Anna mapping the flight of the butterflies

From the The Bolton News, first published Monday 27th Aug 2007.

PLANS to map the shifting habitat of butterflies in the North-west of England are to throw a lifeline to some of Britain's most threatened species.

Anna Gilchrist from The University of Manchester hopes her research will give a unique glimpse into how wildlife can be helped to adapt to climate change.

Using data gathered by the Butterfly Conservation charity, she plans to document the location of species, predict where they will move to and the barriers they will encounter, as average temperatures rise.

Anna, who is based at the School of Environment and Development said: "Even modest warming stimulates species to move so they can continue living within the conditions they are adapted to.

"The situation is worrying because, not only is the planet, warming at a much faster rate than ever recorded but humans are altering the landscape."

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