Great Crested Newt Monitoring Project 2004


This project was run in conjunction with KRAG and BTCV Pond Wardens. Most of the data is now in and I have prepared some preliminary analyses that are very revealing.

Some of these numbers can appear a little mind bending at first so stick with me!

A total of 125 ponds were assessed during the project (there may be a few additional ponds to add, but the total is unlikely to change too much). Pond wardens and members of KRAG undertook much of the survey work. A large number of ponds were also assessed by David Sewell who is currently studying crested newts as part of his PhD at DICE.

Many ponds were assessed in a single visit and the likely presence of crested newts determined through the collection of various habitat variables. Rob Oldham and colleagues at De Montfort University have used these habitat variables to calculate a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for crested newt. The higher the calculated value the greater the number of crested newts that are likely to be found in the pond. I use this technique in my work all of the time and find it to be a very useful tool for predicting likely presence of crested newt. However, note that the calculation of a HSI does NOT replace decent survey work!!

I have adapted the published HSI slightly to make the results more accessible to my clients (and survey volunteers). Basically, calculated results are grouped into the following categories:

Poor Potential
Below Average Potential
Average Potential
Good Potential
Excellent Potential

Unsuprisingly, crested newts are most likely to be encountered in ponds with a HSI potential of 'good' or 'excellent', although they may also be found in ~50% of the 'average' ponds. Crested newt are rarely encountered in 'below average' ponds and I have never confirmed crested newt from 'poor' ponds.

The suitability of ponds for supporting crested newt during the 2004 project was found to be:

Poor: 26%
Below Average: 18%
Average: 22% (but remember that crested newt are only likely to be found in half)
Good: 25%
Excellent: 9%

During this year's project, survey work sufficiently detailed enough to reliably determine the likely presence of crested newt was undertaken in 57 of the 125 ponds. Of the 57 ponds surveyed, we predicted that crested newt would be encountered in 45% of the ponds (9+25+11). To save your brain, 45% of 57 ponds is 26.

So how did we do?!

Survey work in 2004 actually confirmed crested newt present in 27 of the 57 surveyed ponds (47%)! This is a little better than expected and I think that everybody involved in this project deserves a very large pat on the back!

Hopefully we can run this project again in 2005. If you would like to participate please let me know.

Posted: Wed - November 10, 2004 at 06:00 pm        

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