The North Atlantic Oscillation and U.K. Butterfly Populations

Abstract

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a natural climate fluctuation that has a considerable influence on the weather in Scandinavia, western Europe and the Mediterranean. The NAO influences the direction of travel of autumn and winter storms and depressions across the North Atlantic and has been shown to have an effect on a range of species as diverse as Red Deer, Soay Sheep, Cod and marine Copepods. Here we consider whether the NAO can also control the population size of butterflies in the UK.