Head Office Press Office
- 16-May-2007 - Study reveals climate change
impacts on salmon - Salmon populations may
be adversely affected by climate change
because of changes in their river habitat
- unless action is taken to help river ecosystems
adapt to unavoidable climate change, according
to findings released today.
The Environment Agency study, based on
detailed climate modelling in three example
catchments, found that salmon in the upper
River Wharfe in Yorkshire may be forced
to find new homes by the 2050s because of
increased temperatures and less rainfall.
Salmon rely on rivers providing different
water depths and river speeds at various
stages in their life cycle. Less rainfall
due to climate change could reduce river
flows, making it harder for salmon to move
between breeding grounds.
However, action could be taken in some
locations to reduce salmon vulnerability
by prioritising the restoration of river
habitats, especially upland headwaters,
and also to remove barriers to provide free
movement of fish. Tree planting along riverbanks
to increase river shading to reduce potential
water temperature increases, as well as
tighter controls on water abstraction, could
also help river ecosystems adapt better
to climate change.
Speaking today at a conference on Climate
Change and the UK's Aquatic Ecosystems in
London, Environment Agency Research Fellow
Harriet Orr said the project had put the
long-term management of freshwater ecosystems
under the microscope.
"While we can limit the worst effects
of climate change by reducing emissions,
we need to start thinking about how we adapt
our river management practices for unavoidable
climate change. Our rivers, and the fish
within them, are particularly vulnerable
and we need to start planning for that now,"
Dr Orr said.
"The Environment Agency, with others,
has worked hard to improve the River Wharfe's
health so that salmon are returning in increasing
numbers. This river provides a good indicator
of how salmon populations could be affected
if upland streams and rivers in this region
become drier. With less water flowing, salmon
will have fewer suitable habitats for breeding,
finding it harder to access these sites.
Young fish will also find it difficult to
move to suitable feeding areas as they develop.
"But this also has serious implications
for salmon rivers in southern England, especially
in the drought-prone south east were the
impacts of climate change could be even
more serious."
Dr Orr said changes in water temperature
could also be critical to freshwater ecosystems.
"Most of the species and communities
in rivers have a limited range of temperature
tolerance. An increase of 2-3 degrees Celsius
in temperature, along with changes in flow,
could see some species, such as larval insects
like stoneflies or mayflies, change distribution,
decline in population or even become extinct
by the 2080s.
"The diversity of insects in a river
has often been used as an indicator of overall
ecosystem health because they are critical
in the food chain. A reduction in their
abundance could have a serious knock-on
effect for species such as fish, which rely
on these insects as a food source.
"The study also looked at brown trout
populations, whose breeding grounds are
not as sensitive to climate change impacts.
But even these fish could be forced further
downstream in some Yorkshire rivers because
of the predicted drop in water depth and
flow.
"Although this is a limited study
on one river, it highlights the urgent need
for more collaborative research, with improved
monitoring and better understanding of climate
change impacts at both local, regional and
national levels. This is going to be essential
if we are to build up an accurate picture
of what’s happening, and how all of us involved
in looking after rivers should change our
approach to manage for unavoidable climate
change," Dr Orr said.
Preparing for Climate Change Impacts on
Freshwater Ecosystems (PRINCE) focussed
on the potential impact on insect life on
three sites already known to be vulnerable
to climate change impacts: the upper River
Wharfe in Yorkshire, the middle reaches
of some Yorkshire rivers, and the headwaters
of the Afon Tywi in mid Wales. The assessment
used predicted future river flows and temperatures,
field survey data and simulation models.
Although very difficult to predict the future,
the results indicate what could happen under
two possible future scenarios.
The study, also funded by the Countryside
Council for Wales and Natural England, will
be used to provide guidance to UK agencies
on the likely future impacts for the management
of freshwater ecosystems. It is available
at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
+ More
2 out of 5 interested in tackling climate
change
Head Office Press Office - 16-May-2007
- 2 out of 5 interested in tackling climate
change - Two out of five people in Great
Britain say they are doing something to
tackle climate change, an exclusive poll
by the Environment Agency can reveal.
