Abstract from BTO Research Report No 223:

Toms, M.P., Siriwardena, G.M. & Greenwood, J.J.D.

Developing a mammal monitoring programme for the UK.

PART I. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF UK MAMMAL MONITORING

The purpose of this part of the report is to set the scene for the rest. It does so in three somewhat disparate sections. The first begins with a discussion of what we mean by monitoring and of its role in conservation, which it is crucial to understand if one is to design good monitoring schemes. We go on briefly to review the status of British and Irish mammals, why we need to monitor them, and the broad aims of such monitoring.

The second section begins with a brief reminder of the current state of UK mammal monitoring. It summarises the proposals of MMR (see front of this report for main references) and then presents our responses to each of them, except for those for which more detailed discussion is presented in later parts of the report. Section 3 briefly considers how the monitoring is different from that of birds, to ensure that both the authors and the readers of this report do not make unwarranted assumptions. The authors, with largely ornithological rather than theriological experience, are particularly likely to do so. Furthermore, the methods of bird monitoring are so well-known and well-developed that even non-ornithologists may translate them to mammals unless they carefully consider the differences.

It is perhaps worth remarking here that, in Part I of the report in particular, we have generally used BTO examples to illustrate points being made rather than examples from other monitoring work. While we have no doubt that examples could have been found elsewhere, it has been more efficient for us to stick to the illustrative examples with which we are most familiar.

Back to Research Reports 159-247