Thursday, August 25, 2016
The principle behind the National Planning Policy Framework aims for projects to avoid detrimental impacts on biodiversity, minimise these wherever possible, mitigate their effect where they cannot be avoided, and compensate for any residual impacts. What is compensation, how is this achieved and what processes are in place? Read More
Thursday, August 18, 2016
In 1790 an Italian scientist named Lazzaro Spallanzi was intrigued by the ability of bats to forage for insects at night. In an attempt to understand how they performed this remarkable feat he undertook several experiments. He found that blindfolded the bats flew unimpaired, but when they had their ears plugged they would fly into objects which they would otherwise have avoided. Since the bats appeared to be flying in silence, he could not understand why hearing was playing such an important role in their navigation. Read More
Friday, August 12, 2016
The United Kingdom supports three native species of lizard, ranging from the friendly and inquisitive viviparous or common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) to the majestic sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) to the legless and secretive slow worm (Anguis fragilis). Read More
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
You may not be familiar with the terms ‘ecosystem services’ and ‘natural capital,’ but they are words that are becoming increasingly present in discussions regarding nature conservation and can cause major divisions in opinion between environmentalists. Read More
Friday, July 15, 2016
Madagascar is a fascinating place due to the abundance of plants and animals that are found nowhere else on earth. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and a mere 250 miles off the coast of mainland Africa. However, it remains a largely undiscovered corner of the continent. Read More
Monday, July 11, 2016
Barn owls are a popular yet mysterious bird species which, if seen at all, are most likely glimpsed gliding like ghosts over crops at dusk. Their screeches can send shivers down anyone’s spine. They are incredible hunters with huge eyes and sharp talons, yet they have suffered population declines in the UK. This has mainly been attributed to changes in farming practices and possible effects of pesticides such as DDT. Read More
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
The marine team is excited to welcome the renowned spionid specialist, Vasily Radashevsky, from the Russian Academy of Science to the Guildford lab in August. Read More
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Did you know that birds are not the only creatures to sit on their eggs to keep them warm? Bumblebees do the same. Read More
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Dr Ruth Barnich, our Principal Taxonomist, has shared with us one of her findings from a current project, assessing benthic samples from the Southern North Sea near a gas gathering platform for our client, Gardline. Read More
Monday, June 20, 2016
Here at Thomson Ecology there are many bird enthusiasts. So many of us were very eager to read the recently published fourth review of the Birds of Conservation Concern (BOCC 4) (Eaton et al. 2015). The BOCC 4 assesses the population status of 244 bird species in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Read More