guide to the use of project outputs 2014 comp

National Water Vole Database and Mapping Project

Guide to the Use of Project Outputs to End of 2012

Catherine McGuire, Deborah Whitfield, Helen Perkins and Charlotte Owen

Published: 2014

Water Vole Database and Mapping Project

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This document provides a brief introduction to the National Water Vole Database and Mapping Project, outlines the methodology used to produce the database and maps and provides guidance on how to use and interpret the mapping produced to date. We would welcome feedback and comments on the outputs produced by the project to date. Section 5 suggests how this work could be developed in the future, but we would value additional suggestions from data suppliers and others.

Contents 1. Project introduction 3 2. Project methodology 4

2.1 Data collation and formatting

2.2 Data supply agreements 3. Project outputs 5 3.1 Extent of dataset 3.2 Mapping 4. Alert and key areas mapping overview 9 5. Concluding remarks and recommendations 16 6. References 17 Appendix 1 Water vole and American mink distribution maps 18 Appendix 2 Water vole alert and key areas maps 31 Figures Figure 1 Standardised spreadsheet used to collate datasets 5 Tables Table 1 Total number of records in national database 5 Table 2 Suppliers of water vole data for England, Scotland, Wales 6 Table 3 UK Water vole distribution maps: quick guide 11 Table 4 UK American mink distribution maps: quick guide 12 Table 5 Water vole alert maps: quick guide 13 Table 6 Water vole local key area maps: quick guide 14 Table 7 Water vole regional key area maps: quick guide 15

Cover photograph by Elliott Neep


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1. Project introduction The revised national Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) targets for water vole, published in 2006 were as follows:

T1 Maintain the current range (730 occupied 10km squares) of water vole in UK. T2 Achieve an increase in range by 50 new occupied 10km squares in the UK by 2010. Achieve a further increase in range by 55 new occupied 10km squares by 2015; 60 new occupied 10km squares by 2020 and 55 new occupied 10km squares by 2030. In 2007 the UK Water Vole Steering Group highlighted the need for a concerted effort to collate and map available data in order to assess the national status and trend of the species and to report against national BAP targets. It also recognised the potential of a water vole GIS to support conservation measures and enable more strategic working at local, regional and national levels. The Water Vole Database and Mapping Project was established in January 2008 with funding provided by the Environment Agency, Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and People’s Trust for Endangered Species. The project is managed by RSWT, with work delivered by a Water Vole Information Officer based at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The specific aims of the project are to:

Develop standardised methods for storing and managing water vole (Arvicola amphibius) and American mink (Neovison vison) data

Collate existing water vole and American mink data

Develop a GIS to enable mapping of data and to maximise the use of the datasets

Establish procedures for enabling annual updates to the dataset

Disseminate key outputs from the project to UK and LBAP partners

Ensure sustained and effective use of datasets and methodologies developed during the life of the project.


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2. Project development 2.1 Data collation and formatting In 2008, the project requested water vole and American mink data for all years from Local Record Centres, Wildlife Trusts and other data suppliers. Data suppliers were asked to provide data in an Excel spreadsheet. As expected, the column headings and format of the data were variable. A new spreadsheet with a limited number of headings, as shown below, was established and used to collate the relevant data provided. Figure 1: Standardised spreadsheet used to collate datasets Since then, data suppliers have been asked to provide a data update on an annual basis. This project outputs guide is based on data held prior to and including 2012. This was collated from suppliers in 2013, enabling time for suppliers to process and input 2012 survey data. As agreed by the UK Water Vole Steering Group, the Project’s mapping for assessment of status and trends covers the last five years. For this report therefore, the mapping provided in Appendix 1 covers 2008-2012 inclusive. 2.2 Data supply agreements Data supply agreements were completed and exchanged between the project and data suppliers; between the project and the Environment Agency and between the project and Scottish Natural Heritage.


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3. Project outputs 3.1 Extent of dataset Table 1 shows the number of records held in the database. Data for the current update was received from 93 different data suppliers across England, Scotland and Wales. These are listed in Table 2.

Table 1: Total number of records in national database by year

2009 2010 2011 2012

Water vole presence 36,898 42,006

50,717 62,080

Water vole absence 10,288 10,463 11,734 12,512

American Mink presence 7,883 8,582 9,146 12,730

American Mink absence 4,213 4,213 5,136 5,282

Otter presence

- 1,874

- -

Some of the datasets initially collated by the Project were extensive and included water vole records dating back to the late 19th Century. The majority of data however were from the mid 1990s to the present day. The earliest water vole record was dated 1861 and the earliest

American mink record was 1952.

