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BES and Natural England Press Release

11 January 2011

Conservation in a changing climate

Natural England and the British Ecological Society hold joint conference on how conservation needs to adapt in the face of climate change

Climate change is on the agenda for a joint Natural England and British Ecological Society (BES) conference which starts today. The two day conference -Adapting conservation to a changing climate- will see representatives from government, NGO’s and the academic world joining forces to discuss the latest research into how conservation can respond to the effects of climate change.

Opened by Bob Watson, Chief Scientist at Defra, the conference includes presentations from Professor John Lawton, Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Martin Warren of Butterfly Conservation, Dr Kathy Hodder (University of Bournemouth) and Professor Chris Thomas (University of York) alongside a host of other leading experts on climate change adaptation andwildlife conservation both in the UK and in Europe.

Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England said: “We are now locked into at least 50 years of climate change and working together with Defra and the agencies within the Defra network we need to draw on the best available conservation science to enable our countryside and the wildlife it supports to become more resilient to climate change.  This conference will showcase some of the most up-to-date research to help inform how climate change adaptation can be built into our conservation work.”

Speakers will be discussing a range of topics, from the threat climate change poses to biodiversity and ecosystems services, to what can be done to create a more resilient natural environment. Dr Mike Morecroft (Natural England) will describe how increasing woodland size can increase resilience to climate change whileProfessor Mike Acreman of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology will consider the role of wetlands in reducing floods. New research by Dr Jon Bennie, Exeter University, shows how we can create the right conditions to encourage rare species like the silver-spotted skipper butterfly as the climate warms.

Professor John Lawton recently chaired a review of protected sites across England and will tell the conference how a network of “bigger, better and more joined up” protected areas will help to protect biodiversity in a changing climate.

Tailored approaches may be necessary to support certain species –Professor Chris Thomas University of York will look at approaches to identifying conservation priorities whileDr Sarah Dalrymple (Aberdeen University) will consider the pros and cons of moving species to new areas where they are not able to respond to climate changewithout human intervention.

Defra chief scientist, Bob Watson,concluded: “Our natural environment and climate change are inextricably linked. We cannot expect to successfully prevent further climate change or properly adapt to increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns without addressing the loss of ecosystems and biodiversity. These issues need to be seen together and treated with equal importance. They affect the fundamentals of our way of life – our ability to find food and clean water, our health and the economy.”

- ends–

Notes to Editors:

Please see below a list of speakers and their presentations topics. For interview requests, or any further information/ contact details for speakers or topics, please contact: The National Press Office on 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk out of hours 07970 098005.  For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

Further information on the conference is available from: http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/meetings/current_future_meetings/bes_naturalengland.php

Presentation topics and speakers:

• Climate change adaptation and ecosystems: scientific challenges and opportunities,Bob Watson. Affiliation: Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Conservation in the wider context of climate change adaptation.Prof Andrew Watkinson (Living with Environmental Change Programme)
• The European context for adapting nature conservation to climate change.Dr. Jan Plesnik (Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, Czech Republic)
• Common conservation challenges in a changing climate.Richard Smithers (IALE UK)
• Making space for nature in a changing world,John H. Lawton,Chairman, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
• Resilience to climate change in theory and in practice.Mike Morecroft, Humphrey Crick, Simon Duffield, Nick. Macgregor (Natural England)
• Landscape effects on bird and butterfly population resilience.Tom H. Oliver^1*, Simon Gillings^2ץ‎‎, Marco Girardello¹, John Redhead¹, Tom M. Brereton³, Gavin M. Siriwardena², David B. Roy¹, Richard Pywell¹, Robert J Fuller^.Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; British Trust for Ornithology,Butterfly Conservation
• AN ECO-EVOLUTIONARY BASIS FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE.Philip Grime, Andrew Askew, Jason Fridley and Simon Pierce, Buxton Climate Change Impact        Laboratory
• Connectivity in the context of climate change Authors: Jenny A. Hodgson¹, Atte   Moilanen², Brendan A. Wintle³Jane K. Hill¹and Chris D. Thomas^1. Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.  Metapopulation Research Group, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, AUSTRALIA.
• The range expansion of the silver-spotted skipper butterfly: lessons for conservation under climate change.Dr. Jon Bennie (University of Exeter)
• · Movingplants and animals for conservation when the historic range loses legitimacy: adaptation of translocations to cope with climate change.Dr. Sarah Dalrymple and Dr. Mark Stanley Price (University of Aberdeen, IUCN)
• Winners, losers and conservation priorities: identifying which species require most assistance to survive climate change.Prof. Chris Thomas (University of York)
• Adapting the model - predicting the effect of environmental change for conservation.Matthew R Evans,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
• The climatic risk atlas of European Butterflies,Martin S. Warren, Alexander Harpke, Josef Settele, Chris van Swaay and Sue Collins, Butterfly Conservation Europe
• Projectingthe benefits of landscape-scale conservation for wildlife and people.Dr. Kathy Hodder (University of Bournemouth)  
• Putting climate adaptation plans into action: an international perspectiveJames Watson (Wildlife Conservation Society)
• Embracing adaptation: early days at the RSPB.Dr. Olly Watts (RSPB)
• Complex land systems: the need for long time perspectives in order to assess their future. Prof. John Dearing (University of Southampton)
• Adaptation indicators for biodiversity,Mike Harley,AEA
• Integrating Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.Dr Pam Berry (University of Oxford)
• Do wetlands reduce floods?Prof. Mike Acreman (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology)
• Multifunctional Forests.Dr Mark Broadmeadow (Forestry Commission)
• Future climate, changes in land-use capability, and potential trade-offs between agriculture and forest services. The case of broadleaved habitat networks in Scotland. Alessandro GIMONA, Laura  POGGIO, Marie  CASTELLAZZI, Iain BROWN,  Luz-Maria LOZADA-ELLISON (The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, UK)

About Natural England

• Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
• We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
• We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
• We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
• We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds ofconservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
• We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.

The British Ecological Society is a learned society, a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Established in 1913 by academics to promote and foster the study of ecology in its widest sense, the Society has 4,000 members inthe UK and abroad. Further information is available at www.britishecologicalsociety.org.

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