Wildlife thriving in Britain despite cold
By IANSTuesday, December 28, 2010
LONDON - Wildlife in Britain is thriving despite the coldest winter in more than 30 years.
Despite 2010 starting and ending with much of the country swathed in snow, threatened species such as the puffin and the rare heath fritillary butterfly enjoyed successful breeding seasons.
The warm spring enabled insects to thrive which in turn resulted in a bumper berry crop this autumn.
Wildlife has flourished because weather patterns have behaved more or less as they should, scientists said, reports the Daily Mail.
Matthew Oates, National Trust nature conservation adviser, explained: “For the first time in a generation we have experienced a traditional year of weather and our wildlife has mostly responded favourably.
“A cold winter enabled wildlife to hibernate properly while a warm spring and early summer created ideal conditions for insects and led to bumper autumn berry crops in our orchards, woods and hedgerows.”
He said that very early springs can prove disastrous for species who breed too early making their offspring susceptible to unexpected cold or wet snaps later in the season.
And despite the late spring, plants and flowers thrived as dry weather stopped them from being overgrown by vigorous grasses.
