Experts are working to prevent the extinction of six rare species of butterfly, cricket, and plant by updating conservation guidance, as the UK experiences its hottest-ever summer. The Royal Entomological Society, with funding from Natural England and the Crown Estate, is collaborating with other groups to revise conservation advice for grassland sites in Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
The society stated that "urgent adaptations are needed to mitigate the effects of successive heatwaves on plants and the insects that rely on them to thrive." Climate change has accelerated significantly since some existing habitat management guidance was written over two decades ago.
The project focuses on species found in lowland chalk grassland, an internationally rare habitat. These include the large blue butterfly, Duke of Burgundy butterfly, marsh fritillary butterfly, wart-biter cricket, juniper, and the burnt-tip orchid.
David Simcox FRES, Conservation Project Manager at the Royal Entomological Society, noted that wildlife faces the same pressures as humans during extreme weather. He added that the project will combine decades of research with new science to understand how these endangered species are responding to climate change and provide practical recovery guidance.
This year marks the first time on record that 35C has been reached in three different calendar months. July was also the driest in England and Wales in 190 years. Stuart McCarthy-Thompson of the Avon Wildlife Trust described the impact as "devastating," with desiccated plants, depleted grasslands, soil erosion, and stressed trees.
In a contrasting development, wetlands created at the National Trust's Holnicote Estate in Somerset, partly through the introduction of beavers, have helped to store water, reduce flooding, and boost wildlife, keeping the area green despite the drought. This scheme is cited as an example of "nature-based solutions."
Updating conservation guidance is one of 130 projects funded by Natural England's £60m Species Recovery Programme, part of the Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife initiative.