The challenges of long-term invasive mammal management: lessons from the UK

We consider the motivations, strategies, and costs involved in invasive mammal management undertaken in the UK. Widespread established invasive mammals require long‐term management to limit damage or spread, but ongoing management is costly and complex. Long‐term management is most effective where it is applied at a landscape scale, but this requires overarching co‐ordination between multiple stakeholders. Five challenges for successful long‐term management of invasive mammal species are identified as follows: defining landscape‐scale strategies, management co‐ordination, stakeholder and community engagement, sustainable funding, and evidence requirements. We make recommendations on the supportive infrastructure needed for effective landscape‐scale management of invasive mammals to fulfil long‐term conservation aims, as follows. 1. There is a need for evidence‐based Invasive Species Action Plans to provide strategy for the long‐term ongoing management of prioritised species at appropriate scales. 2. Where possible, multispecies approaches to invasive species management should be adopted. 3. Trusted leadership should be identified to take ownership of Action Plans and provide an overarching co‐ordination to bring individuals, organisations, and funders together. 4. Support for a centralised hub for training, data, and knowledge flows will greatly improve scientific outcomes through a searchable evidence base, and via best practice and knowledge sharing

Academic-community partnerships improve outcomes in pediatric trauma care

BackgroundTo address the specialized needs of injured children, pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) were established at many large, academic hospitals. This study explores clinical outcomes observed for injured children treated at an academic-sponsored community facility.MethodsIn partnership with an academic medical center in a major metropolitan area, a not-for-profit community hospital became a designated Level II PTC in October 2010. Data for injured children <15 years old treated prior to PTC designation from January 2000 to September 2010 were prospectively collected using the Trauma and Emergency Medicine Information System and compared to data collected after PTC designation from January 2011 to December 2013.ResultsOverall, 681 injured children were treated at the community hospital from January 2011 to December 2013. Children treated after PTC designation were less likely to undergo computed tomography (CT) (50.9% vs. 81.3%, p<0.01), even when controlling for age, gender, injury type, injury severity, and year (OR 0.18, 95%CI 0.08-0.37). Specifically, fewer head (45.7% vs. 68.7%, p<0.01) and abdominal CTs (13.2% vs. 26.5%, p<0.01) were performed. Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter (2.8 ± 3.7 days vs. 3.7 ± 5.9 days, p<0.01). Mortality was low overall, but also decreased after PTC designation (0.4% vs. 2.0%, p=0.02).ConclusionsThese results indicate that academic-community partnerships in pediatric trauma care are a feasible alternative and may lead to improved outcomes for injured children

First breeding records of Shelduck and Black Guillemot on Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire (V.C.74)

Peer reviewe

Abundance and patterns of occurrence in butterflies from Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire

No abstract available

Abundance and patterns of occurrence in butterflies from Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire

No abstract available

Diets of adult and chick Herring Gulls Larus argentatus argenteus on Alisa Graig, south-west Scotland

The Herring Gull Larus argentatus, is widely distributed over the Holarctie region (Cramp & Simmons 1983), and, although in terms of breeding biology and behaviour is a relatively wellstudied species, its diet has received comparatively little detailed attention over much of its range. Some dietary studies have been made in Europe, e.g. Spärck 1951, Ehlert 1961, Harris 1965, Andersson 1970, Spaans 1971, Spitzer 1976, Mudge & Ferns 1982, but there has been little information on the diet of both chicks and adults during the breeding season (see Spaans 1971, Monaghan 1977). There is also some contradiction, one researcher having concluded that the diet of chicks is similar to adults (Threlfall 1968), while others have reported the contrary (Ehlert 1961, Spaans 1971). The aim of this study is to describe the food spectrum of adult and chick Herring Gulls in the Firth of Clyde area of south-west Scotland, by analysis of pellets, regurgitations and prey remains during a single season.We are grateful to the Marquess of Ailsa for permission to work on Ailsa Craig and Mr. M. McCrindle for providing logistic support. Drs. A. Martin and A. Spaans and A. Valido and R. Noordhius commented upon and revised the original manuscript. This work was supported in part by a studentship of the Dirección General de Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno de Canarias in the first author.Peer reviewe