The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Richard J. Cuthbert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the impacts of introduced house mice on the breeding success of nesting seabirds on gough island
Ibis, 2019Co-Authors: Richard J. Cuthbert, Anthony Caravaggi, Peter G Ryan, J Cooper, Alexander L BondAbstract:Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels; Darwin Initiative; Overseas Territories Environment Programme; Royal Naval Birdwatching Society; RSPB; South African National Antarctic Programme
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the biodiversity of the united kingdom s Overseas Territories a stock take of species occurrence and assessment of key knowledge gaps
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2016Co-Authors: Thomas Churchyard, Mark A. Eaton, S. Havery, J. Hall, J. Millett, A. Farr, Richard J. Cuthbert, C. Stringer, Juliet A. VickeryAbstract:Limited financial resources for conservation and growing environmental problems make it vital to base conservation on sound scientific evidence. Small islands hold a disproportionately large amount of the worlds threatened biodiversity but it is among the least well-documented. This paper reports on the most extensive collation and synthesis of biodiversity data to date for the 14 United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs). A process of literature review and consultation produced 65,259 species records, including 32,216 native species of which 1549 were endemic to a single UKOT. The extent of knowledge of species occurrence varied both between islands and taxonomic groups. It was higher for vertebrates and vascular plants than small bodied invertebrates and non-vascular and for non-Caribbean compared to Caribbean islands, a difference that largely reflects knowledge of invertebrates. Global Red List assessments exist for 2606 species and document 111 of endemic species, 75 % of those assessed, and 291, 12 % of non-endemics, as globally threatened. Using the data to estimate true species richness suggests a further 70,000 native species, including 1800 single island endemics, remain to be documented suggesting the UKOTs as a whole may support over 100,000 native species including 3300 single island endemics.
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prioritizing islands for the eradication of invasive vertebrates in the united kingdom Overseas Territories
Conservation Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Jeffrey O Dawson, Richard J. Cuthbert, Steffen Oppel, Nick D Holmes, Jeremy P Bird, Stuart H M Butchart, Dena R Spatz, Bernie R TershyAbstract:Invasive alien species are one of the primary threats to native biodiversity on islands worldwide. Consequently, eradicating invasive species from islands has become a mainstream conservation practice. Deciding which islands have the highest priority for eradication is of strategic importance to allocate limited resources to achieve maximum conservation benefit. Previous island prioritizations focused either on a narrow set of native species or on a small geographic area. We devised a prioritization approach that incorporates all threatened native terrestrial vertebrates and all invasive terrestrial vertebrates occurring on 11 U.K. Overseas Territories, which comprise over 2000 islands ranging from the sub-Antarctic to the tropics. Our approach includes eradication feasibility and distinguishes between the potential and realistic conservation value of an eradication, which reflects the benefit that would accrue following eradication of either all invasive species or only those species for which eradication techniques currently exist. We identified the top 25 priority islands for invasive species eradication that together would benefit extant populations of 155 native species including 45 globally threatened species. The 5 most valuable islands included the 2 World Heritage islands Gough (South Atlantic) and Henderson (South Pacific) that feature unique seabird colonies, and Anegada, Little Cayman, and Guana Island in the Caribbean that feature a unique reptile fauna. This prioritization can be rapidly repeated if new information or techniques become available, and the approach could be replicated elsewhere in the world.
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the catastrophic impact of invasive mammalian predators on birds of the uk Overseas Territories a review and synthesis
Ibis, 2010Co-Authors: Geoff M Hilton, Richard J. CuthbertAbstract:The UK has sovereignty over 16 Overseas Territories, which hold some of the world’s great seabird colonies and collectively support more endemic and globally threatened bird species than the whole of mainland Europe. Invasive alien mammalian predators have spread throughout most of the Territories, primarily since European expansion in the 16th century. Here we review and synthesize the scale of their impacts, historical and current, actions to reduce and reverse these impacts, and priorities for conservation. Mammalian predators have caused a catastrophic wave of extinctions and reductions in seabird colony size that mark the UKOTs as a major centre of global extinction. Mammal-induced declines of threatened endemics and seabird colonies continue, with four Critically Endangered endemics on Gough Island (Tristan da Cunha), St Helena and Montserrat directly threatened by invasive alien House Mice Mus musculus, Feral Cats Felis catus and rats Rattus spp. Action to reduce these threats and restore islands has been modest in comparison with other developed countries, although some notable successes have occurred and a large number of ambitious eradication and conservation plans are in preparation. Priority islands for conservation action against mammalian predators include Gough (which according to one published prioritization scheme is the highest-ranked island in the world for mammal eradication), St Helena and Montserrat, but also on Tristan da Cunha, Pitcairn and the Falkland Islands. Technical, financial and political will is required to push forward and fund the eradication of invasive mammalian predators on these islands, which would significantly reduce extinction risk for a number of globally threatened species.
Peter Clegg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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covid 19 and the british Overseas Territories a comparative view
The Round Table, 2021Co-Authors: Matthew C Benwell, Peter Clegg, Alasdair PinkertonAbstract:The British Overseas Territories are part of the ‘Commonwealth family’, and have characteristics such as isolation, economic vulnerability, and small populations, which have influenced how the terr...
