Biodiversity and Climate Change
- a summary of impacts in the UK
Climate change affects biodiversity in many ways. Impacts on
species include changes in distribution and abundance, the timing
of seasonal events and habitat use and, as a consequence there are
likely to be changes in the composition of plant and animal
communities. Habitats and ecosystems are also likely to change
character by, for example, showing altered water regimes, increased
rates of decomposition in bogs and higher growth rates in
forests.
Biodiversity also has an important role in
climate change adaptation and mitigation. For example, soils,
forests and oceans hold vast stores of carbon. The way managed
habitats are used will affect how much of that carbon is released
in gaseous form into the atmosphere. How we address climate change
and maintain healthy ecosystems so that they provide ecosystem
goods and services essential for human well-being is now a key
challenge for society. Understanding the ongoing impacts of climate
change on ecosystems is an essential prerequisite to addressing
this challenge.
This booklet covers impacts in the marine, terrestrial and
freshwater environments. It brings together information
from published sources to give an overview of the evidence of
climate change impacts on the natural environment of the
UK.
You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this
document.
