (Longshanks) ordered them all destroyed, though there is some anecdotal evidence that they remained in the North Yorkshire Moors for another century, and in Scotland they remained until 1682 and Ireland until 1710
• There is now increasing interest in reintroducing the wolf to the UK (e.g. Wolf Trust, IUCN), primarily in Scotland, though there is opposition from farmers and landowners – natural recolonisation is occurring in Europe, but UK is an island…

Question 9

Grey squirrel introduction

Answer 9

The grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is one of several squirrels native to North America
• Released on at least 31 occasions between 1876-1929, in the south of England – now covers all of the UK apart from N Scotland and parts of Ireland
• Displaced the red squirrel (Sciurrus sciurus), though it is not clear whether this was native and indeed was viewed as a pest in the 1800s

reds are common in conifers areas though these are rare, and populations may have increased with conifer plantations
• Greys spread disease that the reds are susceptible to and may out- compete them (though this seems unlikely) – greys are also seen as a pest as they damage tree bark and take nuts, esp hazel

Question 10

Nature and culture

Answer 10

nature and culture are linked

cultural trends will always dictate how we view, use and value nature, and whether we want to protect it

scientific observations are important in helping us retain some objectivity and provide context for how things have changed and are likely to change