Biodiversity

Climate change is probably the greatest environmental challenge of our generation, and biodiversity is likely to be profoundly affected. Biodiversity impacts will result from:

• Direct impacts on vulnerable species and habitats as a result of changes in temperature, precipitation, extreme events, sea-level rise and so on.
• Indirect knock-on impacts arising from the direct impacts on vulnerable habitats and species that will disrupt wildlife communities, habitats and ecosystems.
• Indirect impacts resulting from some mitigation measures (eg inappropriate location and management of biofuel production, wind-turbines, hydro-power and tidal barrages).
• Indirect impacts from some adaptation measures (eg inappropriately engineered irrigation, drainage, flood defence and water storage measures).

Such impacts are likely to be further exacerbated by increasing prioritisation of climate change actions, which may also reduce the availability of funds for biodiversity conservation and encourage undesirable trade-offs between biodiversity and climate change measures.

However, biodiversity is part of the solution to climate change and win win solutions are increasingly recognised. For example:

• Genetic diversity provides the raw material from which new varieties of climate change resilient crops and trees can be developed.
• Soils and vegetation sequester and store carbon.
• Soils and vegetation slow down and retain water, thereby alleviating the risk of floods and soil erosion, in turn increasing water availability and quality.
• Vegetation can provide effective sea defences and flood barriers.
• Vegetation in cities can be especially valuable in terms of regulating local climates, ie by providing ‘cool spots’.

Furthermore, healthy, diverse and intact ecosystems tend to be more resilient to climate change and provide the greatest adaptation and mitigation benefits.

IEEP is carrying out work that supports both biodiversity adaptation, and ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation.

Key studies include:

Guidance on the maintenance of landscape connectivity features of major importance for wild flora and fauna (2007). This guidance, for the European Commission, assesses the measures that Member States are taking to increase connectivity to address the impacts of habitat fragmentation and to facilitate biodiversity adaptation to climate change. Recommendations are provided on how to use existing policy instruments and initiatives (such as the development of ecological networks) to maintain or increase functional connectivity.

A study for DG Environment with partners on the impacts of climate change and selected renewable energy infrastructures on EU biodiversity and the Natura 2000 network (2009). The study reviewed evidence of climate change impacts on biodiversity in Europe, assessed the vulnerability of species of Community interest, examined the distribution of vulnerable species across the Natura 2000 network and identified policy measures that may facilitate biodiversity adaptation in the EU. It also assessed the potential impacts of renewable energy technologies on Natura sites and their species.

An ongoing Defra (UK environment ministry) study led by Reading University, to review the current system of protected areas and priority habitats to assess whether they can adapt to climate change. The study focuses on the adequacy of the current protected area network and monitoring methods in the light of expected climate change, and the potential role that priority habitats can play in climate change mitigation.