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Climate Change and Biodiversity
Climate change certainly has implications for wildlife in Wiltshire, and a major problem in mitigatign for the possible impacts that global warming might have on particular species and habitats is that the potential impacts are often unclear.
Listed below are some possible effects that climate change could have on Wiltshire's wildlife:
- The suitable climate space available for species like the Chalkhill Blue may decrease substantially in the south west by 2080, with a gradual increase up until that period
- Wiltshire is an important county for veteran trees and these may be severely impacted by drought and storm damage. Nearly 20% of England's ancient woodland is in the suth west, and exists in fragmented pockets of habitat, making migration away from unfavourable climate change, difficult.
- Loss of suitable habitat is the biggest driver for species loss, and will be likely with increasing summer droughts, wetter autumns and milder winters. As an example, the dormouse is threatened by warmer summers and milder winters affecting its habitat.
- Species reliant on the county's wetlands may be affected by changes in rainfall patterns affecting water availability - such changes may favour the growth of competing plants or directly influence the survival of certain species.
- The Black Poplar - wetter autumns may remove suitable conditions for germination. Short-lived windblown black poplar seeds need to fall onto ground that is kept both bare and wet and free of competition from the end of June until October. This increases the chances of hybridisation from cultivated varieties.
A very useful website in examining the impact that climate change may have on species and habitats in the south west is the South West Observatory website.
Visit the "get involved" section of this website to find out what you can do to help wildlife in Wiltshire.
Calculate your carbon on the carbon calculator - find out how much carbon dioxide you produce, and what you can do to save more.Go to the carbon calculator website (external link) >