Scilly Research Articles

Veterinary treatment of fox casualties

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are found throughout most of the northern hemisphere, and as an introduced species in Australia. In the UK, they are almost ubiquitous, although they are absent...

Toward Subnational Democracies of Scale: Tensions between Democratic Legitimacy, Legality, and Effective Governance

ABSTRACTAlthough democracy is often discussed as a universally applicable ideology, the liberal democratic state tends to assess democracy on the basis of government institutions. This paper argues that democratic institutionalism favours national governments and makes it difficult for subnational governments to expand their governance capacity and exercise additional powers. Greenland, Shetland, and Tresco (Isles of Scilly) serve as case studies of different subnational strategies for exercising greater governance capacity: 1) Actual adherence to democratic form (Greenland), 2) Symbolic adherence to democratic form (Shetland), and 3) Operating external to democratic form (Tresco). Despite the efforts of local governance actors, governance in these three island communities has proved problematic in terms of democratic legitimacy, legality, and/or effectiveness. It is argued that pressure toward the development of liberal democratic government institutions can in fact decrease the quality of subnational democracy. This requires a reassessment of definitions of democracy and authoritarianism. It is necessary to pursue place-specific and community-sensitive democracies of scale if we wish to democratically empower local communities.

Later Holocene vegetation history of the Isles of Scilly, UK: coastal influence and human land use in a small island context

ABSTRACTSmall islands tend to experience exacerbated environmental/social vulnerabilities, due to isolation, size and a small resource base. The response of social communities to environmental stress can be addressed by compiling palaeoecological proxies for land management alongside archaeological records. This paper presents pollen data from four new late Holocene sequences that lie around sea‐level on the Isles of Scilly (south‐west England), to understand the impact of coastal change on island communities. Interpretation of sequences near the coastal zone can be confounded by problems in disentangling human impact from maritime and wetland influence. Multivariate analysis is used to separate samples influenced by maritime conditions and wetland development from ‘inland’ human land management practices. During the Bronze Age clearance of woodland resulted in an intensively managed pastoral system and archaeological datasets indicate that maritime resources formed an important part of the subsistence economy. Despite coastal change that resulted in loss of land area and reduced the extent of the intertidal zone, the pollen data and evidence from existing archaeological data show continuity through later prehistory and into the medieval period. The archaeological data and pollen evidence point towards a highly resilient community that employed a mixed and varied subsistence base.

Divergent perceptions of new marine protected areas: Comparing legal consciousness in Scilly and Barra, UK

The legal establishment of protected areas is often associated with a situation of conflict arising between conservation and other human activities in particular spaces. This is primarily due to the fact that protected areas law requires changes in the behaviour of resource users. Conservation conflicts arising from the establishment of protected areas are well documented in the social science literature and attempts are made to find ways to reduce such conflicts. Yet, what of cases in which the establishment of protected areas serves to officialise existing sustainable practices and may contain an element of future proofing? Do they still generate practices of resistance and conflict? These questions are answered in this paper comparing two case studies where the authors conducted primary qualitative research: the designation of new Marine Conservation Zones under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 in the Isles of Scilly (South West of England) and the designation of a new Special Area of Conservation under Council Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive) in Barra (Scottish Outer Hebrides). Both protected areas are highly unlikely to impose changes in local sea-users’ behaviour, as in both cases they validate existing practices and are future proofing, in the sense that they offer tools that can be used to minimize the effects of potential future shocks and stresses, presently unknown. Yet, while in Scilly the new Marine Conservation Zones have been perceived as a positive addition to the seascape, in Barra the Special Area of Conservation has been heavily contested by the local community. The islanders' different perspectives towards protected areas law can be described as divergent ‘legal consciousness’. ‘Legal consciousness’ is a socio-legal concept concerned with the ways in which the law is experienced, interpreted and re-shaped by ordinary people. In our case studies, legal consciousness is a dependent variable, being the product of three main causes: history, power relationships between regulators and regulatees and risk.

