Letters: It's time to monitor our precious New Forest diversity

SIR – Recently you have published articles reflecting personal and television views about the New Forest.

For such an important area it would be invaluable to have a New Forest bio-diversity group which could provide a scientific background to the necessary encouragement or control from the soils through the complete spectrum to air quality up to, say, 50 metres from the ground including all living things.

Having walked in the Forest for the past 20 years and noted the loss of many small song birds and other small birds, I am unhappy at the return of goshawks who can feed on small birds.

Is my unhappiness justified? Does the picking of fungi affect their long term survival? What causes ponies to strip bark? Is the basis of deer culling correct?

Perhaps one of the local universities could establish a bio-diversity group with a comprehensive range of expert staff.

It is time to move on from a variety of personal prejudices to an inter-active examination of the numerous variables which make up our precious New Forest.

John Jubb,

Milford Road,

New Milton