3.2 Mapping Mapping produced by the Project comprises national distribution maps (Appendix 1) and alert and key areas maps (Appendix 2). The maps were produced by importing the data into the MapInfo GIS. It is essential to note that there are limitations with the data set and with the methodologies used to produce the mapping and that care is needed in interpreting the maps. Tables 3-7 list all the maps and highlight some words of caution. Section 3.2.1 below provides some detail regarding production of the alert and key areas maps.


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Table 2: Suppliers of water vole data for England, Scotland and Wales 2008 onwards

Suppliers of water vole and American mink data 2008-2013

ENGLAND

Bedfordshire & Luton Biodiversity Recording and Monitoring Centre

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre

British Energy

Cheshire Mammal Group

Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Cotswold Water Park Trust

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre

Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Devon Biodiversity Records Centre

Dorset Environmental Records Centre

Dorset Wildlife Trust

Durham Wildlife Trust

East Devon District Council: Devon Water Vole Recovery Project

EcoRecord: Birmingham & The Black Country

Environment Agency

Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Environmental Records Information Centre North East

Essex Wildlife Trust

Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records

Greater Manchester Ecology Unit

Greenspace Information for Greater London

H.M.P. Full Sutton

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Hampshire Mammal Group

Herefordshire Biological Records Centre

Hertfordshire & Middlesex Wildlife Trust

Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre

Lancashire Environment Record Network

Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust

Leicestershire and Rutland Environmental Records Centre

Lincolnshire Environmental Records Centre

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

London Borough of Havering

Merseyside BioBank

Natural England

Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service

Norfolk Wildlife Trust


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North Pennines AONB

Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre

Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Northwest Lowlands Water Vole Project

Nottinghamshire Mammal Group

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Paul Gambling

People's Trust for Endangered Species

River Axe Water Vole Recovery Project

Royal Holloway University of London

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Sheffield Biological Records Centre

Sheffield City Council: City Ecology Unit

Shropshire Mammal Group

Shropshire Wildlife Trust

Somerset Environmental Records Centre

Staffordshire Mammal Group

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

Suffolk Biological Records Centre

Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Surrey Biological Records Centre

Surrey Wildlife Trust

Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre

Sussex Wildlife Trust

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire

Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Record Centre

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

SCOTLAND

Alan Ross

Cairngorms Water Vole Conservation Project

Dumfries & Galloway Environmental Record Centre

Forestry Commission Scotland

Glasgow Museums Biological Records Centre

Highland Biological Recording Group

International Otter Survival Fund

John Muir Trust

Lothian Wildlife Information Centre

North East Scotland Biological Records Centre

Perth Museum & Art Gallery

Scottish Borders Biological Record Centre


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Scottish Mink Initiative

Scottish Natural Heritage

The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum

The National Trust for Scotland

University of Aberdeen: Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences

WALES

Natural Resources Wales

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre


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4. Alert and key areas mapping overview Using water vole data from the last five years, the aim of the alert and key areas maps is to identify the areas known to support water vole populations and suggest where some of the more robust populations may be found. This mapping work aims to complement the outputs of the National Key Sites Project, which developed from a study by Bright and Carter (2000). The methodology for producing the alert and key areas mapping is based on work undertaken originally by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, which is summarised in the second edition of the Water Vole Conservation Handbook (Strachan, R. and Moorhouse, T., 2006). Mapping is produced by buffering water vole records to capture some of the potential surrounding habitat and areas within average water vole dispersal distance. A figure of 0.5km (measured from occupied watercourses) has been used to capture some of the surrounding habitat and a figure of 2km, as measured from water vole records, has been used to capture dispersal distance. It is suggested that this 2km buffer should capture dispersal areas on most occasions, though water voles have been recorded as dispersing over longer distances. Telfer et al (2003) recorded the average dispersal distance in an upland area to be 2.18 +/- 0.27 SE km for females and 1.65 +/- 0.27 SE km for males. This study found dispersal distance of animals in lowland areas to be 1.04 +/- 0.19 SE km for females and 1.50 +/- 0.25 SE km for males. In a study in the Peak District, Johnson (2008) recorded the maximum distance from an occupied transect to a core colony as 1.3km, with single latrines recorded at 1.9km. To date three tiers of mapping have been produced (alert, local and regional key area maps) for each of the English government regions, for Wales and for Scotland. A further map has been produced to display the Regional Key Areas across the UK. Printed versions of these maps are available in Appendix 2.