Microliths and maritime mobility: a continental European-style Late Mesolithic flint assemblage from the Isles of Scilly

Abstract

The ‘microliths’ from the Isles of Scilly and the continental Mesolithic: similar yet still so different

There is little doubt that the small lithic assemblage from the Isles of Scilly is totally different to that from any other Mesolithic site in Britain. As the authors correctly state, the general resemblances to trapeze-dominated assemblages from the continent, in particular to the Late and Final Mesolithic industries from northern France, Belgium and the southern Netherlands, are very obvious. Typologically, the majority of armatures relate to continental rhombic trapezes, called ‘trapèzes à bases décalées’. Upon closer examination, however, several armatures display morphological or technical features that deviate from continental trapezes, making the Scilly assemblage both unique and enigmatic within north-west Europe. In particular, the presence of a dorsally or ventrally retouched base between both truncations on at least 20 of the armatures (p. 962, fig. 5) is remarkable. This is a feature that does not occur on continental trapezes, not even on the evolved rhombic trapezes known as flèches de Dreuil. The latter are particularly numerous in assemblages from the Somme valley (Ducrocq 1991), near the coast where the Channel crossing is narrowest. The combination of a length–width ratio typically <1 and the general use of flakes as blanks prompts us to interpret these implements as transverse arrowheads rather than standard trapezes. Pursuing this interpretation, the basal retouch might have been applied in order to facilitate their hafting, while the irregular small ‘splinters’ on the unretouched opposite end, visible on several of the drawings, might correspond to damage resulting from use.

Process for at sea identification in the feae-complex applied to a petrel observed off the Isles of Scilly

The feae-complex comprises the three taxa of petrel Cape Verde Fea's Pterodroma f. feae, Desertas Fea's P. f. desertae, and Zino's P. madeira, breeding on the Cape Verde Islands, Desertas Islands, and Madeira Island, respectively (Mathews 1934; Bourne 1983). At-sea identification (ID) of these three cryptic taxa is challenging. A petrel belonging to this complex was observed from a boat off the Isles of Scilly, SW England, on 16 August 2015. An excellent series of photographs document the sighting and key ones reproduced below permit detailed examination of the petrel's characteristics and assessment of its ID.

British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee: 43rd Report (October 2014)

British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee: 43rd Report (October 2014)

Assessing the conservation status of marine habitats: thoughts from a sandflat on the Isles of Scilly

Statutory monitoring of the fauna of the ‘mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide’ biotope complex on St Martin's Flats, a part of the Isles of Scilly Complex Special Area of Conservation, was undertaken in 2000, 2004 and 2009. The targets set by Natural England for “characteristic biotopes” were that “composite species, abundance and diversity should not deviate significantly from an established baseline, subject to natural change”. The three specified biotopes could not be distinguished, and instead three assemblages were subjectively defined based on sediment surface features. There were statistically significant natural changes in diversity and species composition between years, especially in the association initially characterised by the razor-clam Ensis, and possible reasons for this are discussed. It is suggested that setting fixed local limits on natural variability is almost always impractical. Two possible approaches to distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic changes are suggested; a change in ecological condition as indicated by AMBI scores, and a significant change in average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) compared with expectation. The determination of species biomasses as well as abundances might also open more possibilities for assessment. The practice of setting objectives for a marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) feature that include the range and number of biotopes cannot be supported, in view of the difficulty in ascribing assemblages to recognised biotopes. A more realistic definition of species assemblages might best be gained from examination of the species that consistently make a substantial contribution to the Bray–Curtis similarity among samples collected from specific sites.

Social and economic effects of spatial distribution in island communities: Comparing the Isles of Scilly and Isle of Wight, UK

There has been increasing awareness that communities based on islands are subject to particular island-related factors (the so-called ‘island effect’). This paper sheds empirical light on how the island effect differs in different kinds of island communities, specifically solitary islands on the one hand and archipelagos on the other. It does so by comparing two subnational island jurisdictions (SNIJs) in England: the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight. By analysing census statistics, we show how the spatial distribution in the Isles of Scilly (an archipelago) and the Isle of Wight (a solitary island) is interrelated with patterns of population and employment. Although the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are both tourism economies, the data indicates that, in social and economic terms, the Isles of Scilly benefits while the Isle of Wight suffers as a result of their different patterns of spatial distribution. We conclude that an island community’s spatial distribution has a significant influence on its societal development and that the island effect differs among islands with different patterns of spatial distribution.

