LIFE FOR BIODIVERSITY
LIFE FOR BIODIVERSITY
Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events
The escalating rate and intensity of extreme weather events, driven by climate change, impact global biodiversity. Storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, or heatwaves disrupt ecosystems and threaten species crucial for human survival by affecting key biological resources.
Heatwaves alter species' physiology, exceed survivable temperature thresholds, and can lead to local extinctions by preventing species from cooling. They also disrupt ecological timing, potentially affecting pollination networks.
Conservation efforts, crucial for mitigating these impacts, include protecting ecosystems that provide barriers against extreme events, ensuring cooler microclimates during heatwaves. Integrating biodiversity into urban planning and agriculture can foster a harmonious relationship between human activities and biodiversity protection.
Bumblebees (e.g. Bombus terrestris) serve as a model for studying the effects of heatwaves. As essential pollinators, their behavior and survival are tied to temperature influencing vital functions and ecological roles. Their sensitivity to thermal stress provides insights into how temperature rise affects insects and pollination dynamics. This study on bumblebees highlights the urgency of mitigating climate change effects to preserve these vital organisms.
Heatwaves alter species' physiology, exceed survivable temperature thresholds, and can lead to local extinctions by preventing species from cooling. They also disrupt ecological timing, potentially affecting pollination networks.
Conservation efforts, crucial for mitigating these impacts, include protecting ecosystems that provide barriers against extreme events, ensuring cooler microclimates during heatwaves. Integrating biodiversity into urban planning and agriculture can foster a harmonious relationship between human activities and biodiversity protection.
Bumblebees (e.g. Bombus terrestris) serve as a model for studying the effects of heatwaves. As essential pollinators, their behavior and survival are tied to temperature influencing vital functions and ecological roles. Their sensitivity to thermal stress provides insights into how temperature rise affects insects and pollination dynamics. This study on bumblebees highlights the urgency of mitigating climate change effects to preserve these vital organisms.
BOMBUS TERRESTRIS
BUFF-TAILED BUMBLEBEE
BUFF-TAILED BUMBLEBEE
Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events pose significant threats to biodiversity, with bumblebees illustrating how heatwaves can disrupt vital ecological processes. Bumblebees’ behavior and survival are closely tied to temperatures, and prolonged heat stress impairs physiological functions, alters foraging and nesting behavior, and destabilizes colony dynamics. Such disruptions diminish their effectiveness as pollinators, leading to reduced pollination efficiency and cascading impacts on plant reproduction and ecosystem health.
Temperature fluctuations further threaten ecosystem stability by disturbing pollination networks and food webs, underlining the urgency of mitigating climate change to safeguard these essential pollinators and the ecological balance they help maintain. Implementing effective conservation strategies is critical to sustaining biodiversity in the face of increasing climatic extremes.
Temperature fluctuations further threaten ecosystem stability by disturbing pollination networks and food webs, underlining the urgency of mitigating climate change to safeguard these essential pollinators and the ecological balance they help maintain. Implementing effective conservation strategies is critical to sustaining biodiversity in the face of increasing climatic extremes.
Bumblebees inhabit temperate and alpine ecosystems, often in higher altitudes or latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Their survival depends on abundant flowering plants for nectar and pollen, and suitable nesting sites like underground burrows or thick grass.
This dependence on specific flowers and nesting conditions makes them sensitive to land use and climate change. Habitat loss, farming intensification, and the loss of flowering plants impact their ability to forage and reproduce.
This dependence on specific flowers and nesting conditions makes them sensitive to land use and climate change. Habitat loss, farming intensification, and the loss of flowering plants impact their ability to forage and reproduce.
Bumblebees engage in several critical interspecific relationships that underscore their ecological importance.
They have a mutually beneficial relationship with flowering plants, where they play a pivotal role in pollination. By transferring pollen as they forage for nectar, bumblebees facilitate the reproductive processes of plants, which in turn provide them with food. Bumblebees and other bee species share similar warning color patterns (Müllerian mimicry), enhancing protective coloration strategies that reduce predation risks for all species involved.
