Over the past 150 years the badger is believed to have undergone major changes in status, and possibly also in distribution. In the last century persecution by gamekeepers in particular had an impact on badger numbers, especially in East Anglia. More recent changes in badger numbers and the need for a quantified base line survey against which to monitor future population changcs provided the stimulus for a quantified national badger survey. This was achieved in the mid-1980s by a stratified survey in which prc-selected one kilometre squares used in the Institute of'l'errestrial Ecology land classification system were surveyed for badgers. A total of 2455 squares (1.05%) of the land area of Britain) was surveyed, and this provided a means to (a) assess the current distribution and status of the badger, (b) assess the current levels of persecution of badgers and (c) monitor future badger population changes. Currently there are approximately 43 000 badger social groups in Britain. Sett blocking and badger digging were found to he widespread, and their effects on the badger population are discussed, as are the cfferts of the current 'I'B control opcrations in south-wcst Britain. Future patterns of land use, particularly in response to rhangrs in farming practicc, could have significant rffrcts on badger numbers. 'I'hese are discussed in relation to potential changes in the Common Agricultural Policy. T h e effects of an expansion of forestry and the spread of urban areas on badger numbers are also estimated.

Data from a Badger sett survey undertaken in the mid-1980s were used to calculate the effects of past persecution and land-use changes on Badger numbers. The current British Badger population was estimated to be 41,894 4404 social groups; if the effects of past persecution were eliminated, the population could be 43,437 f 4731 social groups, an increase of 3.7%. Most of this increase relates to persecution in Norfolk and Suffolk last century. In Britain the Badger population is largely confined to those areas which are intensively managed, and the numbers and distribution of Badgers reflect patterns of agricultural activity, However, over-intensive use of the landscape is detrimental to Badger numbers. To quantrfy the impact of land-use changes on the British Badger population, a number of habitat features favourable to Badgers were identified; 1-km squares that contained five or more such features had significantly higher mean Badger densities. If all the 1-km squares were managed to include five or more of the habitat features favoured by Badgers, and the effects of persecution were eliminated, the Badger population could be 58,284 5640 social groups, an increase of 39%. The absence of ~emi-~tural broadleaved woodlands in a 1-km square had the greatest effect in reducing Badger numbers, and tree-planting schemes may be beneficial in providing potential new sett sites. However, Badgers are poor colonists, and the construction of artificial setts and the translocation of displaced social groups of Badgers will &ready facilitate the colonization process. The value of such an approach for predicting the effects of future land-use policy on Badgers and other species, and for managing the British wildlife resources, is discussed.

No significant overall association between the number of congenital anomalies and proximity of residence to the Byker waste combustion plant has been found in this study. Significantly increased rates near the site during the later years may suggest a possible risk but are difficult to interpret. More comprehensive, multi-site investigations around other waste combustion plants are indicated.

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