Tuesday 17 July 2012

UK butterflies suffering from wet weather - Attenborough asks "How much?"

Butterfly warning as deluge takes toll
July 2012. Butterfly Conservation President Sir David Attenborough has warned that butterflies could suffer serious population crashes this year following record-breaking wet weather.
Sir David is urging the UK public to take part in the world's biggest butterfly survey - The Big Butterfly Count - to see how species have fared following several exceptionally damp months.
April, the wettest for a century, was followed by the dampest June on record which saw flooding across parts of the UK, and the start of July is, if anything, looking even worse. It is feared butterflies may have suffered poor breeding seasons as a result, which could lead to population crashes later this year or next spring.
2007 wet summer caused butterfly numbers to plummet
Conservationists are drawing parallels with the wet summer of 2007 which resulted in widespread flooding across parts of the UK and saw butterfly numbers plummet. Prolonged cold, wet weather delays emergence periods, reduces butterflies' life span and hampers mating and egg laying leading to fewer offspring.
Big Butterfly Count
The results of this year's Big Butterfly Count will help assess the impact of the wet weather on our butterflies.

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