CLIMATE CHANGE 3

Species Extinction Crisis

At the top of our greatest environmental concerns is the Species Extinction Crisis. Few of us can have missed the demonstrations, the dire but well-founded news stories or, for those of us who have been watching and recording nature all our lives, our own observations. The shocking latest State of Nature report for 2019 can be read here but is this alarming species extinction solely related to human over-population, over-exploitation of the environment and trashing of habitats, or is it also related to climate change? 

Of course, climate change itself is a result of anthropogenic processes, but how might the changing climate be impacting on the richness and diversity of wild species as well as the more obvious habitat destruction caused by human change of land-use and the pollution of our terrestrial and marine environment? The State of Nature report reveals the shameful status of the UK as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world! It also notes that there has been no significant amelioration in the dire state of our wild species’ status since they last produced a review in 2016 and they state that the causes continue to be agricultural intensification of farming, pollution, habitat destruction from housing and other developments, invasive alien species and the climate crisis. Indeed, most expert environmental writers and ecological scientists list climate change as an important factor in species loss. Perhaps the most well-recognised by science is the impact of climate change on our seas, which now seem disturbingly close to their maximum capacity for absorbing carbon dioxide and keeping us cool. The climate change driven alterations to their temperature, salinity and pH are killing millions of species, corals being a well-known example.

Corals like these are dying across our seas because of climate change driven impacts on their aquatic environment, particularly temperature and acidity.

To drive home the point I am making in this short news item, it is worth citing an excerpt of the State of Nature Report verbatim. The report is fully referenced, incidentally, if you want to check what they say:

“Climate change, caused by human activities, is one of the most significant threats to global biodiversity, and is projected to become increasingly severe through the course of this century. While climate change has had the second largest impact (after agricultural change) on UK nature over the last 40 years, impacts on wildlife have been mixed. There is growing evidence that climate change is driving widespread and rapid changes in the abundance, distribution and ecology of the UK’s wildlife, causing changes to species communities and will continue to do so for decades or even centuries to come. Conserving and restoring nature‑rich areas of the UK will contribute to mitigating climate change and benefit species, while strategies to counter the negative effects of climate change will help species to adapt to its increasing influence in future.” 

What more can I add? Well, a lot actually, but for this news item I believe that excerpt drives home the argument. We should be worried. Very worried.

Climate change has already impacted the population trends of moths and is behind explaining 40% of their decline (Source State of Nature Report 2019. Old illustration of hawk moths from my library – out of copyright.)

Betts Ecology work hard to help clients ensure their projects do not contribute to species extinction, but rather protect and enhance biological diversity to achieve net biodiversity gains. Likewise, on the sites we own and manage, we promote habitats for wildlife, eschewing the “species-poor close-mown grass and lollipop trees” of bygone days, educating, we hope gently and without being patronising, those who still adhere to using environmentally toxic herbicides & pesticides, who think of wild native plants as weeds to be eliminated. We try to help everyone see the extraordinary beauty and interest in biologically richer, less manicured landscapes.

 © Betts Ecology