British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee: 42nd Report (October 2013)

British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee: 42nd Report (October 2013)

Deglacial to postglacial palaeoenvironments of theCelticSea: lacustrine conditions versus a continuous marine sequence

Recent work on the last glaciation of theBritishIsles has led to an improved understanding of the nature and timing of the retreat of theBritish−IrishIce Sheet (BIIS) from its southern maximum (Isles ofScilly), northwards into theCeltic andIrish seas. However, the nature of the deglacial environments across theCelticSea shelf, the extent of subaerial exposure and the existence (or otherwise) of a contiguous terrestrial linkage betweenBritain andIreland following ice retreat remains ambiguous. Multiproxy research, based on analysis of 12BGSvibrocores from theCelticDeepBasin (CDB), seeks to address these issues.CDBcores exhibit a shell‐rich upward fining sequence ofHolocene marine sand above an erosional contact cut in laminated muds with infrequent lonestones. Molluscs,in situForaminifera and marine diatoms are absent from the basal muds, but rare damaged freshwater diatoms and foraminiferal linings occur. Dinoflagellate cysts and other non‐pollen palynomorphs evidence diverse, environmentally incompatible floras with temperate, boreal andArctic glaciomarine taxa co‐occurring. Such multiproxy records can be interpreted as representing a retreating ice margin, with reworking of marine sediments into a lacustrine basin. Equally, the same record may be interpreted as recording similar conditions within a semi‐enclosed marine embayment dominated by meltwater export and deposition of reworked microfossils. As assemblages from these cores contrast markedly with proven glaciomarine sequences from outside theCDB, a glaciolacustrine interpretation is favoured for the laminated sequence, truncated by aLateWeichselian transgressive sequence fining upwards into fully marine conditions. Reworked rare intertidal molluscs from immediately above the regional unconformity provide a minimum datec. 13.9 cal. kaBPfor commencement of widespread marine erosion. Although suggestive of glaciolacustrine conditions, the exact nature and timing of laminated sediment deposition within theCDB, and the implications this has on (pen)insularity ofIreland following deglaciation, remain elusive.

Northern Labyrinth—A Key to Time, Space, Information

Northern labyrinths are stone constructions of different shapes, dating back to III-I century BC. They mainly appear on capes on peninsulas and islands up to 13-25 metresabove the sea level. Their area begins from Scilly Isles (England) and in the White Sea (Russia). Opinions of scientists concerning their designation are controversial. Assumptions about their practical meaning haven’t been proved: no burials have been found underneath; fishing equipment cannot be located so far from the area of tides. Most of the scientists link labyrinths with the sphere of spiritual culture: sanctuaries, altars, sacred places, schemes of rituals and magical centers. Assumptions about calendar designation link the picture of labyrinth with schemes of orbits of the Sun, the Moon, planets and stars. However they do not explain the application of this technology. The author’s concept is based on the opposite astronomical alignment by the shade of gnomon and considers peculiarities of the geographical space of Northern regions (polar days and white nights). The aim of the research is to prove that the key to decoding the picture of a classic Northern labyrinth is a gnomon located in the centre of the construction. Field research has been conducted on Zayztskiy Island in Solovetskiy Archipelago. Experiments of imitation modeling have been done, analysis of linguistic and toponymic materials, archeological, astronomical, ethnographical and mythological and other sources has been implemented. The research has proved that observations of the shade can help to create a calendar in a shape of a bispiral labyrinth. The structure of labyrinth is convenient for defining the North, dividing daytime and defining geographical altitude of the observation point. Orientation in space and time has become the basis for navigation frame of the territory. A set of stone instruments is the key of a navigation frame of the territory. Life-essential stages of the yearly lighting are reflected in specific geometry shapes of shades. They have been preserved in mythological images of the Sun, solar symbols and modern sign systems. Languages, alphabets, numeric systems can be considered as models of geographical space and have evolved thanks to observations of the light movement. Key results of the research: 1) in the past the Sun used to play the leading role in navigation in the North because reference points of the dark sky were not available for observation; 2) Northern labyrinths have been created and used thanks to gnomon; 3) gnomon has been in the sphere of sacred knowledge for a long time, it was integrated as sundial 2.5 thousand years ago; 4) most symbols of the Sun and the Time are connected with gnomon and labyrinth; 5) the Sun, observation tools and results of observations are reflected in models of the world around—navigation, linguistic, toponymical, mythological, sacral and semiotic; 6) The universal sense of Time helps to understand a wide range of meanings of a sign of a labyrinth: birth; life stages (status, transitions initiations); space time order; reproduction of the benefits, fertility, abundance; knowledge and forecast; management: law and order; eternity-revival; 7) Use of solar navigation in formation of information systems is based on steady ratios “natural process—a geometrical sign (the sum of shadows in one day or year)”, universal opportunities of existential parameters for designation of objects, general availability and vital need of this knowledge.

