Scientists are updating conservation guidance for some of the UK’s rarest plants and insects as rising temperatures and repeated heatwaves put greater pressure on their habitats.

The project focuses on six endangered species found in lowland chalk grassland across Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, including the large blue butterfly, Duke of Burgundy butterfly, marsh fritillary butterfly and wart-biter cricket. Researchers hope that combining long-term studies with new evidence will help conservationists adapt how these habitats are managed as the climate changes.

The work follows the UK’s hottest summer on record, with prolonged heat and drought leaving grasslands parched and putting additional stress on plants, trees and wildlife.

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