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December 2025

In this issue

The Yellow Meadow Ant – Ninety Years of Ecosystems – Beavers and Orthoptera – ‘Good’ Ecological Status in Rivers – Woodlands: Time to Embrace the Dark Side?

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Contents:

Articles in this issue

© Paul Herber CC BY-SA 2.0
Conservation practice

Woodlands: time to embrace the dark side?

Ellie Crane

The UK’s woodland cover is less than half the average for Europe (Burton et al. 2018) and we have no true primary forests, defined as ‘a naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed’ (FAO 2015). Our remnant sylvanSee more
Biological recording

Good Ecological Status? The disturbing case of the Middle Severn

Roger Meade, Mike Averill and Trevor Ponman

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Biological recording

Beaver habitat creation and benefits for Orthoptera

Tim Gardiner and Emily Crisp

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Natural history

Ninety years of ecosystems

David M. Wilkinson

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Natural history

The Yellow Meadow Ant: a small animal with a huge influence

Tim King

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Columns in this issue

Simon Barnes

Hugh Raven

Brett Westwood

Features
in this issue

Book review: Exmoor

Exmoor was one of the first National Parks to be declared, and is also one of the smallest at c. 69,000ha (the Lake District is 236,000ha). Exmoor’s northern boundary is defined by its vertiginous wooded cliffs along the Bristol Channel. Inland it stretches southwards, mostly through Somerset and a corner of Devon, and includes one

© Neil Theasby CC BY-SA 2.0

Conservation news

Conservation news reports on all the biggest recent news from conservation and environmental policy, including the outcome of COP 30, the Scottish government’s draft climate change plan and plastic pollution in SSSIs.

© Peter Whyte CC BY 3.0

Wildlife Reports

December’s wildlife reports cover a long overdue change of scientific name for the Bullhead Cottus perifretum and a rediscovery of a ‘nationally rare’ spider, and the usual round-ups on a variety of other taxonomic groups.

© Zeynel Cebeci CC BY 4.0

Habitat Management News

December’s habitat management news concerns mowing regimes for pollinators in urban lawns and the use of deer-repellent spray to reduce browsing damage.

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“The most important and informative publication on wildlife of our times”
Michael McCarthy The Independent
“I refer to British Wildlife almost daily in my work as a writer and radio broadcaster and I find its tone and content is pitched just about right to introduce me to the whole span of UK natural history”
Brett Westwood Radio presenter and author
“Packed with readable, thoughtful up to date articles; written by ecologists and naturalists for ecologists and naturalists; British Wildlife is the essential subscription for anyone interested in the natural history of the UK”
Nick Baker Presenter and naturalist

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