The Environment Agency has issued a stark warning over the threat to British wildlife if climate change is not urgently addressed.
According to the organisation, rising river temperatures in southern areas of the country have already resulted in a decrease in the number of coldwater fish - such as Atlantic trout and salmon - found in the estuaries.
Invertebrates are also suffering, with the agency predicting that for every one degree C rise in upland streams, numbers of the creatures will decline by as much as 20 per cent.
Foreign species of both plants and animals could pose a further threat to native wildlife, with fast-growing plants such as the South American water primrose likely to takeover British waterways if temperatures rise further.
Lord Chris Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency, commented: "There is danger that we think of climate change as something that is happening in other countries. But it's not just polar bears and rainforests that are at risk."
Measures already in place to protect the country's native animals include biodiversity action plans that are specifically tailored to different localities around the UK.
Posted by Lauren Steadman
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