August rains wiped out the
promise of a long-awaited bumper summer for birds, insects and plants, say
experts, though autumn will be good for fungi
Environment editor
Friday 1 September 2017 06.01 BSTLast
modified on Friday 1 September 2017 06.02 BST
The summer holiday washout wiped
out a much needed bumper season for wildlife across the UK, according to
wildlife experts at the National
Trust.
A normal winter and balmy spring
provided ideal conditions for birds, insects and plants but the heavy rains
that rolled in during August dampened the promised bonanza. However, the
weather patterns should see a good autumn for fungi and some nuts and berries.
“The [wet August] was especially
damaging for warmth-loving insects, including many butterflies and bees,” said
National Trust wildlife expert Matthew Oates. “It means we haven’t had a
genuinely good summer since 2006 – the wait goes on. As we all know, you can’t
rely on the weather.”
The rains were ushered in by a
southward shift of the jet stream, which usually shepherds wet weather to the
north of the UK. Scientists expect climate change to result in wetter UK
summers, possibly linked to rapid ice
melting in the Arctic affecting systems further south.
, with a major
report in 2016 finding one in 10 species are threatened with
extinction and that the UK is “among the most nature-depleted countries in the
world”. The National Trust is the country’s biggest farmer with 2,000 tenants
and the biggest landowner after the Forestry Commission, and it is aiming to
restore 25,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2025.
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