This section contains some examples of our work plus downloads relating to current projects and events.
Downloads and examples of our work
South Sandlings Living Landscape Project Visitor Survey Report
A visitor survey was undertaken on the South Sandlings forests and heaths from winter 2009 to summer 2010. The work was commissioned by Suffolk Wildlife Trust with the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB and the Forestry Commission to look at patterns of use and recreational pressure with respect to Annex I bird species distribution. Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) submitted the report to Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) as part of the public consultation on their Core Strategy development plan document.
Cruickshanks, K., Liley, D. & Hoskin, R.
Published: 10-02-2011Hindhead Grazing Consultation – background paper
The background paper outlines the key issues around grazing the National Trust commons at Hindhead, Surrey.
Published: 10-01-2011The report details the findings of a visitor survey that was commissioned by a consortium of local authorities to further understand the links between recreational access on the Exe Estuary and local development.
Durwyn Liley, Helen Fearnley and Katie Cruickshanks
Published: 18-12-2010Solent Waders and Brent Goose Strategy
This strategy report considers feeding and roosting sites for waders and Brent geese around the Solent and the implications for safeguarding these sites. The strategy is based on analyses conducted by Footprint Ecology, and provides an example of our work being used to underpin policy and planning.
Durwyn Liley at Footprint Ecology and a number of partners
Published: 15-11-2010Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project
We are working with Bournemouth University for the Solent Forum to consider the impacts of disturbance on the Solent as a European protected site and the mitigation measures that might be necessary to resolve any disturbance impacts. The project involves ornithological fieldwork, visitor fieldwork, a household survey and the development of models to predict how visitor numbers will change in the future and how disturbance impacts the wintering birds. The on-site visitor monitoring report (link) is one of the steps in this innovative project.
Fearnley, H., Clarke, R. and Liley, D.
Published: 15-10-2010Ashdown Forest Visitor Survey Data Analysis
This report was commissioned by Natural England to analyse visitors survey data collected by UEA Associates in Ashdown Forest in 2008. The analysis includes a model of visitor pressure across the forest from all access points by estimating visitor rates at unsurveyed locations, analysis of bird data with respect to visitor pressure and interpretation of the results in the context of other southern SPAs. The results of the analysis will help the Local Planning Authorities, owners and visitors to Ashdown Forest understand the existing and potential future impacts of visitors on the SPA birds and to encourage approaches and behaviour which ameliorates or even prevents those impacts.
Clarke, R. T., Sharp, J. & Liley, D
Published: 21-09-2010Desk Based Study on Recreational Disturbance to Birds on the Humber Estuary
This study was commissioned by the Humber Management Scheme to review the information available on recreational disturbance around the Humber Estuary SPA. The report provides an overview of recreation on the Humber, definition of what constitutes recreational disturbance to Annex I birds, collated opinions from experts on the intensity of different activies and how these relate to trends for the area from the Wetland Bird Survey data. Importantly the study was commissioned to set out recommendations for a full investigation into the impacts of recreation using a combination of visitor surveys, bird counts and invertebrate prey data collection.
Cruickshanks, K., Liley, D., Fearnley, H., Stillman, R., Harvell, P., Hoskin, R. & Underhill-Day, J.
Published: 01-09-2010Map annex for the Desk Based Study on Recreational Disturbance to Birds on the Humber Estuary
Cruickshanks, K., Liley, D., Fearnley, H., Stillman, R., Harvell, P., Hoskin, R. & Underhill-Day, J.
Published: 01-09-2010Canford Heath Nature Reserve Management Plan 2010-2020
Footprint Ecology has worked closely with Borough of Poole staff to produce a ten year management plan for the Canford Heath Nature Reserve in Dorset.The site's main challenges are a lack of variation in vegetation structure and urban pressures such as summer fires.
Jim White and John Day
Published: 26-08-2010Options appraisal forThursley, Ockley, Elstead, Royal and Bagmoor Commons
This paper sets out the actions for habitat management of the heathlands and associated habitats on Thursley, Ockley, Elstead, Royal and Bagmoor Commons. The report provides information on the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to management and their use in combination. The work is intended to inform future management of the commons in accordance with legislation and the needs of users.
John Day
Published: 15-05-2010Welsh Seasonality Habitat Vulnerability Review
This report was commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales to review the potential impacts of recreational access on the Welsh countryside. The review covers four types of impacts (contamination, damage, fire and disturbance) on mammals, birds, herptiles and invertebrates across terrestrial, coastal and freshwater habitats. The report provides recommendations to map the seasonal vulnerability of different areas of Wales using GIS.
