Natural England - Evidence work area: climate change
Evidence work area: climate change
Natural England has an active research programme which includes the long term monitoring of the impacts of climate change on species and habitats, evaluating adaptation responses and developing new methodologies to measure the vulnerability of the natural environment to the impacts of climate change.
The main focus of our evidence programme is to understand the impacts of climate change and develop adaptation measures. We are also investigating the role the natural environment can play in both reducing climate change (for example by taking up and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) and helping society to adapt to its consequences (for example by providing natural flood defences). Natural England has a number of strong collaborative partnerships with a range of other research organisations and environmental bodies to develop the evidence base on climate change and its implications for the natural environment. Our priorities include:
understanding the factors which promote resilience to climate change;
evaluating the effectiveness of adaptation measures;
long term monitoring;
interpretation of climate change impacts.
We have also developed the evidence base on carbon sequestration and storage by semi-natural habitats, including peatlands.
Resources
For further information on climate change and Natural England's involvement in this work see:
Natural England publications
Natural England evidence projects
The evidence projects related to this work area can be seen below. For a list of the evidence generated by our evidence programme since 2009 see Evidence generated: ecosystem approach.
Climate Change
Research
| ID | Title | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| RP0322 | Managing peatlands as carbon stores (MAPCARS) (PhD) | This project seeks to increase certainty about the impact of land management on the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of peatlands in particular (1) whether reduced losses (and even gains) of carbon by the restored peatland may be counteracted by increased methane emissions and (2) the extent to which fluvial carbon loss from peatlands contributes ultimately to GHG emissions. NERC CASE PhD student: Gemma Dooling, Leeds University.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £4,500.00 | Matthew Shepherd |
| RP0364 | National Character Area climate change vulnerability assessment | Project to assess the vulnerability of the natural environment to climate change and identify appropriate adaptation responses. A method has been developed to assess the vulnerability of England's landscapes to climate change, and this is being a trialled in a number of pilot National Character Areas across England. These areas are: (1) South East Northumberland Coastal Plain (2) Lancashire & Amounderness Plain (3) Morecambe Bay Limestones (4) Solway Basin (5) Humberhead Levels (6) Sherwood (7) London (8) South Downs (9).
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £25,000.00 | Andy Neale |
| RP0384 | Is eroded peat a source of atmospheric CO2? (PhD) | To quantify/understand the fate of particulate organic carbon (POC) in streams draining upland peatlands, in particular the transformation to CO[Super]2[/Super] released to the atmosphere. Specifically the project will: * Measure the loss of POC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from peat-covered catchments by mass balance. * Understand the transformation of POC into DOC and CO[Super]2[/Super]. * Quantify competing processes for POC and DOC loss including adsorption and flocculation. * Develop inclusion methods of POC transformation and loss to the atmosphere into present carbon models. PhD student: Catherine Moody, Durham University
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £3,000.00 | Mike Morecroft |
| RP0437 | Mapping Peat Depth and Carbon Storage in England | Peat soils are our most important land store of organic carbon. Natural England estimated peat carbon (C) storage in the 2010 NE257 report, but this was based on few, and old, data. This project, run under an MoA with the North Pennines AONB Partnership's Peatscapes initiative, will: i) collate and analyse all available peat depth/C data; ii) develop a survey methodology to assess peat depth/C; iii) conduct some new targeted peat surveys; iv) coordinate with NPAs, NGOs etc. on new surveys; v) produce a improved and easily updateable peat depth/C storage map for England; and vi) supply a report, database & licence-free map.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £31,000.00 | Matthew Shepherd |
| RP0757 | Factors conferring resilience in invertebrate populations in agricultural systems | Invertebrate populations within agricultural systems provide key ecosystem services such as pollination and nutrient recycling; represent a key link in the food chain and are of biodiversity interest in their own right. Climate change will pose both direct and indirect pressures on populations within agricultural systems. This project aims to determine whether a climate change signal can be detected in invertebrate communities in agricultural systems, and if so, what factors confer resilience in them to climate change.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £30,000.00 | Simon Duffield |
| RP0758 | Adaptation to climate change by nature conservation managers | In this project we are conducting a survey of how the managers of nature conservation sites (such as National Nature Reserves) are approaching the issue of adapting to climate change. The survey covers topics such as climate impacts of concern, conservation goals, management actions being undertaken, barriers to action, and sources of information used. The first stage of the project, covering sites in East Anglia, was completed in early 2012; a second stage focusing on northwest England was started in summer 2012 and will be completed in 2013. Other areas of the country could also be included.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £5,000.00 | Nicholas Macgregor |
| RP0759 | Investigating potential climate change refugia for wild species in England | When desiging ecological networks to be resilient to climate change, one particularly important set of areas to identify and protect are those that might function as refugia (areas that are likely to remain protected or relatively climatically stable and so enable species to persist despite climate change making surrounding areas unsuitable). This project will investigate the characteristics of potential refugia, identify sites with these characteristics at a range of spatial scales. This is one of a suite of new projects investigating a range of aspects of the design and implementation of ecological networks and related issues.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £79,747.40 | Nicholas Macgregor |
