Implications of Climate Change for Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories
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JNCC Report No. 427 Implications of climate change for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories John P. McWilliams January 2009 © JNCC, Peterborough 2008 ISSN 0963-8091 Implications of climate change for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories This report should be cited as: J.P. McWilliams (2009). Implications of climate change for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories. JNCC Report, No. 427 For further information please contact: Sustainability Advice Team Joint Nature Conservation Committee Monkstone House City Road Peterborough, PE1 1JY Acknowledgements Many people have contributed valuable input to the creation of this report. The work was funded by grants from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Special thanks to Mike Harley (English Nature), Isabelle Côté, Andrew Watkinson, William Sutherland and Jenny Gill (University of East Anglia), who helped to initiate this research. Thanks also go to the following people for their generous responses to enquiries: Anguilla – Karim Hodge and James Gumbs; British Virgin Islands – Annalie Morris, Cayman Islands – Philippe Bush, Croy McCroy and Fred Burton; Falkland Islands – Mike Bingham; Montserrat – Steve Macnamara and Gerard Gray; Tristan da Cunha – Peter Ryan; Turks and Caicos – Duncan Vaughan and Dave Wilson; UK – Fiona Gell, Mike Pienkowski, Michelle Taylor, Peter Richardson, Sue Ranger, Wyn Jones and Vin Fleming. Final responsibility for errors and omissions lie with the author. 2 Implications of climate change for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Structure of the review ............................................................................................ 7 2. Overview of issues........................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Habitats ................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Coral reefs ................................................................................................. 10 2.1.2 Seagrasses ................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Species .................................................................................................................. 13 2.2.1 Native breeding birds ................................................................................ 13 2.2.2 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 13 2.2.3 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 15 3. Issues by territory ......................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Anguilla ................................................................................................................. 16 3.1.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 16 3.1.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 19 3.1.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 19 3.1.5 Terrestrial amphibians and reptiles ........................................................... 21 3.1.6 Threats ....................................................................................................... 21 3.1.7 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 21 3.2 Ascension Island ................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 22 3.2.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 23 3.2.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 23 3.2.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 24 3.2.5 Terrestrial amphibians and reptiles ........................................................... 24 3.2.6 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 25 3.3 Bermuda ................................................................................................................ 25 3.3.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 25 3.3.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 26 3.3.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 28 3.3.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 28 3.3.5 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 29 3.3.6 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 29 3.4 British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago .......................................... 29 3.4.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 30 3.4.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 31 3.4.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 32 3.4.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 32 3.4.5 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 33 3.4.6 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 33 3.4.7 Threats ....................................................................................................... 34 3.5 British Virgin Islands ............................................................................................ 34 3.5.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 35 3.5.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 36 3.5.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 37 3.5.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 37 3.5.5 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 38 3.5.6 Threats ....................................................................................................... 38 3 Implications of climate change for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories 3.5.7 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 38 3.6 Cayman Islands ..................................................................................................... 38 3.6.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 39 3.6.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 40 3.6.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 41 3.6.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 41 3.6.5 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 42 3.6.6 Threats ....................................................................................................... 42 3.6.7 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 42 3.7 Falkland Islands .................................................................................................... 42 3.7.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 43 3.7.2 Threats ....................................................................................................... 44 3.7.3 Species ....................................................................................................... 44 3.7.4 Threats ....................................................................................................... 45 3.7.5 Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians ........................................................... 46 3.7.6 Marine turtles ............................................................................................ 46 3.8 Gibraltar ................................................................................................................ 46 3.8.1 Habitats ..................................................................................................... 47 3.8.2 Threats ......................................................................................................