Essential Spring Surveys for Ecological Insights

Why Now is the Vital Time to Harness the Power of Spring for Ecological Insight

Spring is always an exciting time of the year, arriving with a spectacular flourish and transforming into Summer in what seems like the blink of an eye. The rush of activity that this season brings presents many opportunities for gathering invaluable data on the health and diversity of habitats - a vital step in making management decisions that help to ensure nature’s recovery. Some highly important surveys are not viable at any other time of the year, so knowing which ones to book in will allow you to get a head start on assessing the ecological value of your land.

At Wild Solutions, our team of experienced and passionate ecologists offer a variety of professional survey and monitoring techniques, using the data we collect to provide detailed habitat management advice that will empower you to make the best possible contribution to nature. Read on to discover the most important surveys to book in before Spring arrives!

Woodland Habitat Surveys

As the Spring sun begins to warm the woodland floor, many species race to flower in the short window before the buds burst above them and the canopy closes for the summer. In some special places, carpets of bluebells, wood anemone, ramsons and lesser celandine bring a brief but astounding flush of colour to their habitat. Woodland ground flora, such as these, are excellent indicators of the age and condition of their habitat, and many species either vanish completely or become significantly harder to identify as the year progresses. Because of this, Spring is optimal for carrying out woodland surveys, allowing for a better understanding of these habitats to be gained than at any other time of year.

Bluebell (*Hyacinthoides non-scripta)* Woodland

Habitat surveys involve site visits by an experienced botanist, who will map the site according to the UKHabs methodology and record all higher plant species present. The data gathered is used to carry out condition assessments for each habitat parcel, resulting in a detailed understanding of the health of each habitat and highlighting ecological gaps and opportunities, facilitating tailored management advice to provide maximum ecological improvement.

Breeding Birds

Most bird species in the UK begin nesting between March and April. They are particularly active and vocal during the breeding season, making it the best time of year to record them. To collect the most robust data, multiple site visits need to take place in which an experienced surveyor records all species seen and heard within a set timeframe. Breeding bird surveys generally begin just before dawn, but it is often beneficial to carry out some later visits to catch species which sing after dusk, such as black redstart and nightjar.

Many bird species are suffering from dramatic population declines in the UK, so knowing which species use your land for nesting is paramount when it comes to habitat management decisions. Using the knowledge gained from breeding bird surveys, you can contribute much more effectively to supporting our precious native avifauna.

Pollinators

The emergence of the spring blooms brings out the first pollinators of the year. Bumblebees, the charismatic cold-weather specialists, are usually highly punctual; having evolved to take advantage of the spring flowers before any other pollinators are warm enough to operate. However, a staggering number of other invertebrate species are never far behind. Many species have evolutionary relationships with specific plants, and as result have rather short active seasons. This is what makes Spring pollinator surveys so valuable, as starting to collect data early in the year allows a much more representative sample to be compiled.

White-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus lucorum)*

Pollinator surveys are carried out using a transect-based methodology, in which an experienced surveyor walks along defined survey routes and records each species of pollinating invertebrate they encounter, along with the species of plant it is associated with. Pollinator datasets allow us to define relationships between the plant and invertebrate species present on your site and use this to create tailored management plans to protect threatened species and maximise biodiversity.

Amphibians

Early Spring also brings the beginning of the breeding season for the UK’s amphibians. Once ground temperatures begin to creep above 5 degrees Celsius for a few days at a time, frogs, toads and newts awake from their brumation and begin their migration to their breeding ponds. Surprisingly, many amphibians only occupy ponds during the breeding season, so it is optimal to carry out surveys during Spring while most amphibians are concentrated in small areas.

Amphibian surveys require a minimum of four visits to collect the most robust data possible. They are generally carried out at night, using a bright lights and professional experience to pinpoint and identify individuals while they are at their most active. In the case of great crested newts, bottle traps can be deployed by licensed ecologists to facilitate a better understanding of the population present in the area. Due to their protected status, additional advanced survey methods have also been developed for detecting the presence of great crested newts using trace DNA. Known as eDNA surveys, the optimal time for this occurs lightly later in Spring, from mid-April until June. Unlike general amphibian surveys, eDNA surveys only need to be carried out once per water body.

Reptiles

The UK’s reptiles begin to appear from their winter hideaways in early spring, once the sun has become strong enough for them to bask effectively. The late sunrises and cooler daytime temperatures make for ideal conditions to search for reptiles, since they take longer to warm up and are therefore more likely to be found while basking. The UK’s reptile populations are currently facing considerable declines, primarily due to habitat loss, so creating space for them is an effective way to ensure the continued survival of these fascinating and elusive species.

Grass snake (*Natrix helvetica)* Credit: Vaughn Matthews

A hybrid approach between refugium checks and transect searching is the most effective way to gain a solid understanding of the reptile species present on a site. Equipped with this knowledge, we can tailor our management plans to maximise the benefit to the reptilian species present, and to encourage new species to move in.

Author: Ben Spinoza

If you are interested in discovering the ecological value of your land and how we can work together to achieve nature’s recovery, get in touch by emailing wildsolutions@derbyshirewt.co.uk or calling 01773 881188.