It's a lovely, sunny, spring-like day here in Dorset and it's led me to question whether this sort of weather is what we expect for early February and what the impact of it might be on our butterfly and moth populations.
So it's fitting that in the news today we learn that new research has shown that climate change is causing UK plants to flower almost a moth earlier on average, potentially risking the collapse of some species.
The research team, led by Cambridge University, analysed more than 400,000 observations of 406 plant species in a citizen science database with records going back to the 18th Century. The dataset is called Nature's Calendar and is maintained by the Woodland Trust. Researchers found that the average first flowering date from 1987 to 2019 was a month earlier than the average first flowering date from 1753 to 1986. We know that this period coincides with accelerated global warming caused by human activity and, while the results are alarming, they are nor surprising to those of us working to protect our environment.
If plants flower too early, a late frost can kill them, and with extreme and unpredictable weather events ever more common in our changing climate, this is a very real prospect each year. This could potentially lead to ecological mismatch - when the plant that an insect relies on isn't available at the time it is needed, and then the insect isn't available at the time it is needed as food for a bird, and on up the chain the problem continues.
This research is more evidence of the damage climate change is doing to our natural environment. Butterflies and moths are important indicator species of the health of our ecosystem. When their numbers drop we need to pay heed. And their numbers are dropping significantly and rapidly - 76% of butterflies are in decline since 1976. Larger moths have declined by 33%.
However, there ARE things we can do to help and it's not too late to take action. At Butterfly Conservation we have become skilled at bringing species back from near extinction in the UK and protecting others. We have improved landscapes to sustain biodiversity and engaged, educated and connected tens of thousands of people to nature. It is clear though that if we are going to tackle the challenges our environment is facing that we need to do even more, which is why we have launched an ambitious new Five Year Strategy that will see us taking bold, imaginative steps to conserve butterflies and moths, restore biodiversity and mitigate the climate crisis.
For more information on Butterfly Conservation's work visit: https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work
To find out how you can help visit: https://butterfly-conservation.org/how-you-can-help
Julie Williams, CEO, Butterfly Conservation