Earlier this week, The Wildlife Trusts published an assessment of the effects of climate change in the UK. The report, Resilient Nature shows how a changing climate and the extreme weather conditions of the past year have affected species and habitats across The Wildlife Trusts’ 2,600 nature reserves.
The summer’s headlines and conversations were dominated by heatwaves and drought, but the report reveals that over the past 12 months it has been extreme changes in weather patterns that have been the most damaging overall for the natural world.
A summer of heat and drought
The extremes of heat and subsequent droughts have caused many important wildlife habitats to dry out across the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust areas. Askham Bog and Kilnsea Wetlands have both dried out completely, which is disastrous for those species that rely on the wetlands, such as newts and wading birds, which have nowhere to hunt for food. Rare wetland plants have shrivelled in the heat and died.
Precious chalk streams, like those of Skerne Wetlands, have been reduced to mere trickles, severely affecting endangered species such as water voles. Low water levels in Yorkshire’s chalk streams and rivers have led to lower oxygen levels, causing algal blooms and very high nutrient levels that cause problems for fish, as well as a lack of space for newts and water voles to survive.
Rachael Bice, CEO at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, says: “Yorkshire’s wildlife is feeling the pressure again after the driest spring and summer in hundreds of years followed by periods of extremely changeable wet weather. The unpredictability of our weather over the past few years has given wildlife far less opportunity to bounce back from periods of more extreme weather.”
Bide continued: “It will take months for our chalk streams and wetland reserves to replenish – and it may be years before the full impact of this drought is realised for our wildlife. We are calling on planning authorities and organisations to ensure policies are robust to address the impact of our changing climate.”
Woodlands and heaths at risk
Woodland reserves have also been very badly affected. Researchers have seen trees drop entire branches (limb drop) to cope with the dry weather, and autumn canopies – while beautiful – have arrived far too early as trees struggle to cope with the hot weather.
The heat increased the risk of fire, and everyone in Yorkshire has probably heard of, or been affected by, the fire at Fylingdales earlier this month. Wildlife is very vulnerable in these fires, with ground-nesting birds, small mammals and reptiles all easily trapped.
Extreme weather now the norm
The latest State of the UK Climate report made clear that this weather chaos – with more frequent record temperatures, drought, fire and flooding – is now the norm.Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is working with its partners to safeguard the natural world from the worst of climate extremes.
The Trust is involved in river restoration projects across a number of Yorkshire’s rivers, including the Esk, Hull, Swale, Derwent, Aire, Calder, Tutt, Wiske and Foss. These projects aim to improve habitat quality and help with flood resilience. In 2024, this included re-naturalising around 1km of Otterburn Beck to create 3.7 hectares of enhanced wetland, as well as restoring ponds and creating new wetland along the Swale.
Habitat restoration is vital in mitigating the impacts of climate change, including Atlantic rainforest at Park Gill in the Yorkshire Dales. Work has also taken place on a number of significant wetland nature reserves including Potteric Carr in Doncaster, North Cave Wetlands near Hull, and Ripon City Wetlands near Ripon.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is also involved in supporting the marine environment through extensive campaigning, as part of the North Seas Wildlife Trusts. In a partnership with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Ørsted, the Trust is also spearheading the Wilder Humber project and is carrying out sand dune, saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster restoration.
Climate change accelerating
Kathryn Brown OBE, director of climate change and evidence at The Wildlife Trusts, says: “Our new report reveals that climate change is accelerating at a frightening pace, with worrying impacts on wildlife and nature reserves – as well as on human health and our future resilience as an economy. Yet, while Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers across the UK race to adapt the way that we care for our land, Government action to address climate change is fast falling behind.
“The events in southern Europe – where wildfires and floods have imperilled both people and wildlife – should sound the alarm loudly: we are shockingly underprepared for such extremes here in the UK. The UK Government must rapidly undertake a major overhaul of adaptation policy, with increased funding and coordination, in order to tackle this accelerating threat head on.”
Adapted from a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust press release. All images reproduced with permission.