They have a mutually beneficial relationship with flowering plants, where they play a pivotal role in pollination. By transferring pollen as they forage for nectar, bumblebees facilitate the reproductive processes of plants, which in turn provide them with food. Bumblebees and other bee species share similar warning color patterns (Müllerian mimicry), enhancing protective coloration strategies that reduce predation risks for all species involved.
Certain bumblebees are parasitized by cuckoo bumblebees (subgenus Psithyrus), which infiltrate their nests and usurp resources, impacting host colony health and productivity. These interspecific interactions highlight bumblebees’ integral role in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.
Heatwaves exacerbate habitat loss and pesticide exposure by weakening bumblebees' resistance to these stressors. Extreme heat increases their energy demands while reducing floral resources, forcing them to forage longer in degraded environments where pesticide exposure is higher. This leads to decreased survival rates and impaired pollination. Thus, conservation strategies must focus on enhancing landscape connectivity to facilitate migration and adaptation to shifting floral resources, promoting organic farming to reduce pesticide impact, and restoring native vegetation to provide reliable food sources. For example, it has been shown that growing a mosaic of different crops encourages bumblebees and provides higher yields than does a monoculture
Agricultural intensification that diminishes foraging habitats and nesting sites;
Pesticide and herbicide exposure causing lethal effects, impairing reproduction and foraging behaviors;
Climate change, particularly the increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves and sudden cold snaps, which disrupts their physiology and impairs their phenology with flowering plants.
Extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as storms, heat waves, floods and fires, are increasingly affecting ecosystems and threatening species essential to maintaining the natural balance.
High temperatures disrupt the physiology of organisms, threatening their survival and interfering with key ecological processes such as food availability, reproduction or migration.
These changes have widespread impacts on the food chains and behaviour of many species. They also affect migration patterns and ecological timing, leading to mismatches between organisms and their environment.
Conserving ecosystems is essential for sustaining biodiversity, as healthy ecosystems support a wide range of species and provide critical services such as air, water, and soil purification, climate regulation, pollination, and food security.
Biodiversity is not only vital for rare or endangered species but also for everyday human needs providing medicine, fuel, and resilience against environmental change.
Protecting ecosystems strengthens nature’s ability to adapt to climate change and ensures long-term benefits for both people and the planet.
High temperatures disrupt the physiology of organisms, threatening their survival and interfering with key ecological processes such as food availability, reproduction or migration.
These changes have widespread impacts on the food chains and behaviour of many species. They also affect migration patterns and ecological timing, leading to mismatches between organisms and their environment.
Conserving ecosystems is essential for sustaining biodiversity, as healthy ecosystems support a wide range of species and provide critical services such as air, water, and soil purification, climate regulation, pollination, and food security.
Biodiversity is not only vital for rare or endangered species but also for everyday human needs providing medicine, fuel, and resilience against environmental change.
Protecting ecosystems strengthens nature’s ability to adapt to climate change and ensures long-term benefits for both people and the planet.
SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA
EURASIAN BLACKCAP
EURASIAN BLACKCAP
The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is an example of a species whose migratory and reproductive cycle is sensitive to temperature changes.
Changes in temperature patterns can affect its migration and reproduction, highlighting the need for climate mitigation to protect these important species and ecosystems.
The black-headed stilt plays an important role in the ecosystem. It feeds on insects and their larvae, helping to regulate populations of harmful insects.
By consuming berries such as elderberry (Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) or European elder (Euonymus europaeus) it contributes to seed dispersal and plant and shrub regeneration. It is also part of the food chain as a food source for predators.
Climate change and extreme weather affect reproduction and food availability, threatening the survival of the species.
Changes in temperature patterns can affect its migration and reproduction, highlighting the need for climate mitigation to protect these important species and ecosystems.
The black-headed stilt plays an important role in the ecosystem. It feeds on insects and their larvae, helping to regulate populations of harmful insects.
By consuming berries such as elderberry (Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) or European elder (Euonymus europaeus) it contributes to seed dispersal and plant and shrub regeneration. It is also part of the food chain as a food source for predators.