The methodology used to derive the Alert Maps can be summarised as follows:

All positive records from the last five years of the project dataset are selected and entered onto a single formatted spreadsheet in Excel.

The records are filtered to remove all records of 1km resolution, giving a data set comprising records at or greater than 100m resolution.

The water vole alert area is made up of a collection of 0.5km buffer zones, generated from the water vole data by using the MapInfo GIS.

Many of these buffer zones are around river sections which have been identified as lying within 1.5km of a water vole record.

The remaining buffer zones are generated around water vole records which lie outside the river sections identified above.

The river section buffer zones include an additional 0.5km length at either end, thus buffering a total of 2km from the nearest water vole record.

All records and selected river sections lying within 2km of each other are grouped. These groups are applied to the buffer zones and used to identify the key areas.


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Using the alert layer, Local Key Areas are identified by selecting areas of 6km2 and over. Rob Strachan (pers.comm.) has suggested that selecting alert areas of 6km2 and over could help identify those areas that are important for maintaining the sustainability of the local water vole population. These Local Key Areas are likely to support one of the following:

o several colonies of water voles occupying an area of a river system or waterway

o robust populations at large but isolated non linear sites o a series of sub populations that form a metapopulation covering an extensive

upland area. Using the alert layer, Regional Key Areas are identified by selecting areas of 35km2 and over. Rob Strachan (pers.comm.) has suggested areas of 35km2 and over could help identify those areas where water vole populations are more likely to survive the impacts of stochastic events and more likely to persist for more than 40 years. Tables 3-7 below provide a quick guide to using and interpreting both the national distribution maps for water vole and mink and the alert, local and key areas maps. It is important to stress that the mapping is intended as a tool to assist water vole conservation in the future and that identification of local and regional key areas using the methodology described above does not confer any statutory or non-statutory designation.


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Table 3 UK Water vole distribution maps: quick guide

UK Water Vole Distribution Maps

Map title Page Resolution Display format

Uses Caution

UK- Water vole presence all records (1861-2012) 19 Derived from

records ≥ 100m resolution

Dots For: -providing overview of distribution across UK since records began -helping to plan further survey/ research at national level.

Does not: -purport to capture all areas historically or currently occupied by water voles ( to an extent reflects recorder effort) -indicate abundance -show status over time.

UK- Water vole presence all records (1861-2011) 20 Derived from

records ≥

1km resolution

10km squares

For: -providing overview of distribution across UK since records began -reporting against UK BAP targets -helping to plan further survey/ research at national level.

Does not: -purport to capture all areas historically or currently occupied by water voles (to an extent reflects recorder effort) -indicate abundance -show status over time.

UK- Water vole presence (2008-2012) 21 Derived from

records ≥ 100m resolution

Dots For: -providing overview of distribution across UK over the last 5 years -helping to plan further survey/ research at national level.

Does not: -purport to capture all areas historically or currently occupied by water voles ( to an extent reflects recorder effort) -indicate abundance -show status over time.

UK- Water vole presence (2008-2012) 22 Derived from

records ≥

1km resolution

10km squares

For: -providing overview of distribution across UK over the last 5 years -reporting against UK BAP targets -helping to plan further survey/ research at national level.

Does not: -purport to capture all areas historically or currently occupied by water voles (to an extent reflects recorder effort) -indicate abundance -show status over time.

UK- Water vole absence all records (1861-2012) 23 Derived from

records ≥ 100m

Dots For: -indicating where absence recorded during survey.

Does not: -indicate areas where water voles have been absent historically or are currently absent.

UK- Water vole absence (2008-2012) 24 Derived from

records ≥ 100m

Dots For: - indicating where absence recorded during survey.

Does not: -indicate areas where water voles have been absent historically or are currently absent.


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Table 4 UK American Mink distribution maps: quick guide

UK American Mink Distribution Maps

Map title Page Resolution Display format

Uses Caution

UK-American mink presence all records (1952-2012)

25 Derived from

records ≥ 100m

Dots For: -providing overview of distribution across UK since records began -helping to plan further survey / research at national level.

