Many people look out each year for
the first swallow, primrose or small tortoiseshell butterfly
to re-assure themselves that spring is on its way.
In recent years it has been possible to feed information on
various seasonal wildlife sightings and events into a database that
has been developed by the Woodland Trust and the Centre for Ecology
and Hydrology. For more information follow this link to
nature’s calendar website (new window).
The study of seasonal natural events is known as Phenology and
it is providing scientists with important information about the
short-term effects of a changing climate on a wide range of animals
and plants.
At the present time
there is much speculation about the longer term effects and a
number of organisations are beginning to carry out research
into the potential impacts. The links below provide some
very useful information about this:
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF
files.