1.Conservation practices in Europe frequently attempt to perpetuate or mimic the ‘tradi-tional’ forms of management of semi-natural habitats, but with a limited understanding of what these entailed. 2.We review the emerging understanding of ecological processes, structures and management interventions that enhance biodiversity (wildlife) at diverse scales. These are then examined in the context of pre-industrial (c. 1200–1750) land management systems in lowland England, in order to identify historic practices which are likely to have provided important wildlife resources, but which are relatively neglected in current conservation management. 3.Principles enhancing alpha and beta diversity and the conservation status of threatened species include structural complexity and heterogeneity at nested spatial scales; physical disturbance and exposure of mineral substrate; nutrient removal; lengthened successional rotations; and spatial variation in grazing regimes. 4.The available evidence suggests that pre-industrial land management was generally characterized by intense resource exploitation and significant levels of biomass harvest; complex nested structural heterogeneity both between and within landscape elements; overlaying of multiple land uses; and spatial and temporal variability in management, rendering the concept of long-lived ‘traditional’ practice problematic. Grazing patterns are poorly understood, but intensive grazing was probably the norm in most contexts, potentially resulting in simplified sward structures and suppressed ecotonal vegetation. 5.In much of the pre-industrial period, early-successional and disturbed microhabitats were widespread, but ungrazed or lightly grazed herb-rich vegetation may have been limited, the converse of current conservation management. The key change since then has been homogenization at multiple scales, coupled with reduction of specific niches and conditions. 6.Synthesis and applications.In adopting perceived ‘traditional’ management practices, mod-ern conservation rarely achieves the range and complexity of conditions that were present in the past. A better understanding of past practices allows more favourable management of those surviving semi-natural habitats where historic assemblages persist–with greater emphasis on physical disturbance and variability in prescriptions both temporally and spatially.When creating or restoring habitats, after interruption of management sufficiently long for dependent assemblages to be lost, better appreciation of historic management encourages novel forms of intervention to enhance biodiversity, with emphasis on complex structural and spatial heterogeneity at nested scales, biomass removal and nutrient reduction. These strongly management-based approaches are complementary to the use of large herbivores to create and maintain dynamic ecotonal mosaics in the manner advocated by some proponents of ‘rewilding’.

This report addresses the question of how responses by woodland managers to the dieback of ash (Fraxineus excelsior) caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus coud alter the opportunities for woodland wildlife in Britian. Introduction, The Geographical and Ecological Distribution of Ash, The Disease: Its Spread and Symptons, Two East Anglian Case Studies, Management Responses to Ash Dieback, Resources and Key Structures Potentially Affected by Management Responses, Potential Resource Availability Under Different Management Scenarios, Interactions of Ash Dieback with Deer, Conclusions, Acknowlegements, References

This wonderful book includes a selection of the most stunning images from the winners and short-listed photographers who took part in the Bird Photographer of the Year award 2016. Bird Photographer of the Year is a collaboration and partnership between BTO and Nature Photographers Ltd. Both the annual competition and this book celebrate the artistry of bird photography. It is a tribute to both the dedication and passion of the photographers as well as a reflection of the quality of today's modern digital imaging systems 256 pages with over 230 images Over 150 species represented 128 photographers Foreword by BTO President Chris Packham Published 20 August 2016

