Adaptation Guidelines
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Biodiversity and adaptation to Climate Change
The effects of climate change are already being felt - our climate has started to change and this will continue for decades regardless of mitigation measures to reduce carbon emissions. Climate Change is seen as the most important challenge facing us not only within the West Midlands but nationally and globally. It is the main challenge that will drive the work of the Partnership in the future. Measures to help biodiversity adapt must therefore be developed as a matter of urgency.
In 2006 the Partnership established a joint sub-group with the Climate Change Partnership run by Sustainability West Midlands. In addition the WMBP has established links with the Regional Climate Change Task Group.
After reviewing the available evidence the sub-group concluded that the likely effects of climate change on biodiversity in the West Midlands are as follows:
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Changes in distribution of species (loss of species at southerly edge of distribution, spread of species at northern edge of distribution including pests/diseases)
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Changes in species composition of habitats (favouring more adaptable species)
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Effects of drier/hotter summers (lack of water to support wetlands, water quality and temperature problems due to low dilution, low flows reducing aquatic habitat, fire risk, urban heat island effects)
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Effects of wetter/warmer winters (increased flooding of wet grassland, migratory birds moving north and east)
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Effects of seasonal/phenological changes (longer growing season, flowers/pollinators and predator young/prey out of phase)
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Land use changes (novel crops, management changes)
The sub-group has developed a draft set of adaptation principles which it intends to promote. These are shown in the table below.
Of these, the most significant relates to the first principle, that of developing resilience. The most important policies for addressing this are being developed under the area based approach or Large Areas e.g. through the vision and opportunity mapping advocated by Landscapes for Living, further enhancements within Biodiversity Enhancement Areas and the development of Green Infrastructure. The guidelines have been adopted from Defra’s publication ‘Conserving Biodiversity in a Changing Climate’
New WMBP Publication
The West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership in association with Sustainability West Midlands Climate Change Partnership have published a document entitled Biodiveristy and adatation to climate change, an advice note for local authorities. This document can be dowloaded by clicking on the picture below.
