Frequently asked questions
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Frequently asked questions

What are the consequences of rising sea levels for coastal birds and seals?

 

Answer: If small islands, reefs and plant communities along the coast are flooded, important breeding and resting areas for wading birds, terns and seals will be under threat. Many species of wading bird which migrate to and from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia, northern parts of Russia and in Greenland therefore risk having to cope with changes to their habitats in Denmark. That nature has room to unfold dynamically is therefore very important. More powerful storms, however, can also create new reefs and sand banks which can benefit birds and seals.



How can we preserve the natural assets of Danish coasts?

 

Answer: With far-sighted planning, it may be possible to preserve many of the natural assets of the Danish coastline, even if we have sea level rises of 0.5m or more. Nature should have room to develop, and in some places the solution might be to re-establish compensatory biotopes or to restore existing coastal landscapes. This means recreating or preserving natural conditions under threat, e.g. through nature restoration of neighbouring areas. The possibility for creating compensatory biotopes will be greatest where farmland bordering the coast only has a marginal agricultural interest, and where the coastal area has not been built-up.



What plant and animal species are in danger of extinction in Denmark?

 

Answer: Danish fauna and flora is under great pressure. Current threats include the destruction of habitats, fragmentation of the natural landscape, nutrient load, overgrowing, drying-out, invasive species and disturbance. We only have meagre knowledge about Danish species' resilience to an altered climate, and we therefore don't know how many plants and animals are in danger of disappearing from Denmark. However we do know that the number of Danish migratory birds is in general decline, and they are expected to come under more pressure due to climate-related changes in their winter habitats. This includes not the least the species which winter in sub-Saharan Africa, whose habitats in the countries around the Mediterranean will also be exposed to changes in the form of drought and forest fire, for example. A warmer climate is expected to provide poorer conditions for some species with a northern distribution range, while species which today are found only south of Denmark will migrate and become new native species of Denmark.