Climate change: Seasonal shifts causing 'chaos' for UK nature
The loss of predictable weather patterns is "causing chaos" for nature, according to the National Trust.
It warns climate change is upsetting the regular rhythm of the seasons, making plants and wildlife more susceptible to disease.
The effects can be seen across the estates the National Trust manages.
This seasonal "baseline shift" is disrupting the annual behaviours of animals in particular but also impacting trees and plants, it said.
"The incremental shifts we're experiencing in terms of our seasons extending may not feel like much in a 12-month period, but over a decade the changes are extremely significant", said Ben McCarthy, head of Nature and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust.
2023 saw a series of temperature records, with the warmest June and highest sea temperatures ever recorded around the coast of the UK.
An unusually warm winter allowed pests and diseases to thrive.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67705812
