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Our science is published in a variety of formats. Click here for more information. We also attend events and conferences in the UK, within Europe, and at venues around the world. Press release: Owls and hawks help conservationists 14th
July
2005
New research published this week in the leading scientific journal Nature supports the view that Conservationists wanting to choose a good area for preserving biodiversity should look for places where birds of prey live and breed.
The study carried out by a multi-national team from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the Estación Biológica de Doñana in Spain and the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences in Italy has shown that sites occupied by predators such as hawks and owls are consistently associated with high biodiversity.
Paper author Professor Ian Newton a research fellow at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology site at Monks Wood, Cambridgeshire said: “Often, decisions on locating new Nature reserves have to be taken in a hurry, especially in little known regions - for example, when large scale logging takes place. We show that the most effective way to choose new conservation areas, rich in biodiversity, is to look for sites where birds of prey are present.”
Additional Information
- Press release
- Ecological Processes and Modelling Research Team
- CEH Sustainable Economies programme
- CEH Biodiversity programme
- Nature

