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The Durrell Trust for     Conservation Biology

 

 

Mary Campling

MSc Student

 Constanza
   
E-mail: mary.campling@gmail.com  

 

CV

2010 - Biodiversity Information Assistant, Joint Nature Conservation Committee
2009 - MSc in Biodiversity Management
2008 - 10 Data Officer, Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre
2007 - 08 Data Assistant, Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre
2007 Herpetologist, Operation Wallacea
2004 - 07 BSc Biology, University of Southampton

 

MSc research entitled "Detection of reptiles on Surrey Heaths"

Supervisor: Professor Richard Griffiths

Effective survey methods for assessing the population status of British reptiles are vital for informing their conservation, through land management practice and legislation. The reptile assemblages on two constituent sites of Frensham Common, Surrey, were surveyed over a two-year period (2009-2010). The sites are designated SPA, SAC and SSSI, one is also an LNR. All six species of British reptiles had been recorded on Frensham Common in the recent past although no comprehensive reptile survey had previously been carried out on either study site.

The study aimed to contribute to improving the current survey method for British reptiles with a particular focus on heathland surveys. It was specifically designed to assess any effects of microhabitat and climate on survey results. The objectives were:

  • Identify any habitat associations of British reptiles on lowland heath and provide recommendations for the placement of artificial refugia.

  • Identify any effects of climate on survey results including trends in the proportion of individuals seen under refugia compared with basking animals. Provide recommendations for ideal survey conditions.

  • Identify any effects of time of year on survey results.

  • Assess the population structure of each species on the survey sites.

The study has implications for reptile survey on heathlands and has led to suggestions for allocating survey effort on both presence and monitoring surveys. All biological data resulting from the study have been made available for local conservation, planning and site management through the Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group - www.surrey-arg.org.uk. SARG supported this project; providing training, materials and negotiating site access.