Does not: -separate mink survey records from mink trapping records. Mink ‘presence’ may in some cases represent an animal that has been ‘removed’ from the population.

UK-American mink presence all records (1952-2012)

26 Derived from

records ≥

1km resolution

10km squares

For: -providing overview of distribution across UK since records began -helping to plan further survey / research at national level.


UK-American mink presence (2008-2012) 27 Derived from

records ≥ 100m

Dots For: -providing overview of distribution across UK over the last five years -helping to plan further survey/ research at national level


UK-American mink presence (2008-2012) 28 Derived from

records ≥

1km resolution

10km squares

For: -providing overview of distribution across UK -helping to plan further survey / research at national level

Does not: - separate mink survey records from mink trapping records. Mink ‘presence’ may in some cases represent an animal that has been ‘removed’ from the population.

UK-American mink absence (1952-2011) 29 Derived from

records ≥ 100m


Does not: - indicate areas where mink have been absent historically or are currently absent.

UK-American mink absence (2008-2012) 30 Derived from

records ≥ 100m


Does not: - indicate areas where mink have been absent historically or are currently absent


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Table 5 Water vole alert maps: quick guide

Water Vole Alert Maps Map title Page Data displayed Uses Caution

Scotland Water Vole Alert Map 32 Derived from

records ≥ 100m

with buffers added.

For: -identifying at least some of the potentially suitable habitat within water vole dispersal distance of populations recorded over the last five years -alerting users to potential presence of water voles -assisting with the collation of data for agri-environment schemes -alerting organisations that undertake regular maintenance tasks to the potential presence of water voles -planning future water vole survey and monitoring.

These maps do not: -confer any statutory or non-statutory designation -provide a precise boundary defining presence/absence of water voles and/or their habitat e.g. the 0.5 wide buffer along occupied watercourses will not always capture the extent of adjacent suitable habitat. -identify other potentially suitable habitat into which populations may move in the future -remove the need to consider other mapping/imagery to assess habitat suitability -remove the need to undertake new surveys prior to determining development/engineering/habitat works. Sub populations can disappear from sites and/or re appear from one survey season to the next. Populations may also move in response to relatively small changes in habitat quality.

Wales Water Vole Alert Map 35

East Midlands Water Vole Alert Map 38

East of England Water Vole Alert Map 41

London Water Vole Alert Map 44

North East Water Vole Alert Map 47

North West Water Vole Alert Map 50

South East Water Vole Alert Map 53

South West Water Vole Alert Map 56

West Midlands Water Vole Alert Map 59

Yorkshire & Humberside Water Vole Alert Map 62


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Table 6 Water vole local key area maps: quick guide

Water Vole Local Key Area Maps

Map title Page Data displayed Uses Caution

Scotland Water Vole Local Key Areas

33 Alert areas over 6km

2 derived from

records ≥ 100m

with buffers added

For:

- indicating areas ≥ 6 km2 that

are likely to support larger populations/clusters of populations that have a greater chance of persisting long term -encouraging protection and/or sensitive management of potentially suitable habitat within and adjacent to sites where water voles recorded in the last five years -assisting with designation of local wildlife sites -targeting survey and monitoring efforts -targeting habitat enhancement and creation works -targeting mink control efforts -assisting with the development of agri environment scheme applications

These maps do not: -confer any statutory or non statutory designation -provide a precise boundary defining presence/absence of water voles and/or their habitat (as outlined in Table 5) -identify other potentially suitable habitat into which populations may move in the future -remove the need to consider other mapping/imagery to assess habitat suitability -remove the need to undertake new surveys prior to determining development/engineering/habitat works. Sub populations can disappear from sites and/or re appear from one survey season to the next. Populations may move in response to small changes in habitat quality. -show smaller populations, which may decline due to stochastic events. -highlight small colonies or small clusters, which are highly unlikely to persist without positive intervention. In some areas these small colonies may be essential in aiding recovery of populations and may also regarded as locally important.

