UK wildlife winners and losers from global warming
19/05/2008 15:39:20
May 2008. Coastal erosion and flooding is set to have a major impact on a diverse range of wildlife that makes the seaside its home research by the National Trust has found. These dramatic changes in the next hundred years are likely to put some of our native wildlife on the coast at risk and new species might begin to arrive on our shores.
Adrian Woodhall, National Trust Coastal Risk Assessment Officer, explains: "Our research has shown that our coastline is seeing a huge amount of change. This is having, and will have, a major impact on the wildlife and habitats that stretch all the way around our coast - both marine and terrestrial.
"To try and predict what will happen over the next 100 years the National Trust has carried out risk assessments at all of our coastal sites to identify the areas most likely to see major change, what will happen at these sites in the future and what this will means in practical management terms.
"As a result of our research and the experience of staff we have found that many species of wildlife are facing an uncertain future due to coastal squeeze and erosion linked to climate change. But it's not all bad news, and we expect to see some new species reach these shores."
Dr David Bullock, Head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, explains how the Trust is dealing with these changes: "In the future the focus of nature conservation will have to be on making space for nature to move around the wider landscape and not just within the current protected areas. At the National Trust we already work with our neighbours, but this will become even more essential as species need to mobilise to cope with climate change. "
The top three winners on National Trust land:Basking Sharks Well known along the west coast of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland these plankton filtering sharks are now making their way up the east coast. In 2007, wardens spotted two of these gentle giants off the coast of the Farne Islands in Northumberland for the first time. It is thought they were following the blooms of plankton which moved into the area because of warmer, cleaner seas. You can see these creatures on National Trust land at: - Headlands along the Devon & Cornwall coast (especially in August)
- Lundy Island off the north Devon coast
- Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast
 Glanville Fritillary Butterfly
Historically you could find these butterflies as far north as Lincolnshire, but gradually they have retreated to the Isle of Wight. Currently restricted to the crumbling south coast of the island it should enjoy a renaissance thanks to the warmer weather. In the future the Glanville should move northwards, inland and could even become a roadside butterfly. Moving inland is the only option for this butterfly, as increased storminess will make the Isle of Wight cliffs erode quickly. The best place to see these delicate creatures on National Trust land is: - Compton Chine at Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.
Little Egret Coming all the way from the Mediterranean this member of the heron family has made the UK its home. Since arriving on our shores in the late 1980s this bird has taken advantage of our warmer weather and quickly spread north. Little egrets bred for the first time in 1996 on Brownsea Island and they have now moved inland. You can now spy them as far north as Cheshire and the Humber estuary. Good National Trust sites to see these fascinating birds are: - Brownsea Island, Dorset
- Strangford Lough, County Down
| The top three losers on National Trust land: Terns
Internationally important breeding colonies of terns nest perilously close to the sea edge. With rising sea levels and increasing stormy weather, these populations are at risk of being lost as coastal squeeze causes their breeding grounds becoming flooded. Terns particularly at risk on National Trust land are: - Sandwich terns at Cemlyn Estate on Anglesey in north Wales
- Little Terns at Blakeney on the North Norfolk coast
Grey Seal Isolated shingle beaches are the ideal spot for grey seals to pup in the autumn. With sea-levels rising there will be a tendency for the beaches to become narrower, in turn meaning less space for pupping above the tide line. This means that the young seals will be at risk from being washed away. The best National Trust sites to see this mammal are: - Pembrokeshire in Wales
- Farne Islands in Northumberland
- Lundy Island in Devon
- Cubert in Cornwall
- Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland
Sandhill Rustic Moth One of the four types of this moth is only found at a single-site in Cornwall. This site is a shingle bar blocking an inland freshwater pool from the sea. With increasing stormy weather and sea level rise the bar is being washed over more frequently and the future is bleak for this colony of the Sandhill Rustic Moth. If conditions continue in this way it is in danger of being totally washed away. The only National Trust site to see the moth is: |
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