Waders on the Fringe

Gamekeeping and predator control was widespread across Britain in the 19th century. Some now very common predators, like crows and magpies, were consequently comparatively rare a hundred years ago. Others like the fox were also substantially less common. If we are to restore some of today's vulnerable and declining birds, we need to understand how this formerly widespread predator control for gamebirds affected other wildlife.

The Upland Predation Experiment at Otterburn was designed to explore this.

Only on upland grouse moors is predator control now practised extensively to support wild game shooting, so the experiment was based on the type of predator control adopted by grouse keepers.

This package has been produced by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust for a target audience of KS3 or above and adults. Trials suggest it may also prove a valuable resource for Wildlife Management students or 'A' level candidates in Geography and Biology.

This is a data rich resource containing graphs, figures and data.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM LINKS:

KS3 Mathematics: Statistics

KS3 English: Writing Non-Narrative

KS3 Biology: Working Scientifically, Interactions and interdependencies: Relationships in an ecosystem

KS3 Citizenship: Volunteering and responsible activity

Geography: Geographical skills, Human and physical geography

KS3 History: Landscape use, Landscape change

KS4 English Language GCSE

KS4 Maths: Statistics, Graphical representation of data

KS4 Biology: Selective Breeding, Extinction, Ecology - Communities within ecosystems, Impact of environmental change, Maintaining biodiversity, Farming techniques