Published4 hours ago
The loss of predictable weather patterns is “causing chaos” for nature, according to the National Trust.
It warns climate change is upsetting the regular rhythm of the seasons, making plants and wildlife more susceptible to disease.
The effects can be seen across the estates the National Trust manages.
This seasonal “baseline shift” is disrupting the annual behaviours of animals in particular but also impacting trees and plants, it 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”, said Ben McCarthy, head of Nature and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust.
2023 saw a series of temperature records, with the warmest June and highest sea temperatures ever recorded around the coast of the UK.
An unusually warm winter allowed pests and diseases to thrive.
Meanwhile low water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs – caused by a lack of rain coupled with the high temperatures – has been a factor in increased algal blooms.
On some occasions this has led to mass fish deaths as oxygen levels crash, causing them to suffocate.
And there were dramatic storms too, with storms Babet and Ciaran damaging landscapes and coastlines around the country.
You may have noticed the impact the changes in the seasons are having in the parks around your home or in your garden.
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