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the united kingdom and its Overseas Territories no longer a benevolent patron
Small States & Territories, 2018Co-Authors: Peter CleggAbstract:Over recent decades, the relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and its Overseas Territories (OTs) has been a generally strong one, with political and economic safeguards in place, bolstered by increasing levels of support from the European Union (EU). Of course there have been strains and tensions in relations, but significant advantages have accrued to the Territories. This article takes as its starting-point several key observations made previously by experts in the field and uses them to analyse the condition of relations between the UK and its Territories within the context of recent events. In particular, the claim by Godfrey Baldacchino that non-sovereign Territories benefit from the support of a “benevolent mainland patron” is considered. Based on a review of recent statements, newspaper articles and policy documents, this article argues that the UK’s benevolence to its OTs has been placed under serious pressure by three recent and unrelated events: the UK’s decision to leave the EU; its sub-optimal response to the damage caused in several Territories by Hurricane Irma; and the resolve of the UK Parliament to impose stricter controls on the OTs’ offshore financial sectors.
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brexit and the Overseas Territories repercussions for the periphery
The Round Table, 2016Co-Authors: Peter CleggAbstract:AbstractThere are 14 United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), of which nine are associated with the European Union (EU) via the Overseas Association Decision adopted by the EU in 2013. Gibraltar, meanwhile, is part of the EU under Article 355(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Only the citizens of Gibraltar were able to vote in the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, but the consequences for all are potentially very significant. The UKOTs benefit currently from economic and environmental cooperation, as well as development assistance and policy dialogue. The article considers briefly the growth of the relationship between the UKOTs and the EU, before setting out the key aspects of the relationship which the Territories are keen to maintain. The second half of the article focuses on the (minor) role the UKOTs played in the referendum debate, and what might happen to the present levels of cooperation as the UK disengages from the EU.
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colonies in conflict the history of the british Overseas Territories
The Round Table, 2016Co-Authors: Peter CleggAbstract:The utility of this new book on the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) by Charles Cawley is to bring together a self-contained and well-researched account of how this disparate group of territorie...
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human rights in the Overseas Territories in policy but not in practice
Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 2016Co-Authors: Peter Clegg, Frederick Dunwoodiestirton, Phil ColeAbstract:Since the late 1990s emphasis has been placed by the UK government on enhancing human rights in its Overseas Territories. Some early changes were enforced, but more recently persuasion and capacity building have been prioritised. However, due to the complexity of the bilateral relationships and the cultural diversity that exists, fostering and embedding reform is difficult. These challenges are seen most clearly in two examples: the rights of the child to be protected from sexual exploitation, and the securing of equality in relation to sexual orientation with reference to LGBT rights. The article analyses the constitutional and legal changes that have been made in regard to these two issues, and whether the creation of stronger human rights principles has led to enhanced rights in practice.
Vanessa R Invernon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the french museum national d histoire naturelle vascular plant herbarium collection dataset
Scientific Data, 2017Co-Authors: Gwenael Le Bras, Marc Pignal, Cecile Aupic, Claudia Goncalves, Marc L. Jeanson, Myriam Gaudeul, Benoit Carre, Serge Muller, G. Flament, Vanessa R InvernonAbstract:We provide a quantitative description of the French national herbarium vascular plants collection dataset. Held at the Museum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, it currently comprises records for 5,400,000 specimens, representing 90% of the estimated total of specimens. Ninety nine percent of the specimen entries are linked to one or more images and 16% have field-collecting information available. This major botanical collection represents the results of over three centuries of exploration and study. The sources of the collection are global, with a strong representation for France, including Overseas Territories, and former French colonies. The compilation of this dataset was made possible through numerous national and international projects, the most important of which was linked to the renovation of the herbarium building. The vascular plant collection is actively expanding today, hence the continuous growth exhibited by the dataset, which can be fully accessed through the GBIF portal or the MNHN database portal (available at: https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/search/form ). This dataset is a major source of data for systematics, global plants macroecological studies or conservation assessments. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)
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the french museum national d histoire naturelle vascular plant herbarium collection dataset
Scientific Data, 2017Co-Authors: Gwenael Le Bras, Marc Pignal, Cecile Aupic, Claudia Goncalves, Marc L. Jeanson, Myriam Gaudeul, Benoit Carre, Serge Muller, G. Flament, Vanessa R InvernonAbstract:We provide a quantitative description of the French national herbarium vascular plants collection dataset. Held at the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris, it currently comprises records for 5,400,000 specimens, representing 90% of the estimated total of specimens. Ninety nine percent of the specimen entries are linked to one or more images and 16% have field-collecting information available. This major botanical collection represents the results of over three centuries of exploration and study. The sources of the collection are global, with a strong representation for France, including Overseas Territories, and former French colonies. The compilation of this dataset was made possible through numerous national and international projects, the most important of which was linked to the renovation of the herbarium building. The vascular plant collection is actively expanding today, hence the continuous growth exhibited by the dataset, which can be fully accessed through the GBIF portal or the MNHN database portal (available at: https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/search/form). This dataset is a major source of data for systematics, global plants macroecological studies or conservation assessments.
