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Vulnerability and adaptive capacity of biodiversity in Wales Dr Clive Walmsley Countryside Council for Wales.

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Presentation on theme: "Vulnerability and adaptive capacity of biodiversity in Wales Dr Clive Walmsley Countryside Council for Wales."— Presentation transcript:

1 Vulnerability and adaptive capacity of biodiversity in Wales Dr Clive Walmsley Countryside Council for Wales

2 Hickling et al. 2006, Global Change Biology Climate change impacts are widespread and happening now N S

3 Many future threats & opportunities facing UK biodiversity Frequency of extreme weather events Increased risk of fire Facilitation of non-native invasive species through climate change and invasional meltdown Dramatic changes in freshwater flows Increased demand for biofuel and biomass Facilitate species range change in face of climate change Sea-level rise resulting in loss of coastal/intertidal habitats Reduction of coldwater continental shelf habitats Significant increase in coastal and offshore power Ocean acidification Nature conservation policy and practice may not keep pace with environmental change Geo-engineering to mitigate effects of climate change Sutherland et al. 2008, J. Appl. Ecol.

4 Programme of Action Sets out proposed actions to deliver climate change objectives Emission reduction by business, transport, residential, waste, public, agriculture and land use sectors Adaptation to climate change in our environment, economy and society Importance of behavioural change in all sectors Climate Change Strategy for Wales

5 CCW’s Climate Change Position Statement Monitoring - climate change and its impacts to inform action Projecting change - in climate and its environmental impacts to inform action Understanding and awareness - climate change, its impacts and potential responses Enhancing resilience - development of actions and policies that improve resilience Reducing emissions - an integrated approach to our own and facilitating others

6 Monitoring climate change Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon ECN site © CCW

7 Monitoring climate change Marine: Skomer MNR

8 2020s High Scenario Projecting future change: greater horseshoe bat 2050s High Scenario 2080s High Scenario

9 Type of weather event reported

10 Spatial distribution of reported weather events corrected by population

11 Sites ranked based on proportion of habitat area assessed as highly vulnerable to climate change over the next 20 years Wilson et al. 2010.

12 Welsh SSSIs & SACs containing highly vulnerable habitat features Wilson et al. 2010. CCW Science Report No. 942. Climate Vulnerability Assessment of Designated Sites in Wales

13 UK Biodiversity Partnership: guidelines Actions we can start now – not requiring new policy or legislation No regrets –good things to do even without climate change Set the direction of change not the final destination Maintaining Protected Areas and their appropriate management underpins all other elements of advice

14 Develop measures that improve resilience to climate change

15 Collating case studies and evidence Enhancing resilience at a local or landscape scale Monitoring and projecting impacts Understanding and awareness of adaptation issues Emissions reduction projects with synergy for biodiversity adaptation


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