Unusually warm temperatures are bringing African and Mediterranean butterflies to the Austrian Alps, one of Western Europe's coldest regions. As almond trees and primroses burst into bloom in the valleys in what should be deep winter, migratory butterflies such as the Admiral, which would normally spend the winter in the warmer Mediterranean area, have been spotted in the Alps.

"We have seen some very unusual species and ... we are talking about species that shouldn't even be able to survive the winter here, which is what surprises us," said Peter Huemer, biologist at the Tyrolean State Museum. "The frost should have killed all these animals."

Around 4,000 species of butterflies live in Austria, but recent years have seen more exotic species join their number -- such as an African moth that was spotted on a Tyrolean mountain in late summer and now has a good chance of multiplying in the region, according to experts. "I saw an Admiral on my balcony on Jan. 10," said Heinz Habeler, a self-taught butterfly expert who has built up a database of local species in the Alpine region.

"For some species the northern boundary seems to pushed upward from (the Croatian island of) Krk to (the Austrian province of) Styria." But the changing climate is also set to endanger species which have adapted over the centuries to the harsh conditions of Austria's higher Alpine region, which is partly covered by glaciers and rises to almost 4,000 metres (13,000 feet).

"We might have a few new species in the valleys but those living in higher altitudes, some of which have survived past ice ages, have nowhere else to go," said Huemer. "If temperatures rise by 4 or 5 degrees Celsius (up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit), they will become extinct." It is not only butterflies that have been affected by the warm spell, in which Vienna has recorded temperatures some 8 degrees Celsius (15 Fahrenheit) above average for the first two weeks of January.

"The bears are not sleeping, hedgehogs are rummaging around, and in some western European states the pattern of migratory birds seems to have started changing," said Christian Sturmbauer, zoologist at the Karl Franzens University in the Austrian city of Graz. "Some types of geese and cranes have already starting heading back north."

Sturmbauer said one warm winter could be an exception but, like other Austrian scientists, he is also watching for the economic impact of the warm weather on farming. While fruit trees have not started budding yet, much to the relief of farmers fearing for their 2007 harvest, the warmer temperatures could also bring new agricultural opportunities. "We have quite a few ancient vineyards near Graz which had to be abandoned in the 16th or 17th century when the climate cooled off," said Sturmbauer. "Now we see some of these areas being used for growing vines again."
(Por Alexandra Zawadil, Planet Ark, 24/01/2007)