Juliet A. Vickery - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the nature and extent of terrestrial protected area coverage on the uk s Overseas Territories
Environmental Conservation, 2017Co-Authors: Nicholas I Wilkinson, Juliet A. Vickery, Jonathan G Hall, Graeme M BuchananAbstract:Signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to the effective protection of at least 17% of the terrestrial environment by 2020 (Aichi Target 11). Here, we assess the coverage of terrestrial protected areas (land protected by legislation) on the UK's Overseas Territories. These 14 Territories are under the sovereignty of the UK, a signatory of the CBD, and are particularly biodiverse. Eight Territories have protected areas covering 17% or more of their land, but the extent of protection across these Territories as a whole is low, with only 4.8% of this land designated as protected. This protection covered 51% of sites already identified as of conservation importance (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas), although only 8% of the area of these sites was protected. The expansion of effective protection to meet the 17% target provides an opportunity to capture the most important sites for conservation. Locally led designation will require an improvement in knowledge of the distribution and density of species. This, together with measures to ensure that the protection is enforced and effective, will require provision of resources. This should be seen as an investment in the UK meeting its obligations to Aichi Target 11.
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the biodiversity of the united kingdom s Overseas Territories a stock take of species occurrence and assessment of key knowledge gaps
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2016Co-Authors: Thomas Churchyard, Mark A. Eaton, S. Havery, J. Hall, J. Millett, A. Farr, Richard J. Cuthbert, C. Stringer, Juliet A. VickeryAbstract:Limited financial resources for conservation and growing environmental problems make it vital to base conservation on sound scientific evidence. Small islands hold a disproportionately large amount of the worlds threatened biodiversity but it is among the least well-documented. This paper reports on the most extensive collation and synthesis of biodiversity data to date for the 14 United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs). A process of literature review and consultation produced 65,259 species records, including 32,216 native species of which 1549 were endemic to a single UKOT. The extent of knowledge of species occurrence varied both between islands and taxonomic groups. It was higher for vertebrates and vascular plants than small bodied invertebrates and non-vascular and for non-Caribbean compared to Caribbean islands, a difference that largely reflects knowledge of invertebrates. Global Red List assessments exist for 2606 species and document 111 of endemic species, 75 % of those assessed, and 291, 12 % of non-endemics, as globally threatened. Using the data to estimate true species richness suggests a further 70,000 native species, including 1800 single island endemics, remain to be documented suggesting the UKOTs as a whole may support over 100,000 native species including 3300 single island endemics.
Gwenael Le Bras - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the french museum national d histoire naturelle vascular plant herbarium collection dataset
Scientific Data, 2017Co-Authors: Gwenael Le Bras, Marc Pignal, Cecile Aupic, Claudia Goncalves, Marc L. Jeanson, Myriam Gaudeul, Benoit Carre, Serge Muller, G. Flament, Vanessa R InvernonAbstract:We provide a quantitative description of the French national herbarium vascular plants collection dataset. Held at the Museum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, it currently comprises records for 5,400,000 specimens, representing 90% of the estimated total of specimens. Ninety nine percent of the specimen entries are linked to one or more images and 16% have field-collecting information available. This major botanical collection represents the results of over three centuries of exploration and study. The sources of the collection are global, with a strong representation for France, including Overseas Territories, and former French colonies. The compilation of this dataset was made possible through numerous national and international projects, the most important of which was linked to the renovation of the herbarium building. The vascular plant collection is actively expanding today, hence the continuous growth exhibited by the dataset, which can be fully accessed through the GBIF portal or the MNHN database portal (available at: https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/search/form ). This dataset is a major source of data for systematics, global plants macroecological studies or conservation assessments. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)
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the french museum national d histoire naturelle vascular plant herbarium collection dataset
Scientific Data, 2017Co-Authors: Gwenael Le Bras, Marc Pignal, Cecile Aupic, Claudia Goncalves, Marc L. Jeanson, Myriam Gaudeul, Benoit Carre, Serge Muller, G. Flament, Vanessa R InvernonAbstract:We provide a quantitative description of the French national herbarium vascular plants collection dataset. Held at the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris, it currently comprises records for 5,400,000 specimens, representing 90% of the estimated total of specimens. Ninety nine percent of the specimen entries are linked to one or more images and 16% have field-collecting information available. This major botanical collection represents the results of over three centuries of exploration and study. The sources of the collection are global, with a strong representation for France, including Overseas Territories, and former French colonies. The compilation of this dataset was made possible through numerous national and international projects, the most important of which was linked to the renovation of the herbarium building. The vascular plant collection is actively expanding today, hence the continuous growth exhibited by the dataset, which can be fully accessed through the GBIF portal or the MNHN database portal (available at: https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/search/form). This dataset is a major source of data for systematics, global plants macroecological studies or conservation assessments.
