Course convenor(s):
Jon Davies (BSc, MSc, CEnv, MIEEM)


Date: 05/08/2009

Course length: 1 day

Venue:
Cresswell Associates, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud,
GL5 2QG

Course fee: £125
5% or 10% discount available if 2+ / 4+ courses are booked respectively

Outline:
This course provides background information on the biology and conservation status of British terrestrial invertebrates. It also covers survey methodologies and habitat assessment, and discusses the types of impacts development projects can have on terrestrial invertebrate populations, and how these impacts can be avoided, reduced or off-set. A field trip will demonstrate examples of survey techniques.

 

 

Further information:
Cresswell Associates
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
Stroud, GL5 2QG

T: +44 (0) 1453 731 231
F: +44 (0) 1453 888 797

Download a printable (pdf) copy of this page [here]

Download a booking form:
Word Format | PDF format

Target audience:
This course is aimed at ecological consultants who need to know more about terrestrial invertebrates in the context of development projects, in particular how, when and why to survey and how assessment should be carried out, and who wish to learn more about impact assessment and mitigation techniques.

Aims:

To provide:

• information on background biology and conservation status of terrestrial invertebrates

To demonstrate:

• field survey techniques including pit fall traps, hand searching, and sweep netting
• habitat assessment for terrestrial invertebrates
• good practice in mitigating development impacts that affect terrestrial invertebrates and their habitats, including: avoid / minimise habitat loss / degradation / fragmentation and mortality; timing of operations; habitat creation and translocation; monitoring

Objectives:

At the end of the course you should be able to: 

• identify the different levels of protection offered to British invertebrates
• identify the habitat types that should automatically trigger further invertebrate surveys

• carry out a site appraisal for invertebrates
• determine what type of survey is appropriate for a given site
• carry out simple survey techniques (pit fall trapping, hand searching, and sweep netting) and analyse the survey results
• carry out appropriate impact assessments for development projects on terrestrial invertebrate habitat and populations
• design appropriate measures to avoid, reduce or off-set the impacts of development projects on terrestrial invertebrate habitat and populations

Course content:

Lectures

• Protection and conservation status
• Background biology and habitats
• Survey methodology and sample analysis
• Assessing the impacts of development projects on terrestrial invertebrates
• Mitigation, compensation and enhancement (including case studies)

   Fieldwork

• Visit to a nearby site to practice survey techniques, identify the key habitat features for invertebrates and assess the value of the site for invertebrates