Mapping natural capital

A presentation from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) on mapping natural capital. In the first section, Dr Lisa Norton talks about modelling approaches using site survey for national scale mapping, explaining why natural capital is mapped and how it is useful for land managers, with examples including Countryside Survey and the UK Soil Observatory.

In the second part of the talk, John Watkins of CEH focuses on the Ecomaps application, which will enable researchers to take such work forward.

Butterfly ecology on camera

Two of our colleagues, Gary Powney and Dr Tom Oliver, have created a short video explaining the background behind their work on assessing functional connectivity of the landscape which was recently published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

 

In the study Tom, Gary and colleagues used long-term monitoring data on the Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) from the UK  Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, jointly run by CEH and Butterfly Conservation.

We think this is a great way to get across an important scientific topic! And, as well as some great science, the video includes a catchy end song composed and sung by Tom called 'Butterfly Blues'. Listen out for the ecological references!

More information

• Measuring functional connectivity using long-term monitoring data
  by Gary Powney, David Roy, Daniel Chapman, Tom Brereton and Tom Oliver
• Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
• UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme

Posted by Barnaby