Thread by @SteB777

1) We need a conversation about stuck in weather patterns, and their effect on populations of animals i.e. biodiversity. Currently, the UK has had to endure a pattern of adverse spring weather which has lasted almost 2 months.
science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate…

2) By a stuck in weather pattern, I mean an unusual pattern of weather for that area and season, which persists over a long period of time, often months. In the UK, such weather patterns are very unusual because the weather has been typically very variable.

3) I know there is a lot of discussion and research about the cause of this, usually attributed to climate change and the jet stream. However, rather than focusing on this, aside from acknowledging it seems a climate related effect, I want to focus on biodiversity impacts.

4) In the UK I first remember this stuck in weather pattern from about I think 2007. I had some photographic projects, and the odd weather was proving an obstacle. I thought it won't last, but it did nearly all summer.

5) The photographic project involved photographing dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies and insect pollinators. As many people know, these insects only tend to be really active in sunny weather. So you tend to need extended period of fine weather to find and see numbers.

6) At first I thought this was just a one off, but these unusual weather patterns have persisted for the last 14 years in one form or another. This is not the usual British moan about the weather, as I'm seriously concerned about the biodiversity impacts of this.

7) It's not just about me not being able to photograph insects, or other naturalists struggling to see species. I am noticing during the whole flight period of many insects there is some adverse weather type, which effects their usual activity.

8) In the UK this is now the third year on the run where we have had some unusually warm days in February and March, followed by persistent cold, dull, wet and windy weather from mid-April to well into June and later.

9) As I say, this stuck in weather pattern covers the whole flight period of many insects. This doesn't just effect insects, as most birds, even seed eaters feed their young on insects, and they are the food for many other animals. Plus are pollinators.

10) A lot of these impacts are probably complex. For instance a personal observation on Fenns and Whixall Moss NNR is birds such as Meadow Pipits, Stonechats and Reed Buntings seem to have focused on picking off emerging Odonata on pools, probably due to a lack of other food.

11) You used to see very large numbers of damselflies, but the numbers have been much lower during the last 4-5 years. Never seeing the numbers previously.

12) The difficulty with highlighting something like this is you will get people dismissing this as just anecdotal, and demand you produce studies or research to back up such observations.

13) Whilst it's always a good idea to have empirical evidence to back up observations, it must also be recognized that a considerable amount of the natural world and ecological processes are not studied at all. That there is very little funding for this type of research.

14) Therefore, just because there is a lack of research to validate these observations, does not mean the phenomena aren't real, simply there is a lack of research in this field. Absence of evidence, is not evidence of absence, was never more apt.

15) There are very few people with real field skills who are even capable of recognizing what is happening. Who even understand that ecological research, is simply not documenting most of what is happening.

16) During the last 6 years or so, I've made several discoveries about species behaviour on Fenns and Whixall Moss NNR, that experts were unaware of. These were simply accidental discoveries, when I simply asked about this behaviour, and found it was unknown.

17) In other words, there is simply a lack of people looking, who have the necessary skills to document the impacts of climate change on our biodiversity, and certainly a dearth of funding for this research.

18) As an example, I've personally noticed much smaller populations of many insect species than I remember in the past, particular Odonata, butterflies, pollinators in general. However it is practically difficult to assay populations of adult insects. I will explain why.

19) As already noted, whether many insects are on the wing depends on the amount of sunlight, wind direct speed, preceding weather events such as rain etc. This means if you simply try and count them in an area, what you see is dependent on the precise weather conditions.

20) Also what you see or find depends on the skill of the observer. So results produced are not necessarily and indication of what is present, but other factors.

21) The purpose of this thread is to start a discussion about the possible impacts of climate change and it's effects on biodiversity, in a way, which was probably not anticipated.

22) The impacts of climate change on biodiversity tends to be seen in pretty crude parameters, like overall temperature, rainfall, lack of it etc. Whereas I am suggesting that the subtle quality of that weather, may in fact be a big part of this potential impact.

23) As I tacitly imply, climate tends to be seen in pretty crude parameters, average temperature, average rainfall, average wind speed. However in actuality, the precise pattern of these parameters is also ecologically very important.

24) Whilst most of my specific examples are related to the UK, simply because this is where I live and are active, these stuck in weather patterns seem widespread and likely global
theguardian.com/environment/20…

@Buzz_dont_tweet @savebutterflies @BDSdragonflies @pebo22 @gmtord @WaveneyCott @EntoProf @ClimateHuman @georgecmcgavin @GeorgeMonbiot @ChrisGPackham @GretaThunberg @KevinClimate @MattEAShardlow @PondRiverStream

@threadreaderapp please unroll?