Climate change is the biggest long term threat to our natural environment and is one of the biggest challenges facing society. Development, agricultural changes, habitat destruction and pollution have all had an impact on our biodiversity over many years. Climate change will exacerbate these existing pressures and exert additional pressures such as: changes to the ranges of many species; changes in species abundance; and changes to the timing of seasonal activity. In fact, there is evidence that many species are already responding to climate change (Hopkins et al, Defra 2007). The vital services that the natural environment provides us with (ecosystem services) will also be directly affected by climate change and indirectly affected by non-sustainable climate change adaptation actions that we might take. If society and the economy are to adapt to climate change, it is crucial to minimise the effects of the damaging impacts to the underlying natural environment. In order to address climate change, not only do we have to reduce emissions but we also have to address the ‘locked in’ impacts of climate change on the natural environment through adaptation action.

In order to assist biodiversity to adapt to climate change we need to ensure we incorporate longer term thinking about the impacts of climate change in the way we plan for and manage biodiversity. A number of overarching principles to help biodiversity adapt through safeguarding the health of the underlying environment have been established (Hopkins et al, Defra 2007 and Smithers et al, 2008). The overarching adaptation principles set out by the England Biodiversity Strategy (Smithers et al 2008) are listed below with some examples of actions we need to take:

1. Take Practical Action Now – including conserving existing biodiversity and reducing existing sources of harm.


2. Maintain and Increase Ecological Resilience – including conserving the range and ecological variability of habitats and species, maintaining existing ecological networks and creating buffer zones around high quality habitats.


3. Accommodate Change – for example by understanding change is inevitable and making space for the natural development of rivers and coasts.


4. Integrate action across partners and sectors – through integrating adaptation and mitigation measures, integrating policy and practice across relevant economic sectors, by building and strengthening partnerships and raising awareness of benefits of the natural environment to society.


5. Develop knowledge and plan strategically – by undertaking vulnerability assessments of biodiversity and associated ecosystem goods and services, piloting new approaches and monitoring their effects, identifying potential win-win solutions and ensure cross-sectoral knowledge transfer and monitoring actual impacts and research likely future impacts.

The full England Biodiversity Strategy document and list of principles can be found here.

Adaptation for biodiversity must be delivered through a range of actions, by a range of partners across a number of sectors. Examples of partnership actions include: conserving and enhancing habitat networks; managing flood risk; undertaking landscape scale planning; providing access and recreation opportunities and providing green infrastructure. Planning for and implementing adaptation measures for biodiversity will also help society adapt to climate change sustainably by improving the quality of vital ecosystem services. This may also reduce the need for hard engineering solutions, which themselves might increase the impact of climate change. Implementing multifunctional actions will be vital for climate change adaptation for both the natural environment and people.

Natural England has developed a model to help us assess biodiversity vulnerability to climate change at a strategic scale in order to advance our approach to climate change adaptation for the natural environment. We have developed a GIS grid model to input data, including habitat information and topography, and to undertake a spatial analysis at a 200m² grid scale. Biodiversity vulnerability to climate change is based on value (considering factors such as national or international conservation importance), sensitivity of different habitat types to climate change and their adaptive capacity (including an assessment of the proximity of habitats to each other, the permeability of the surrounding landscape, topographic heterogeneity and existing conservation management measures currently in place). The results of this biodiversity climate change vulnerability assessment will help us to target adaptation action for biodiversity.

Contact details?

If you would like any further information in the South East Biodiversity Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment please contact Sarah Taylor on sarah.taylor@naturalengland.org.uk or 0300 060 3922.

References

Hopkins, J.J., Allison, H.M., Walmsley, C.A., Gaywood, M. and Thurgate, G. (2007). Conserving biodiversity in a changing climate; guidance on building capacity to adapt. Defra, London.

Smithers, R.J., Cowan, C., Harley, M., Hopkins, J.J., Pontier, H. and Watts, O. (2008). England Biodiversity Strategy Climate Change Adaptation Principles: conserving biodiversity in a changing climate, Defra, London.

Further reading

Mitchell, R.J., Morecroft, M.D., Acreman, M., Crick, H.Q.P., Frost, M., Harley, M., Maclean, I.M.D., Mountford, O., Piper, J., Parr, T.W., Pontier, H., Rehfisch, M.M., Ross, L.C., Smithers, R.J., Stott, A., Walmsley, C.A., Watt, A.D., Watts, O. and Wilson E. (2007) ‘England Biodiversity Strategy - towards adaptation to climate change’. Final report to Defra for contract CRO327.