Paired 26Al and 10Be exposure ages from Lundy: new evidence for the extent and timing of Devensian glaciation in the southern British Isles

Lundy lies in a strategic geographical position for understanding the glacial history of the British Isles. The island bears evidence of glaciation, largely in the form of ice-moulded bedrock and glacially-transported boulders – an unusual occurrence this far south in the British Isles. Irish Sea ice penetrated the western Bristol Channel overriding Lundy from the northwest during the last phase of glaciation in this area. The results of paired terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide analyses (26Al/10Be) constrain the timing of this extensive glaciation and provide, for the first time, an age for the exposure of Lundy granite following deglaciation. The results from nine paired samples yield 26Al/10Be exposure ages of 31.4–48.8 ka (10Be) and 31.7–60.0 ka (26Al). This challenges the view that any glaciation this far south must belong to Middle Pleistocene glaciations, such as the Anglian Stage (c. 480–420 ka) and a Devensian age for the last glaciation is consistent with findings from the Isles of Scilly further south. However, the findings suggest early-mid Devensian (marine isotope stage (MIS) 4–3) glaciation of Lundy. It also implies that the island was exposed or covered for a short time by non-erosive cold-based ice at the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) during MIS 2 (26–21 ka). The potential exposure of the island throughout MIS 2 contrasts with the evidence from the Isles of Scilly and the Celtic Sea, which were glaciated at the LGM.

Different cultures, different values: The role of cultural variation in public’s WTP for marine species conservation

Understanding the cultural variation in public preference for marine species is a necessary pre-requisite if conservation objectives are to include societal preferences in addition to scientific considerations. We report the results of a contingent study undertaken at three case-study sites: Azores islands (Portugal), Gulf of Gdansk (Poland) and Isles of Scilly (UK). The study considered species richness of five specific marine taxa (mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates and algae) as proxies of marine biodiversity and the aim of analysis was to estimate from a multi-site perspective public’s willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid increased levels of species loss (reduction of species richness) for different marine taxa. Results, based on 1502 face-to-face interviews, showed that income, education and environmental awareness of the respondents were significant predictors of WTP for marine species conservation. Results also indicated that respondents in each of the European locations had different preferences for marine taxa. In the Azores, although mammals and fish were valued highly, small differences occurred in the WTP among different taxa. Respondents in the Isles of Scilly put a relatively low value on fish while algae and marine mammals were highly valued. In Gdansk, respondents defined a clear order of preference for marine mammals>fish>birds>invertebrates and algae. These findings suggested that cultural differences may be important drivers of valuation and undermines the commonly held premise that charismatic/likeable taxa consistently have a disproportionately strong influence on WTP for biodiversity conservation. We conclude that conservation policy must take account of cultural diversity alongside biological diversity.

Wasting disease regulates long-term population dynamics in a threatened seagrass

The role of disease in the long-term dynamics of threatened species is poorly quantified, as well as being under-represented in ecology and conservation management. To understand persistent host-pathogen interaction operating in a vulnerable habitat, we quantified dynamics driving patterns of seagrass density using a longitudinal study in a relatively pristine site (Isles of Scilly, UK). Replicated samples of eelgrass (Zostera marina) density and wasting disease prevalence, presumably caused by Labyrinthula zosterae, were taken from five meadows at the height of the growing season, over the years 1997-2010. Data were used to parameterise a population dynamic model, incorporating density-dependent factors and sea temperature records. We found that direct density and disease-mediated feedback operate within a network of local populations. Furthermore, our results indicate that the strength of limitation to seagrass growth by disease was increased at higher temperatures. This modification of the coupled host-pathogen dynamics forms a novel hypothesis to account for dramatic die-backs of Z. marina widely reported elsewhere. Our findings highlight the importance of disease in structuring distributions of vulnerable species, as well as the application of population modelling in order to reveal ecological processes and prioritize future mechanistic investigation.

Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report

Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report

Seeing with new eyes: what can general practice learn from the science of improvement?

GPs have a deserved reputation for their ability to respond and adapt to the ever-changing needs, demands and expectations that they experience in their daily work. Viewed from a historical perspective, the changes that they have been exposed to have been largely incremental in nature and scale. However, social and technical changes in the future are likely to be of a different magnitude to those in the past. Unless GPs develop the capacity and capabilities to deal with these changes, then patient care, the health of communities, and the central role of professionalism will all suffer. The science of improvement, which enables a new way of looking at the world as well as a new knowledge base and set of skills, is presented as a solution to the challenge of dealing with change. At the turn of the 20th century, when the great sailing vessels that had since earliest times plied trade around the globe looked to be superseded by steam ships, an American trading company launched the largest sailing ship that has ever been built. The Thomas W Lawson was a remarkable vessel, seven masts and 145 metres in length. But she was too big. Her draft was too great to enter most ports and she yawed in light wind conditions. Her crew called her ‘the bath tub’. Just 5 years after her launch she sank in winter storms off the Isles of Scilly and all bar two of the crew drowned. The story of the Thomas W Lawson provides insights into how people respond to change. How do we differentiate incremental change from radical, groundbreaking change? How do we know when ‘more of the same’ isn't good enough? Are there lessons here for how general practice should respond to change? The constantly changing face of health care repeatedly …

New surgery for the Isles of Scilly

New surgery for the Isles of Scilly

Northern Labyrinths – Gnomons and models of geographical Space

Abstract Northern labyrinths are stone constructions of different shapes, dating III-I century BC. They mainly appear on capes on peninsulas and islands up to 13-25 m above the sea level. Their area begins from Scilly Isles (England) and in the White sea (Russia). Opinions of scientists concerning their designation are controversial. Assumptions about their practical meaning haven’t been proved: no burials have been found underneath; fishing equipment cannot be located so far from the area of tides. Most of the scientists link labyrinths with the sphere of spiritual culture: sanctuaries, altars, sacred places, schemes of rituals and magical centers. Assumptions about calendar designation link the picture of labyrinth with schemes of orbits of the Sun, the Moon, planets and stars. However they do not explain the application of this technology. The author's concept is based on the opposite astronomical alignment by the shade of gnomon and considers peculiarities of the geographical space of Northern regions (polar days and white nights). The aim of the research is to prove that the key to decoding the picture of a classic Northern labyrinth is a gnomon located in the centre of the construction. Field research has been conducted on Zayztskiy island in Solovetskiy Archipelago. Experiments of imitation modeling have been done, analysis of linguistic and toponymic materials, archeological, astronomical, ethnographical and mythological and other sources has been implemented. The research has proved that observations of the shade can help to create a calendar in a shape of a bispiral labyrinth. The structure of labyrinth is convenient for defining the North, dividing daytime and defining geographical altitude of the observation point. Orientation in space and time has become the basis for navigation frame of the territory. A set of stone instruments is the key of a navigation frame of the territory. Life-essential stages of the yearly lighting are reflected in specific geometry shapes of shades. They have been preserved in mythological images of the Sun, solar symbols and modern sign systems. Languages, alphabets, numeric systems can be considered as models of geographical space and have evolved thanks to observations of the light movement. Key results of the research: 1) in the past the Sun used to play the leading role in navigation in the North because reference points of the dark sky were not available for observation; 2) Northern labyrinths have been created and used thanks to gnomon; 3) gnomon has been in the sphere of sacred knowledge for a long time, it was integrated as sundial 2,5 thousand years ago; 4) most symbols of the Sun and the Time are connected with gnomon and labyrinth; 5) the Sun, observation tools and results of observations are reflected in models of the world around – navigation, linguistic, toponymical, mythological, sacral and semiotic.