Climate change has been causing seasonal shifts in the UK’s weather and this has triggered some chaos amongst various factors. According to the National Trust, the loss of predictable weather patterns is "causing chaos". The association warns about climate change which is upsetting the regular rhythm of seasons. And due to these seasonal shifts, plants and wildlife are becoming more vulnerable to diseases. National Trust has shared that the effects can be seen in all the estates it manages. As per their report, this seasonal "baseline shift" is the reason for disrupting particularly the annual behaviors of animals in the region. They also have shared that not just animals, but plants and trees are also not behaving properly.
The head of Nature and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust, Ben McCarthy said, "The incremental shifts we're experiencing in terms of our seasons extending may not feel like much in a 12-month period, but over a decade the changes are extremely significant". In 2023, there was a series of temperature records. 2023 had the warmest June and also it recorded the highest sea temperatures around Britain costs. A strangely warm winter can be responsible for pests and diseases to thrive. And this is what has happened in this case.
Image Credit - BBCApart from warm winters, low water levels in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs also have caused disruption. The lower water levels have been caused by to lack of rain and high temperature. And due to this factor algal bloom has increased significantly. On a few occasions, this has led to mass fish deaths as oxygen levels have crashed drastically, suffocating the fish to death. The range of casualties doesn’t end here, in 2023, there have been several dramatic storms too. Various landscapes of the UK have been severely damaged due to storms namely, Babet and Ciaran.
According to Mr. McCarthy, the most iconic tree in the UK, the oak can be hit hard due to these seasonal shifts and the rising of the temperature. Alongside oak, the moths are also going to be harmed. Oaks are the natural habitats of moth caterpillars. According to him, the animals are also behaving strangely. As per the observations of several rangers, red deer in some areas are becoming sexually active later in the year. As a result, calves are born in the season of autumn rather than the summer.
National Trust Wildlife Manager at Holnicote Estate, Simon Powne explains, "They're unable to get the fat reserves on to get them through the winters." He also added, "These weather conditions take the heat and energy out of anything and they're just not capable of surviving. So we're seeing a higher mortality rate." Along with this, Mr McCarthy also explains, "At Holnicote we literally saw more nature move back in, within just three months of the project's completion as this new complex waterscape started to "bed in" and thrive." According to the trust, it can build increased resilience into the UK’s ecosystem and landscape, which might slow this process a bit.