| RP0888 | East Dartmoor NNR: Breeding birds of western upland oakwoods response to climate change | The ongoing research examines aspects of declining populations of migrant breeding birds, with specific focus on pied flycatcher and wood warbler of Dartmoor oakwoods. Key elements include: 1) For the first time in the UK, fitting of geolocaters to 20 male pied flycatchers to be recovered in 2013. This is a joint project between the NE, BTO, Exeter University, a European research group and Biotrack. 2) Co-ordination of SW upland oak wood nest box schemes and records, and correlation with climatic data. 3) Behavioural and food supply studies of wood warbler at East Dartmoor NNR
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £5,000.00 | Simon Lee |
| RP0916 | National Biodiversity Climate Change Vulnerability Model | We have developed a national biodiversity climate change vulnerability model to undertake analysis of current datasets to provide an assessment of the relative vulnerability of habitats to climate change. Datasets have been generalised to 200m x 200m grid square providing the framework for analysis. The GIS grid approach provides us with the flexibility to analyse the data contributing to four stages of the model that assess sensitivity, adaptive capacity, asset value and overall vulnerability. Using the results of the vulnerability assessment we can develop tools and products to inform decisions on local priorities and targeting resources.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £15,000.00 | Sarah Taylor |
| RP0939 | Species risk & opportunity assessment to climate change | Species vary in their response to climate change - some appear to be already benefitting and others being detrimentally affected. Thomas et al. 2011 developed a framework for assessing the threats and benefits of climate change to species based on current and projected future impacts, but also including an assessment of data certainty and other factors affecting the population trends of species. The aim of the project is to use the framework to analyse the risk for a wider range of taxonomic groups than has been tested so far.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £119,964.12 | Humphrey Quentin Pitts Crick |
| RP0944 | Bicco-Net: Biological Impacts of Climate Change Observation Network. Phase II | To collate and analyse relationships between terrestrial and freshwater species populations and climate across different monitoring schemes and taxa. It will provide evidence of change in biodiversity that will allow adaptation measures to be developed on a reliable basis. It will allow us to test whether theoretical understanding of climate change impacts and model outputs are reliable. This is the second phase of the project which is being let by Defra, but with a contribution by Natiural England. The results will be posted on a project website: www.bicco-net.org ![[www]](https://web.archive.org./web/20140718225016im_/http://neintranettechnical/content/technical/images/world.png "External link.") which is already worth checking out.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £40,000.00 | Humphrey Quentin Pitts Crick |
| RP0961 | The role of landscape and site scale characteristics in making species populations resilient to climate change and extreme events | Extreme events, such as droughts and periods of unusually high or low temperatures can have a disproportionate effect on ecological communities. Projections indicate that climatic events that are extreme compared to long-term means may become more common under climate change. Increasing resilience to these events is therefore an important aspect of developing a coherent and resilient ecological network. This project aims to evaluate how landscape configuration influences both the sensitivity and recovery of species populations following extreme climatic events. We wish to commission a contractor to work with us to deliver the project.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £55,000.00 | Simon Duffield |
| RP0989 | Evaluation of the risks associated with increasing landscape connectivity for the spread of invasive species | Increasing connectivity to enhance the resilience of landscapes to climate change is a key adaptation principle. Joining up landscapes was also one of the main findings of the Lawton Review. However increased connectivity can lead to an increased risk of spread and in certain circumstances isolation and the introduction of barriers to spread is used as a conservation measure. This project aims to investigate the potential conflicts and trade-offs between increasing connectivity to enhance resilience through enabling species to track climate change and reducing resilience through encouraging the spread of invasive species
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £60,267.00 | Simon Duffield |
| RP1317 | Resilience of bird populations | The British Trust for Ornithology carried out some analysis for Natural England of long-term monitoring data of woodland bird populations, that suggested that site-based attributes (woodland patch size and edginess) and landscape-scale attributes (patch isolation and surrounding area of habitat) might influence the resilience of populations to extreme weather events. This project aims to extend and strengthen the earlier analysis, draw out conclusions about which adaptation strategies are likely to be most effective in conserving threatened bird species in a changing climate, and summarise these findings in a stand-alone report or paper.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £4,648.00 | Humphrey Quentin Pitts Crick |
Climate Change
Monitoring
| ID | Title | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| RP0316 | Development of a long-term monitoring network | The objectives of the project are to: 1. Develop a long-term monitoring network to meet Natural England's evidence needs on the effects of climate change, air pollution and land management on the natural environment. 2. Establish a network of at least 40 core monitoring sites by the end of 2014. 3. Ensure that data from other existing and proposed long-term monitoring activities are managed and used in order to maximise their benefit as evidence on cause and effect of environmental change. 4. Ensure that maximum benefit and efficiency is gained from complementary activities of other agencies and bodies.
Natural England's financial contribution to this project is currently estimated to be: £147,006.08 | Christoph Kratz |
