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Nature reserves attract new species
Posted by BBC: Ella Davies on April 10th, 2013
BBC: The UK's nature reserves act as 'ecological welcome mats' to new species, according to scientists.
Since the 1960s, there has been a natural influx of wetland bird species from continental Europe.
Species such as whooper swans, Cetti's warblers and little egrets have used the nature reserves to colonise new areas of the UK, found the scientists.
The findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
The effectiveness of the UK's Protected Areas, from...
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Australia: Native frogs beat invasive toads
Posted by BBC: Ella Davies on March 7th, 2013
BBC: The tadpoles of Australia's native frogs can outcompete invasive toads, scientists say.
The toads are considered a threat to Australian wildlife, leading researchers to investigate methods to control their population.
A study into competition between wild amphibian young revealed that the presence of green tree frogs reduced cane toad survival.
Experts now suggest reintroducing the familiar frogs to suburban areas.
The results are published in the journal Austral Ecology.
Cane toads...
Beaver brouhaha
Posted by BBC: Ella Davies on June 1st, 2011
BBC: Britain's beaver reintroduction stirs controversy
Nature Habitat manager or wildlife menace?
The fashion for looking, and smelling, like a beaver killed off their entire population in the UK. But now beavers are back, and not everybody is happy to have them.
Thick brown waterproof fur coupled with a medicinal musk made beaver-chic serious business in Britain until they were hunted to extinction in the 16th century.
In recent years, conservationists, perhaps remorseful for their ancestors'...