Encouraging the public to go online and
help compile the nation's biggest ever survey
on climate change before World Environment
Day on June 5, the Environment Agency Ipsos
MORI Poll has revealed that 41% of people
say they've altered their behaviour in an
effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
However, the majority of the public (59%)
is still doing nothing to tackle climate
change.
Environment Agency Chief Executive Barbara
Young said: "The message is getting
through to some people that tackling climate
change is everyone's responsibility. But
we must be relentless in our efforts to
reduce carbon emissions because there still
exists a level of apathy in some parts of
the community."
Barbara Young challenged those people that
cited recycling (23%) as their main contribution
towards tackling climate change - to further
raise the stakes.
"Of the 41 per cent of people who
said they were already tackling climate
change, more than half (23%) pointed to
recycling as their main contribution. That¡¯s
a signal that people want to care for the
planet, but recycling does not really contribute
much to tackling climate change.
"But there are a range of equally
simple measures that people can take on,
which have a real impact on their carbon
emissions - such as ensuring appliances
are not left on standby, riding a bike instead
of driving and drying your washing outdoors.
Many people might already be taking these
actions alongside recycling, but if you¡¯re
not, now is the time to start.
"As for those 59 per cent of people
who have yet to do something to help tackle
climate change, hopefully they will see
how easy it is to start reducing their carbon
emissions, with very little extra effort.
And contributing to this online survey can
be the first step in discovering simply
ways of tackling climate change."
Contribute to the Environment Agency's
national survey at www.mendoftheworld.org
The initial Ipsos MORI Poll, taken to launch
the World Environment Day survey, found:
41% of British people say they're already
doing something to help tackle climate change,
48% of older people (aged 45-64) were doing
something to tackle climate change, compared
to only a 34% of young people (aged 15-34),
76% people living in the Eastern region
of England said they were tackling climate
change compared with only 22% of people
living in London.
With the average household leaving up to
12 appliances on standby or on charge, more
than four million tonnes of excess CO©ü
are produced annually in the UK - the equivalent
of an extra 660,000 homes across the country.
By drying your washing outdoors instead
of in the tumble drier you can cut your
household CO2 emissions by an average of
78kg annually.
By replacing a five-mile car journey by
riding your bike, you will save approximately
1.40kg of CO2.
Awareness of Climate Change amongst the
general public
Results of Ipsos MORI Poll:
Q: What is the number one thing you are
doing to tackle Climate Change?
41% of people say they are doing something
to tackle climate change
includes:
23% recycling cited as their main contribution
18% any other effort
(i.e. low energy light bulbs, using less
energy, switching off appliances, using
car less, switching off lights, turning
down heating, home insulation, etc¡¦)
59% of people are not doing anything to
tackle climate change
includes:
37% are not doing anything
22% don't know what to do to tackle climate
change
People more likely to do something to tackle
climate change are:
Women (44%), in comparison to men (39%);
Older people (aged 45-64: 48%), in comparison
to younger people (15-34: 34%);
Residents in the Eastern region of England
(76%), Wales (64%) and South West (62%)
in comparison to residents of all other
regions including: East Midlands (48%),
West Midlands (40%), South East (36%), North
East (35%), North West (34%), Yorkshire
and Humberside (34%), Scotland (25%) and
London (22%);
Those belonging to social grades AB (52%),
in comparison to those belonging to C1s
(40%), C2s (40%) and DEs (33%).
People more likely to mention recycling
as the number one thing they are doing to
tackle climate change are:
Women (25%), in comparison to men (20%);
Middle aged people (aged 35-64: 27%) in
comparison to younger people (aged 15-34
years: 19%) and older people (aged 65+:
18%);
Residents of Wales (46%), the South West
(38%), Eastern Region (34%) and East Midlands
(29%) in comparison to residents of North
West (18%), South East (16%), London (12%)
and Scotland (11%);
Those who belong to social grades AB (26%)
or C2 (26%), in comparison to those belonging
to DE (17%).
People more likely to mention low energy
light bulbs are:
Relatively older people (aged 35 years
and above: 6%), in comparison to younger
people (aged 15-24 years: 1%);
Residents of the Eastern region (18%), South
East (7%) and South West (6%) in comparison
to residents of North West (1%) and London
(1%).
