Summary1. Evidence-based policy requires researchers to provide the answers to ecological questions that are of interest to policy makers. To find out what those questions are in the UK, representatives from 28 organizations involved in policy, together with scientists from 10 academic institutions, were asked to generate a list of questions from their organizations. 2. During a 2-day workshop the initial list of 1003 questions generated from consulting at least 654 policy makers and academics was used as a basis for generating a short list of 100 questions of significant policy relevance. Short-listing was decided on the basis of the preferences of the representatives from the policy-led organizations. 3. The areas covered included most major issues of environmental concern in the UK, including agriculture, marine fisheries, climate change, ecosystem function and land management. 4. The most striking outcome was the preference for general questions rather than narrow ones. The reason is that policy is driven by broad issues rather than specific ones. In contrast, scientists are frequently best equipped to answer specific questions. This means that it may be necessary to extract the underpinning specific question before researchers can proceed. Synthesis and applications.Greater communication between policy makers and scientists is required in order to ensure that applied ecologists are dealing with issues in a way that can feed into policy. It is particularly important that applied ecologists emphasize the generic value of their work wherever possible.

This review of the Ethiopian and Eritrean mammal fauna recognises provisional totals of 277 terrestrial and 11 marine species. The terrestrial fauna is dominated by savanna forms (47 .2% of the total), most of which are widespread but with significant numbers being derived from either the East African savannas or the sub-Saharan savanna belt. Deserticolous species (16.2%) include many which are clearly associated with the Somali-arid zone. The 29 endemics are almost exclusively confined to the central plateaux at altitudes in excess of 1800 m and most are denizens of grassland or moorland habitats; few are forest species. Sylvicolous mammals are equally poorly represented amongst non-endemic forms (6.5%) and it is concluded that Ethiopian forests have an impoverished fauna compared with those of Uganda and Zaire.Conservation of wildlife, perennially starved of resources, has suffered greatly from neglect, poaching and destruction of property during the political crises of recent years. This situation is not irredeemable, given the return of peace and some measure of prosperity. If the region's actual and proposed national parks were to be fully established and effectively administered, they have the potential to provide sanctuary for 210 (76%) of the terrestrial mammals, including all but five of the endemic species (one shrew and four rodents). Amongst larger mammals which are unprotected, the apparently precarious situation of the Dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei) gives particular cause for concern.

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Pearce-Higgins, J. W., Dennis, P., Whittingham, M. J., Yalden, D. W. (2010). Impacts of climate on prey abundance account for fluctuations in a population of a northern wader at the southern edge of its range. ? Global Change Biology, 16 (1), 12-23. IMPF: 06.34Understanding the mechanisms by which climate change will affect animal populations is vital for adaptive management. Many studies have described changes in the timing of biological events, which can produce phenological mismatch. Direct effects on prey abundance might also be important, but have rarely been studied. We examine the likely importance of variation in prey abundance in driving the demographics of a European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) population at its southern range margin. Previous studies have correlated plover productivity with the abundance of their adult cranefly (Tipulidae) prey, and modelled the phenology of both plover breeding and cranefly emergence in relation to temperature. Our analyses demonstrate that abundance of adult craneflies is correlated with August temperature in the previous year. Correspondingly, changes in the golden plover population are negatively correlated with August temperature 2 years earlier. Predictions of annual productivity, based on temperature-mediated reductions in prey abundance, closely match observed trends. Modelled variation in annual productivity for a future scenario of increasing August temperatures predicts a significant risk of extinction of the golden plover population over the next 100 years, depending upon the magnitude of warming. Direct effects of climate warming upon cranefly populations may therefore cause northward range contractions of golden plovers, as predicted by climate envelope modelling. Craneflies are an important food source for many northern and upland birds, and our results are likely to have wide relevance to these other species. Research into the potential for habitat management to improve the resilience of cranefly populations to high temperature should be an urgent priority.Peer reviewe

Taxonomy.-Once distributed from Morocco to Somalia, the African Wild ass is now reduced to remnant populations in the southern part of its former range and it is possible that true wild stock survives only in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia, there being evidence that the asses found further north in Ethiopia and adjacent Sudan are feral or crossbred animals (ANSELL, 1971a). ANSELL, largely following GROVES et al. (1966), suggests that two races of Wild ass occur, or once occurred, in Ethiopia; E. a. africanus (including dianae) to the north of Massawa and E. a. somaliensis (including somalicus) further south, while ZICCARDI (1970) also recognises E. a. aethiopicus as a valid subspecies in the intervening Danakil Desert. There are, however, no ecological discontinuities or geographical barriers which might give substance to such theories of intraspecific differentiation and, in all probability, there has never been more than one continuously distributed race in NE Africa. From all points of view, the surviving populations of E. africanus are best regarded as monotypic.