Key findings taken from the Natural England Cumbria High Fells report:
• England’s peat soils store around 300 million tonnes of carbon and, like many upland
areas, the Cumbria High Fells are a “carbon time bomb” needing to be sensitively
managed as a future carbon store. Significant amounts of carbon will be emitted if the
drier summers and heavier rain expected from climate change are allowed to dry out
or erode peat supplies. Improving the condition of all existing upland habitats is a priority,
particularly high carbon ones like blanket bog.

• Many species in the area are likely to expand their range - the ruddy darter and the
hairy dragonfly have been present in Cumbria since 2001 and the heath fritillary butterfly
may colonise the area. Garlic mustard and cow parsley will benefit from a warmer
environment, although others species will decline, such as the stiff sedge plant, the ice
age relic fish the arctic char, and the mountain ringlet butterfly, which faces local
extinction.

• Summer drought could lead to a decrease in the water available for recreation. A
decline in water quality, due to reduced dilution of pollutants, and an increase in algal
blooms may also affect the recreational potential of the lakes during summer.

• As species change, habitats will adapt and what we see in the landscape today will
change. The nationally rare montane habitats of the Cumbria High Fells are particularly
susceptible to the impacts of climate change and will decline with increases in
temperature.

Useful links

• Lake District National Park Authority Low Carbon Lake District Report

• A Sustainable Energy Agency for Cumbria: The Business

• You, Me and the Climate Un-conference video

• Our managing climate change action plan

• Cumbria climate change strategy and the Lake District National Park Authority
our response to the Cumbria climate change strategy

• Toolkit for Sustainable Living - Lake District National Park Authority web section
of practical hints and tips about how you can help tackle climate change

• Renewable energy – Lake District National Park Authority web page about
domestic eco-friendly energy generators

• Fix the Fells - climate and erosion - the effects of climate change on upland
footpaths

• Climate Change North West  

• Key Facts about Wildlife - Scarce habitats and threatened species

• Environment Agency

• Met Office - Your guide to climate change