Wales Water Vole Local Key Areas

36

East Midlands Water Vole Local Key Areas

39

East of England Water Vole Local Key Areas

42

London Water Vole Local Key Areas

45

North East Water Vole Local Key Areas

48

North West Water Vole Local Key Areas

51

South East Water Vole Local Key Areas

54

South West Water Vole Local Key Areas

57

West Midlands Water Vole Local Key Areas

60

Yorkshire & Humberside Water Vole Local Key Areas

63


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Table 7 Water vole regional key area maps: quick guide Water Vole Regional Key Area Maps

Map title Page Data displayed Uses Caution

Scotland Water Vole Regional Key Areas 34 Alert areas over 35km

2 derived from

records ≥ 100m

with buffers added

For:

-indicating areas ≥ 35 km2 where

populations are more likely to survive the impacts of stochastic

events and to persist > 40 years. -prioritising long term strategic policy initiatives -facilitating collaborative working -prioritising resource allocation -targeting mink control efforts at regional level -assisting with designation of statutory and non-statutory sites -targeting survey and monitoring efforts at regional level -targeting habitat works at regional level -encouraging protection and/or sensitive management of potentially suitable habitat within and adjacent to occupied water vole sites -assisting with the development of agri environment scheme applications

These maps do not: -confer any statutory or non statutory designation -provide a precise boundary defining the presence or absence of water voles and/or their habitat (as outlined in Table 5) -identify other potentially suitable habitat into which populations may move in the future -remove the need to consider other mapping/imagery to assess habitat suitability -remove the need to undertake new surveys prior to determining development/engineering/habitat works -show smaller populations, which may decline due to stochastic events, -highlight small colonies or small clusters, which are highly unlikely to persist without positive intervention. In some areas these small colonies may be essential in aiding recovery of populations. They may represent all or most of the remaining populations in the area and may also be regarded as regionally important.

Wales Water Vole Regional Key Areas 37

East Midlands Water Vole Regional Key Areas 40

East of England Water Vole Regional Key Areas 43

London Water Vole Regional Key Areas 46

North East Water Vole Regional Key Areas 49

North West Water Vole Local Regional Areas 52

South East Water Vole Regional Key Areas 55

South West Water Vole Regional Key Areas 58

West Midlands Water Vole Regional Key Areas 61

Yorkshire & Humberside Water Vole Regional Key Areas

64

England, Scotland and Wales Regional Key Areas

65


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5. Concluding remarks and recommendations 5.1 Staff and volunteers working for The Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency, Vincent Wildlife Trust, Internal Drainage Boards, Local Authorities and many other organisations have expended considerable effort on commissioning and undertaking surveys for water vole and American mink since the early 1990s. The data generated by this work has been supplemented by data from a number of academic studies. The hard work and diligence of staff and volunteers at Local Record Centres and other organisations has ensured that the data generated by these surveys and studies can be used to further conservation of the species. Thanks to the co operation and enthusiasm of staff at the organisations holding water vole and mink data, we have been able to create and map an extensive dataset. There is potential for analysing this data further and for producing additional mapping, for example, time series and coincidence mapping. 5.2 A wealth of historical data is available for water vole but regular re-surveys over large areas are costly and time consuming. Some Wildlife Trusts and other organisations have established local monitoring schemes, but there is no standard methodology or guidance available. In 2012 The UK Water Vole Steering Group agreed to explore the potential for developing a national water vole monitoring scheme. In 2013 staff from RSWT, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Essex Wildlife Trust, Natural Resources Wales and PTES met to discuss the formation of a database and methodology for gathering data for a national water vole monitoring scheme. Work continues on developing this programme, in association with PTES.

5.3 Work continues on identifying and mapping introduced populations. There is potential for using the process developed by the project to monitor the success of introduction schemes over time and to build up a picture of where introductions have occurred.


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References Bright, P.W & Carter, S.P (2000) Halting the decline: refuges and National Key Sites for Water Voles Report to PTES/EN.

England Biodiversity Group (2008) Securing Biodiversity: a New Framework for Delivering Priority Habitats and Species in England. Natural England, Sheffield. Strachan, R. & Moorhouse, T. (2006). Water Vole Conservation Handbook. Second edition. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Oxford.

Telfer, S., Piertney, S.B. , Dallas, J.F et al (2003). Parentage assignment detects frequent

and large-scale dispersal in water voles Molecular Ecology Volume 12, Issue 7, pp 1939–

1949, July 2003.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.2003.12.issue-7/issuetoc


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Appendix 1 Water Vole and American Mink Distribution Maps


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Appendix 2 Water Vole Alert and Key Area Maps


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guide to the use of project outputs 2014 comp

Documents

squares of water vole

water vole gis

existing water vole

national water vole

water vole alert maps

suppliers of water vole

water vole arvicola

water vole information