SquirrelWeb

Colin Bonnington is carrying out a PhD study at the University of Sheffield on the impacts of grey squirrels on birds in urban areas.

This is the headline of a BBC News article (reported on 16th February 2010) that arises from the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) conference held recently in Perth. For example, there are signs of a revival of red squirrels in parts of NE Scotland and it is believed that controlling the grey squirrel intruders is having a positive effect.

A recent study by scientists from the British Trust for Ornithology and Natural England (also see Publications page under Permanent articles) found no evidence that grey squirrels have any significant impact of woodland birds in England. This puts to rest the long held view by some that grey squirrels have been responsible for the marked decline in many woodland bird species in recent years. The scientists used long-term monitoring data for grey squirrels and 38 bird species from across the country and found that, although occasionally grey squirrels may locally suppress populations of some bird species, overall they have little impact on numbers. The story has been published on the BBC ‘Earth News‘ website.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is hosting the Northern Ireland Squirrel Forum on the 24 November 2009. The forum has been inactive for several years but there is renewed enthusiasm to conserve the red squirrel in Ireland.  For further details, please go to: http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/biodiversity/northern_ireland_squirrel_forum.htm

The advance of the grey squirrel across Northern Ireland has been relentless and over the last 3 years the situation appears to have deteriorated.  The NIEA is excited by the commitment expressed by members of the 3 local squirrel groups and would like to hear for people across Northern Ireland that feel that could volunteer some time to support the red squirrel here.  The NIEA would particularly like to have organised groups running in the south-west and north-west of the NI. Also note that the NIEA are currently supporting an MSc project run by Queens University Belfast looking into the specific needs of red squirrels in the Glens of Antrim with the aim of developing a local species action plan and are considering supporting other research projects. Further information about local squirrel groups and other NIEA involvment can be obtained from: Dr Jon Lees, Wildlife Officer, Biodiversity Unit, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Klondyke Building, Cromac Ave., Gasworks Business Park, Belfast BT7 2JA. Tel: 028 905 69551

Anna Lisa Signorile, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, SL5 7PY, UK  or  Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY

The American Grey Squirrel is an alien invasive species that has been released many times in several areas across the world for recreational purposes. In Britain, following multiple introductions from the USA and Canada, grey squirrel populations have proven to be a major threat for both wildlife and agroindustry activities and their spread has been quick and unaffected by control programs. In both Ireland and the Piedmont in Italy, on the other hand, only one introduction, each of very few individuals, is supposed to have occurred within the last century and squirrel spread has proven to be relatively slow in both countries. The origin and founding size of the other three Italian populations is still unclear. We hypothesize that low genetic variation and inbreeding depression contribute comparably to differential expansion rates in Italy, Ireland, and the UK compared to ecological factors. The main aim of my PhD project is to evaluate the inbreeding coefficient of European  grey squirrel populations by examining the heterozigosity at specific loci through microsatellite analysis of DNA. Outcomes will be correlated to spread rates. It will be important to include in this analysis the role played by ecological corridors and other ecological factors in squirrels’ spread and hence an analysis of several environmental determinants will be simultaneously carried out. If expansion rate of grey squirrels in Italy are strongly limited by low genetic diversity, it will be important to prevent the four separate Italian populations from merging and thereby potentially increasing their genetic diversity and speeding their joint expansion rate.

This Ph.D. project has been funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council and will be undertaken at Imperial College London and the Institute of Zoology under the supervision of Dr Dan Reuman, Dr Chris Carbone, Dr Jinliang Wang, and Dr. Tony Sainsbury. Dr Sandro Bertolino of the University of Turin and Dr. Peter Lurz of Newcastle University are outside supervisors and collaborators.

Silvia Flaherty, Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP. Tel. 0131 650 9172

The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), the only squirrel species native to the UK, is now considered endangered, is listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and is also under legal protection.

The future of red squirrel conservation will depend on the careful selection and management of suitable reserve areas. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of tree species composition and age (related to food availability) on habitat use. However, there exists a critical gap in understanding and quantifying the relationship between squirrel abundance, their habitat use and forest structural factors such as canopy connectivity, tree densities, height heterogeneity.

The aim of this research project is therefore to address this research gap. Methodologically, the aim is to develop remotely-sensed approaches to facilitate data capture on habitat suitability. Ground-based assessment of habitat suitability in large semi-natural Scottish woodlands is prohibitively expensive at national scales. Remote Sensing (RS) enables cost efficient canopy characteristics assessment at such scales.

To achieve these aims, the project objectives are:

- Create a ground-based forest structure and squirrel feeding activity database for Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle.

- Develop relationships between key stand structure variables and squirrel feeding behaviour for Norway spruce (Picea abies); Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

-Generate RS based methodologies for the extraction of key forest structural parameters relating to habitat suitability.

It has been reported that a Svynnerton’s bush squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius) was seen killing a fruit bat of the species Epomophorus wahlbergi in the canopy of Mwofwomero Forest, in the Rubeho Mountains, Tanzania. It is not clear what caused the squirrel to attack the bat. This unusual siting was reported on the BBC Earth News.

Melissa Marr

A new study has started at the Insitute of Zoology, London on whether inbreeding affects the disease status of squirrelpox virus in red squirrels.

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Luc Wauters

The Alpine Squirrel Population Ecology Research project celebrates 10 years. Run by Italian scientists, the project is building a fascinating long-term data set on the population dynamics and food resources of red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris living in montane and subalpine conifer forests. There are new opportunities for post-graduate biologists to join in the research programme.

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The concept of strongholds form part of the Scottish Government’s strategy to conserve the red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, in Scotland. Forestry Commission Scotland sought views on the proposals in a consulation exercise that closed on 26th June 2009. Details of the consultation can be found on the FC website.