Current warming and likely future impacts - Climate Change: Biological and Human Aspects - page 321

et al., 2010). The problem Britain has compared to North America is that it has a far
higher population density. England and Wales have a greater population density than
Scotland, and the most populous area is south-east England. This means that the com-
petition between humans and wildlife is a major ecological issue. Wildlife in many
parts of the UK, and especially in the areas of high human population, is restricted to
small pockets, or islands of semi-natural (ecological and amenity-managed) environ-
ments, as well as applied ecological environments, primarily agricultural land. When
DEFRA Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, briefed John Lawton to chair the review,
Benn said:
With the effects of climate change and other pressures on our land, now is the time
to see how we can enhance ecological England further. Linking together areas to
make ecological corridors and a connected network, could have real benefits in
allowing nature to thrive. (Lawton et al., 2010)
The report concluded that it was not all bad news. Targeted conservation efforts have
improved the fate of many British species and extensive new areas of habitat have been
recreated. In other words, given resources, determination and skill, British ecologists
know what to do, and how to do it. The report argued that we need a step-change in the
approach to British wildlife conservation, from trying to hang on to what we have, to
one of large-scale habitat restoration and recreation as part of a UK-wide ecological
network, underpinned by the re-establishment of ecological processes and ecosystem
services, for the benefits of both people and wildlife. This addresses the problem that
our nature reserves are in the wrong place, or rather have the wrong species given
inevitable climate change. The report also challenged the practical conservation
value (as distinct from their theoretical scientific value) of Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs): perhaps this should not have come as a surprise because SSSIs
were not designated with this aim in mind. Another problem was that many wildlife
sites needed to be larger, and that more connecting corridors and/or stepping-stone
sites were required with, preferably, surrounding buffering zones. Finally, the report
emphasised that it only provided a strategic vision and not a tactical plan as to how to
realise it. The ball was very much back in the Government's court. However, in 2010
Britain was in the middle of an economic slump and governmental cutbacks for the
following years were expected.
6.4 Casestudy:climateandnaturalsystemsinAustralasia
Unlike the previous two case-study regions, Australasia is located at the edge of the
El Ni no Southern Oscillation (ENSO) migration of warm water. The ENSO is the
largest of the climate cycles and its effects are near global. Agriculture is at least four
times more important to New Zealand's and Australia's economy than it is to the UK
or the USA: Australia has 3.9% of GDP coming from agriculture and New Zealand
has 4.7% of GDP (data from 2010). Consequently climate variability, and hence the
impact of extreme events, is arguably of greater economic concern.