Special quality: Beautiful views

# Potential impacts of climate change

Visual changes may be prominent in meadows, pastoral landscapes, designed landscapes, and moorland as areas become dry and brown or flowering periods are altered
Changes to vegetation communities as drought sensitive species are lost
Vegetation in some areas of large estates will be stunted, or die off
Reduced plant diversity could reduce the ability of meadows to support populations of invertebrates and seed feeding birds
Erosion rates of peat are likely to increase leading to an increase in gullying, new areas of bare peat and the loss of peat from blanket bogs
Rivers may have reduced water levels or become completely empty
Vanishing rivers could be dry for longer periods of the year, reducing the annual contrast in views

Farming economics may bring about shifts in stocking levels and management techniques which could change the landscape character and lead to the loss of diverse and contrasting views and loss of upstanding remains of heritage assets
Dark and South West Peak moorland may be damaged by fluctuating stocking levels, with possible increases in heather dominance or conversion to acid grassland or bracken domination
White Peak pastureland is at risk, with pressure for suitable land year round possibly affecting traditionally lightly grazed land such as meadows, parkland and dales, and upstanding remains of heritage assets
Construction for livestock shelter and water tanks may become more common
Livestock kept indoors could change the appearance of pastureland, as fields may be empty more often

Plant diseases such as box blight and ash dieback may become more prevalent, placing the long-term health and diversity of some habitats at risk
Landscape aesthetics may be altered as trees and hedges are lost or damaged
Animal pests such as heather beetle may become more prevalent, affecting Dark and South West Peak moorland
On pastoral land, livestock parasites such as liver fluke may become more common

Increased pressure for the introduction of renewable energy sources such as solar farms
Visual impact of solar farms could affect visitor experience of beautiful views
Woodland planting in cloughs and steep valleys may be used to increase carbon sequestration and to aid flood management
Moorland restoration efforts in the uplands of the Dark Peak and South West Peak may be in higher demand to reduce flood risk downstream
Woodland planting and moorland restoration could both alter the view of a natural landscape, and will likely increase wildlife populations

In the White Peak, dales could be affected by flash flooding
Flooding may mean river valleys become more inaccessible for visitors or become visually less appealing
Riverside habitats such as meadows will also be at risk of erosion and flooding
Views of vanishing rivers may be altered, as the contrast between the dry riverbed and flowing river becomes more apparent
Rockfalls in the limestone dales may prove a public safety risk and prevent access to some areas, meaning visitors may be less able to experience the views over dramatic limestone geology
In the Dark and South West Peak, storm erosion is likely to increase gullying and degradation of moorland
Moorlands may return to their heavily gullied and bare state, reducing the visual pleasure of variable landscapes with abundant wildlife
In the White Peak, exposed limestone is at risk of weathering more rapidly
Limestone landforms may become less appealing as features are worn away or rocks dislodged