New study confirms red squirrels are resilient to climate change in Europe but underlines need to conserve their habitat

A new study by scientists at Bournemouth University (BU) in collaboration with the Wight Squirrel Project has confirmed that red squirrel populations across Europe are resilient to the effects of climate change.

Red squirrels’ diet is mainly made up of tree seeds, supplemented with insects, fungi and birds’ eggs. They live in coniferous forests and deciduous wood across Europe from Spain, Italy, northern Greece, Scandinavia and into parts of western Russia. Their broad distribution means they can live in a range of climates.

Alyson Buchanan, conservation biologist and ecological researcher at BU used climate models to help assess the ability of the species to survive when faced with different climate change predictions. The study investigated how well the population coped with temperature changes and low rainfall.

It revealed that temperature changes and lack of rainfall do not have a direct influence on the survivability of red squirrels. It supports their natural ability to adapt to a range of climatic conditions where food sources might be limited and confirms that the species should be resilient to changes in these conditions.

This is good news for the scientists at BU who have spent the last year modelling the effects of climate on populations across Europe and the UK. Alyson said: "We can see that red squirrel populations are not directly affected by current climate patterns in the models.  Other factors such as habitat, food availability, disease and competing species appear to matter more and underline the need to maintain positive conservation efforts for this well-loved species. In the south of the UK, the Isle of Wight is an especially important haven for the species, as isolation from the mainland protects red squirrels from grey squirrels which were introduced from the United States and have replaced the native species in much of the UK."