New research led by the BTO has used a combination of GPS-tracking and advanced statistics to provide new insights into seabird flight heights by night and day. This study gives important information on the risk of seabirds colliding with offshore wind turbines and at a time when governments worldwide are investing in offshore wind farms. Offshore wind farms are now operating or under construction in many locations, but while spinning turbine blades are crucial for generating renewable energy, they also represent a potential threat for flying animals, particularly seabirds, which can be injured and killed if they collide with them. In order to correctly characterise the extent of this threat, we need accurate measurements of the height at which seabirds fly. New research by the BTO has demonstrated a novel way to do this, using state-of-the-art GPS tags and cutting edge statistics. The work, led by Viola Ross-Smith and Ali Johnston, used data downloaded from long-life GPS tags fitted to Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas breeding at protected colonies in Suffolk, Orkney and Shetland. GPS tags record flight height with error, which varies depending on the configuration of satellites in the sky at the time each measurement is taken. The study solved this error problem using a powerful statistical technique known as a Bayesian state-space model. The analysis also examined the association between a bird’s location and its flight height, as well as how flight behaviour varies between day and night. The results showed that Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew significantly lower at sea than over land, and significantly lower at night, when turbines might be harder to detect and avoid, than during the day. Great Skuas flew lower than Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but did not show significant relationships between flight height, location and time of day. Importantly, the study found that both species, but particularly Great Skuas, primarily flew beneath the height of offshore wind turbine blades. The results also support previous BTO research in suggesting that Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas are safer when turbines are designed so that the lower edge of the blades is 30 m above sea level (as opposed to some current turbine designs, where the blade tips reach 22 m above sea level). This study describes an effective way of resolving the problem of error associated with GPS tracking data, which can be used to provide important information on seabirds’ risk of collision with offshore wind turbines. This approach could be applied more widely, to reliably model animal movement at a time when tracking is increasingly being used as a tool to inform management and conservation. For further information on the modelling used in this study, please see this blog for the Journal of Applied Ecology.

When the BTO began ground-breaking Cuckoo tracking project in 2011, we had very little idea where these birds spent the winter or how they got there. Our latest research not only reveals this information, but also shows that Cuckoos’ use of autumn migration routes helps explain population declines. 56 Autumn migration routes 2011-14. Infographic by Nigel Hawtin.Like many migrant birds, the Cuckoo is in long-term decline as a breeding bird in Britain, and has been on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern since 2009. The breeding behaviour of the Cuckoo has been very well-studied, but until recently, knowledge of this species’ migratory and wintering behaviour was very limited. In 2011, a BTO team, led by Chris Hewson, set out to change this, using satellite-tags to track the movements of male Cuckoos breeding in East Anglia. This study has since been extended to track males from several other sites across Britain. This work has not only revealed details of Cuckoos’ migration timings and wintering grounds, but has also showed “our” breeding birds take one of two routes south to Africa after breeding. Crucially, differential rates of mortality have been found on these routes, which strongly correlate with breeding population trends. The study included information from 42 male Cuckoos tagged at nine different breeding locations in England, Scotland and Wales, and tracked over 56 autumn migrations between 2011 and 2014. Birds either migrated southwest via Spain and Morocco (the ‘west route’) or southeast via Italy or the Balkans (the ‘east route’) before converging in the Congo basin of central Africa. Birds taking the west route left eight days later on average than those taking the east route. Interestingly, birds on the west route were more likely to die before completing the Sahara crossing, even though their route was 12% shorter to this point, demonstrating route-specific costs of migration for the first time. There was no difference in survival during the rest of their southward migrations, or during their return northward journeys to the breeding grounds. The differences in survival were correlated with breeding population changes assessed via two independent datasets – from bird Atlases in 1988-1991 and 2007-2011, and from the annual BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. The strong relationships found provide the first direct evidence that conditions encountered during migration can have an impact on breeding populations. Despite the obvious ecological barrier presented by the Sahara, most of the mortality on the west route occurred in Europe, suggesting the conditions at stopover sites are responsible. In recent years, Spain has suffered droughts and wildfires, which might have affected the Cuckoos, although other factors like large-scale habitat change might also have played a role. Declines in Cuckoos’ main food source on the breeding grounds (the caterpillars of large moths) were also particularly severe in areas in which birds migrating on the west route were tagged, which might have compounded difficulties encountered further south, especially given their later departure dates from the UK but similar arrival time south of the Sahara, which suggests they may undertake more fattening here than birds that migrate via Italy. The fact that the western route persists despite the apparent disadvantages suggests that the conditions leading to increased mortality have arisen recently. This study not only demonstrates how conditions during migration can influence the population dynamics of long-distance migrants through effects on survival, but also underlines the need for a full annual-cycle approach to understanding migratory birds and their conservation needs. The results show unexpected variation in migration routes and mortality and this illustrates that we need to collect information on the variability in migratory behaviour and performance if we are to understand migratory animal declines in general. Future work of this sort will be vital for the conservation of Afro-Palaearctic migrants. It will be needed to identify key areas where stopover site quality has declined, and could be used to predict future responses of species to climate change, for instance.