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The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT), a conservation charity launched at the University of Stirling in 2006, was aimed at bridging the gap between research findings and conservation practice. BBCT now has 11 staff, offices and staff based in England, Wales and Scotland, 8,000 paying members, and has involved >12,000 people in bumblebee recording or conservation. Other impacts include awareness raising through extensive media coverage for bumblebee conservation, creation of an education pack for primary schools, joint initiatives with a nationwide Garden Centre chain (Wyevale) and a supermarket (Morrisons), helping to create >2,000 ha of flower rich habitat, involvement in a reintroduction attempt for the locally extinct short-haired bumblebee, political lobbying and influencing national and international policy.
York research on the responses of species to habitat fragmentation has led to a paradigm shift in the approach to conservation that has permeated non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governmental agencies and intergovernmental bodies; the traditional concept of protecting and managing populations of species in isolated reserves has largely been replaced by landscape-scale conservation strategies, which increase the long-term survival of species. This new approach is now accepted government policy and has altered practical land designation and management for conservation over millions of hectares in the UK, as well as affecting the strategies adopted by most global conservation organisations and countries in the world.
Identification of rare plant species on nature reserves at Malham (Yorks.) and Morvich (W. Scotland) led to site managers developing sympathetic management approaches to ensure the species' conservation. These are detailed in management plans and include reduction in grazing and introduction of population census to assess management success. In addition, incorporation of the discoveries into plant guides has led to increased awareness of the two species which in turn has drawn naturalists to view and photograph them. Thus the research at Edge Hill has led to the conservation of and increased awareness of a rare component of the UK flora.
The decline of bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators has been widely described as a "pollination crisis" (e.g. Progress Report of FAO on the Implementation of the International Pollinators Initiative - September 2012) which could have profound effects on both food security, and wild plant populations and the ecosystem services they support. Research by Professor Jeff Ollerton and colleagues into the ecology and diversity of plant-pollinator interactions has: (a) provided a scientific evidence base that has influenced national and international policies relating to the conservation of pollinator populations; (b) raised national and international public awareness of the subject of pollinator conservation; and (c) led to positive changes in UK gardening practices.
York research developed the essential common ground of our understanding of invasive alien species, highlighting their effects on biodiversity and their economic costs. The conceptual frameworks developed at York underpin all subsequent policies and practical strategies in 2008-2013, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), whose 193 signatory countries are legally bound to "prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species". UK and international policies and strategies to prevent new introductions and control established aliens stem directly from York research.
Listing an endangered DPS under US law (governed by the Endangered Species Act, ESA, of 1973) requires the use of genetic markers to assess the extent of reproductive isolation, direction and pattern of gene flow, and effective size of the DPS under assessment. Professor Hoelzel's group provided these essential data from work in multiple peer-review publications, and in a commissioned report in 2004 in support of a successful petition by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to protect the killer whale population residing in the inland waters of Washington State, USA, after it was shown to have declined by 20% in 10 years (Krahn et al. 2004; see volume 79, No.222 of the Federal Register for DPS listing). This formed the foundation for on-going impact on policy and regulation between 2008 and the present, including support in response to petitions filed in 2012 and 2013 (see testimonial from the Branch Chief, NOAA Fisheries). Killer whale sustainability in this region reflects general ecosystem health and supports an economically important whale-watch industry.
This case study concerns the impact of Plymouth University research relating to farmed fish diets, which led to changes to EU legislation with respect to two types of ingredients: animal proteins and probiotics. The impact of the reintroduction of certain animal proteins in farmed fish feeds (previously banned to protect human health) and to the authorization of a probiotic as a feed additive, involved industry investment in research, have reduced the environmental impact of farmed fishing, improved competitiveness, enhanced yield and quality and improved fish health and survival.
In 2008-2009 the UK was subject to legal infraction proceedings at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for allegedly failing to implement the European Union's Urban Waste-water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Research by the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, Hull (IECS) for the Environment Agency (EA)/Defra provided evidence to the UK Government for its defence against these allegations. The research consisted of:
- literature/data reviews and collection and analysis of critical evidence from the Humber.
- co-ordinating workshops and convening an expert panel of sufficient authoritative academic opinion to counteract the European Court of Justice allegations.
In December 2009 the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of the UK. Our research therefore helped to save very significant, unnecessary capital investment in nutrient removal technology for sewage treatment nationally and in the Yorkshire and Humber region especially. The UK government thus avoided the possibility of major European Commission fines of up to €703,000 per day, or €256m per annum, for infraction of the Urban Water-water Treatment Directive [1].
Since 2002, the highly-invasive horse-chestnut leaf-miner moth has caused significant damage to horse-chestnut trees as it spread rapidly across the whole of England and Wales. It is unclear how this species has spread so quickly and so successfully. This case study outlines `Conker Tree Science', a project that addressed this question and, in so doing, had impact of significance and genuine reach on the public's understanding of, and engagement with, our changing environment.
The impact of `Conker Tree Science' encompassed three main elements. First, it produced a cohort of citizen scientists undertaking useful field-observations for genuine, hypothesis-led science. Second, the success of this project was so notable that `Conker Tree Science' was used as evidence of best practice for `citizen science' by RCUK. By extension, this process will help to produce further citizen scientists. Third, the project was also celebrated widely in the national media and as such, the project's reach was substantial as it informed the public about environmental issues and challenges. In addition, the project's data also contributed to Forestry Research (the Forestry Commission research institute) in its understanding of the diffusion of this invasive species.
Based on biogenic reef research at Heriot-Watt University (HWU), nine Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been designated and established in the Northeast Atlantic, Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, and a further six are under consideration. These MPAs represent 10% of the Caribbean Sea area, 6% of the UK's inshore Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and 18% of the MPAs under consideration in Scotland. In addition, our ecological assessments of the biodiversity value and structure of biogenic habitats, and their sensitivities to widespread stressors, stakeholder conflict assessment and economic assessments have underpinned the objectives, management measures and assessment of MPAs, and other marine spatial planning initiatives, undertaken in the context of both the current marine environmental conditions and future climate change trajectories.