Liley D., Lake, S., Underhill-Day, J., Sharp, J., White, J. Hoskin, R. Cruickshanks, K. & Fearnley, H.
Published: 31-03-2010Evidence to support Habitats Regulations Assessments relating to Cannock Chase SAC
This piece of work, conducted for a consortium of local authorities, explores the strategic impacts of relevant core strategies surrounding Cannock Chase. The report addresses issues relating to recreation, water and air quality. Footprint Ecology have now conducted similar pieces of work relating to heaths across southern England, East Anglia and as far north as Cannock Chase. A particular interesting element of this work is the distance travelled by visitors and the spatial scale of potential impacts of new housing.
Liley, D., Underhill‐Day, J., White, J. & Sharp, J.
Published: 10-03-2010Hartley Wintney Consultation: Background Paper
An example of a background paper provided as part of a commons consultation. This paper outlines the key issues and provides a map and images of the Hartley Witney commons as part of the consultation held in 2010.
Published: 14-12-2009This report was commissioned by the New Forest National Park Authority on behalf of a number of stakeholders. We explore how visitor numbers may change in the National Park in the future, as a result of an increase in hosuing surrounding the park. We also present spatial models of visitor numbers and relate these to the distribution of Annex 1 birds within the SPA.
Sharp, J., Lowen, J. & Liley, D.
Published: 17-10-2009This study was commissioned by Natural England to compare bird abundance and distribution during the night and the day. In particular the aim was to identify any areas of the northern shore of Poole Harbour which are used more at night than in the day.
Liley, D., Sharp, J., Underhill-Day, J. & Caldow, R.
Published: 15-09-2009Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: Supplementary Guidance for England
This report is a collation of available scientific research into the effects of access on nature conservation. The purpose of this report is to provide a scientific tool to help identify potential impacts of access and to enable measures to be put in place to secure the reconciliation of both access and nature conservation objectives.
Lowen, J., Liley, D., Underhill-Day, J., & Whitehouse, A.
Published: 17-06-2009Access to the countryside and bird conservation: priorities for research
This report, commissioned by Natural England, sets out the research priorities relating to disturbance to birds and the impacts of access. It highlights the need for a better understanding of access patterns and the need to better understand how to manage access to minimise impacts to birds.
Liley, D.
Published: 06-04-2009Drivetimes and housing around the Dorset Heaths
We have drivetime software, which as part of our GIS capabilities, allows us to plot drivetimes from different locations. The example here shows drivetimes and housing for the Dorset Heaths. The shading shows different drivetime isochrones from car parks that provide access to the heaths, up to 40 minutes drive. The bar chart shows the number of houses within each drivetime isochrone. The software is useful in exploring visitor catchments and working with postcode data from visitor surveys.
Joanna Sharp
Published: 08-01-2009This report, to Purbeck District Council, assembles the evidence of the nature conservation impacts of a settlement expansion for 2750 dwellings near Lytchett, in SE Dorset. The report informed Purbeck District Council's response to the Secretary of State on the proposed changes to the SW RSS.
White, J., Hoskin, R., Liley, D., Sharp, J., Underhill-Day, J. & Tyldesley, D.
Published: 02-10-2008Habitat Regulations Assessment: Breckland Core Strategy
This assessment is the result of close working with Breckland District Council, the RSPB and Natural England and draws on research conducted by Footpring Ecology and others. Breckland HRA
Liley, D., Hoskin, R., Underhill-Day, J. & Tyldesley, D.
Published: 31-12-1969The effect of housing development and roads on the distribution of stone curlews in the Brecks
<p>This research provides some of the evidence used to support the Appropriate Assessment of Breckland District's core strategy and explores the avoidance of housing and roads by stone curlews.</p>
Sharp, J., Clarke, R. T., Liley, D. & Green, R. E.
Published: 31-12-1969Footprint Ecology Training courses 2011 BOOKING FORM
Published: 31-12-1969<p>A set of 17 factsheets for local groups considering action for the better management of their common land. They are aimed at those sites which are appreciated by local communities for their amenity value, but which are changing because there are now few or no active commoners who are exercising rights, and traditional agricultural management is limited or has ceased. The work was commissioned by Natural England.</p>
Footprint Ecology
Published: 31-12-1969