Severe weather can have dangerous effects on wildlife populations. A study led by researchers at the University of Alicante and published in Bird Conservation International documents a drastic decline in the Ricotí lark population following Storm Filomena. The storm marked Spain’s most intense blizzard in five decades. In the days preceding the event, an extreme cold spell dropped temperatures to minus 5 to minus 15 degrees Celsius in affected areas, with some locations recording below minus 33 degrees. The Ricotí lark has recently been classified as an endangered species in Spain.
The study team notes that the goal was to expand scientific knowledge about how extreme meteorological events influence the population dynamics of endangered fauna, using the Filomena episode in Spain as a case study. They also emphasize that the frequency and intensity of such events are expected to rise in many regions in the coming years due to climate change. The Ricotí lark was chosen as a working model because it is a well-monitored species with a specific habitat preference and a known threat status.
The researchers examined changes in the lark’s abundance before and after Filomena across 14 populations in the provinces of Soria, Lleida, Murcia, Burgos, Segovia and Valencia. During the control period from 2017 to the early 2020s, the species showed a global annual decline of about 19.4 percent across these populations. In contrast, the average decrease after the Filomena storm rose to approximately 66.5 percent for seven populations monitored during 2020 and 2021, indicating a substantial short-term impact on the species’ numbers.
ten days of snow
Storm Filomena blanketed central and eastern Spain for more than ten days, saturating the landscape with snow. This, combined with the following extreme cold period, disrupted food availability and thermoregulation for the larks. As a result, individuals were forced to cover long distances or settle in habitats of lower quality, which heightened energy expenditure and risk of mortality. The conservation science community notes that such displacements can distort population dynamics and impede recovery efforts for dispersed birds.
Despite careful consideration, these findings may reflect the broader impact of extreme weather on threatened birds, given the scarcity of comparable studies. The results offer a baseline for future research on how stochastic environmental events influence population viability and climate change projections for similar species. They also provide insight into short-term population dynamics and potential conservation strategies in the face of abrupt climatic disturbances.
The study highlights that protecting species from future extreme weather events requires practical actions. Increasing connectivity among existing populations, safeguarding habitat patches that may serve as refuges during harsh periods, and expanding occupied areas and habitat quality can bolster population persistence and improve chances of recolonization after severe events.
The research team comprises several scientists from institutions including the Ramon Margalef Multidisciplinary Institute for Ecology and Environmental Studies, the Terrestrial Ecology Group of the University of Alicante, the Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia, and the Autonomous University of Madrid. This collaboration underscores the value of cross-institutional efforts in understanding the complex relationship between extreme weather and wildlife conservation.