Long-term strategic recovery plan for pine martens in Britain (Jenny MacPherson and Patrick Wright, June 2021)

The aim of this document is to set out a strategic, long-term recovery plan for pine martens in Britain. It follows on from a previous strategy produced in 2011 (Jordan, 2011), which outlined the practical work and research needed to restore and secure the future of pine marten populations in England and Wales up until 2020.

We present a summary of what has been achieved so far and set out a continuing recovery plan for pine martens across Britain that maintains this strategic approach, while emphasising the importance of conserving recovering populations in Scotland.

Photo: ©Robert Cruickshanks/ootmahoosewindae.com

Finch, D. et al. (2020) Implications of Endectocide Residues on the Survival of Aphodiine Dung Beetles: A Meta‐Analysis

This quantitative meta-analysis of 22 studies documents the non-target effects of endectocide residues on dung-dwelling organisms,  such as the Aphodiine dung beetle and provides evidence on the consequences of different application methods, and the need for standardised methodological techniques in future studies.

Photo: Aphodius fossor @British Scarabs CC BY-NC-ND

Pine Martens Return to Wales project leaflet (bilingual – updated 2020)

Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Pine Marten Recovery Project leaflet has been updated to give a more recent summary of this innovative project and its outcomes.

Photo: ©A. Achterberg

Wright, P. G. R. et al (2021) Can effective population size estimates be used to monitor population trends of woodland bats? A case study of Myotis bechsteinii.

This paper uses a case study on  the elusive woodland bat Bechstein’s bat (Myotis bechsteinii) to explore the effectiveness of genetic approaches as a way to monitor elusive long-lived species.

Photo: Bechstein’s bat ©Henry Schofield

Croose, E. et al (2019) Comparing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of sampling methods for estimating population abundance and density of a recovering carnivore: the European pine marten (Martes martes)

This paper compares the efficacy of three survey methods (live trapping, hair tubes and scats) for estimating abundance and population density of the European pine marten (Martes martes) in Galloway Forest, Scotland.

Photo: ©Robert Cruickshanks/ootmahoosewindae.com

Croose, E. et al (2016) Sample diversity adds value to non-invasive genetic assessment of a pine marten (Martes martes) population in Galloway Forest, southwest Scotland

This paper looks at how including both hair and scat samples improves the detection of individual pine martens in non-invasive studies.

Photo: ©Robert Cruickshanks/Ootmahosewindae.com

Using Circuitscape to identify potential landscape corridors for the lesser horseshoe bat in Ireland

This report presents the results of a modelling study funded by National Parks and Wildlife Service during 2020. The study investigates the gaps in the distribution of the lesser horseshoe bat in Ireland over its entire range, incorporating datasets on land cover, roads, linear habitat features and density of artificial lighting, to produce a baseline map of potential ecological corridors to connect lesser horseshoe bat sub-populations.

Sainsbury, K. et al. (2020). Diets of European polecat Mustela putorius in Great Britain during fifty years of population recovery.

We analysed stomach contents from 99 polecats collected in 2012–2016 and compared results with earlier studies.

McNicol et al. (2020). Postrelease movement and habitat selection of translocated pine martens Martes martes

We used radio-tracking to describe postrelease
movement and habitat selection of pine martens translocated from Scotland to Wales.

McNicol et al. (2020). Translocated native pine martens Martes martes alter short-term space use by invasive non-native grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis

We investigated the short-term effects of exposure to
translocated pine martens on the space use and survival of resident grey squirrels.