Climate change and extreme weather affect reproduction and food availability, threatening the survival of the species.
The Eurasian blackcap is a widespread species in the Czech Republic, inhabiting all types of forests up to their upper limits.
It reaches its highest abundance in floodplain and deciduous forests at middle altitudes with a rich shrub cover, but it does not avoid parks, gardens, small woods in fields or linear greenery. It uses shrub undergrowth or tall herbaceous plants for nesting. On wintering grounds it inhabits shrubland and woodland habitats and gardens.
It uses shrub undergrowth or tall herbaceous plants for nesting.
In winter it often visits feeding sites where it feeds on fruit and tallow balls, especially those with insects mixed in.
It reaches its highest abundance in floodplain and deciduous forests at middle altitudes with a rich shrub cover, but it does not avoid parks, gardens, small woods in fields or linear greenery. It uses shrub undergrowth or tall herbaceous plants for nesting. On wintering grounds it inhabits shrubland and woodland habitats and gardens.
It uses shrub undergrowth or tall herbaceous plants for nesting.
In winter it often visits feeding sites where it feeds on fruit and tallow balls, especially those with insects mixed in.
The Eurasian blackcap plays a dual role in the ecosystem: it regulates insect populations by feeding on caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates during the breeding season, and it promotes plant regeneration by dispersing seeds from fruits like elderberry and hawthorn in late summer and fall.
Because of its abundance and adaptability, the blackcap is a model species for studying shifts in migratory behaviour. Long-term monitoring has revealed that populations have started wintering further north, including in the UK, due to milder winters and supplemental feeding.
Because of its abundance and adaptability, the blackcap is a model species for studying shifts in migratory behaviour. Long-term monitoring has revealed that populations have started wintering further north, including in the UK, due to milder winters and supplemental feeding.
Though primarily insectivorous, the blackcap contributes to pollination during spring by feeding on nectar from plants like Anagyris foetida, playing a minor but ecologically relevant role in the reproductive cycle of some flora.
Recent studies show that populations wintering closer to breeding grounds, such as in the UK, are developing genetic and morphological adaptations like shorter, rounder wings traits favourable for shorter migrations suggesting rapid evolution in response to climate change and altered migration routes.
Extreme winters increase bird mortality when food is scarce. Severe storms during migration and nesting exhaust birds, destroy nests and lead to chick mortality. Flooding can destroy habitats and reduce food sources such as berries and insects.
Recent studies show that populations wintering closer to breeding grounds, such as in the UK, are developing genetic and morphological adaptations like shorter, rounder wings traits favourable for shorter migrations suggesting rapid evolution in response to climate change and altered migration routes.
Extreme winters increase bird mortality when food is scarce. Severe storms during migration and nesting exhaust birds, destroy nests and lead to chick mortality. Flooding can destroy habitats and reduce food sources such as berries and insects.
The Eurasian blackcap is one of the most numerous bird species in the Czech Republic with a population of 1.5-2 million pairs and is one of the fastest growing species. Despite its growing numbers, it faces several threats
LOSS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Urbanization and landscape changes are reducing natural habitats and reducing the availability of suitable nesting and foraging sites. Brush clearing and mowing during the nesting season often destroys nests.
HARMFUL AGRICULTURE
The use of pesticides and herbicides leads to a decline in insects that are key food for Eurasian blackcaps.
EXTREME
WEATHER
WEATHER
Climate change and extreme weather affect reproduction and food availability, threatening the survival of the species.
Changing wintering sites is a natural phenomenon that allows birds to adapt to environmental changes, including those caused by climate change. While it is important to combat climate change, wintering grounds cannot be expected to remain unchanged.
Changing wintering sites is a natural phenomenon that allows birds to adapt to environmental changes, including those caused by climate change. While it is important to combat climate change, wintering grounds cannot be expected to remain unchanged.
TRAPS CAUSED BY HUMANS
Eurasian blackcaps face the risk of injury or death from glass strikes, predation by cats, and illegal hunting, especially during migration.