Conservationists have praised the launch of a new government strategy to revive the remaining fragments of the vast temperate rainforests that once formed the “jewels of Britain’s nature crown”.
Temperate rainforest, also known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest, once covered most of western Britain and Ireland. The archipelago’s wet, mild conditions are ideal for lichens, mosses and liverworts. But centuries of destruction have meant that only small, isolated pockets remain.
In England, just 189 sq km (46,624 acres) survive from the ecosystem that once stretched from Cornwall to the west of Scotland, and these remain threatened by overgrazing from sheep, invasive species and nitrogen pollution.
After three years of campaigning, the government published a strategy at the end of November to protect and recover England’s temperate rainforests, and committed £750,000 for research and development.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Conservationists have praised the launch of a new government strategy to revive the remaining fragments of the vast temperate rainforests that once formed the “jewels of Britain’s nature crown”.
In England, just 189 sq km (46,624 acres) survive from the ecosystem that once stretched from Cornwall to the west of Scotland, and these remain threatened by overgrazing from sheep, invasive species and nitrogen pollution.
Joan Edwards, director of policy for the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Temperate rainforest is a globally rare habitat that was once one of the jewels of Britain’s nature crown.
“We welcome the government’s intention to invest in temperate rainforest restoration and management, as part of protecting 30% of land by 2030, and look forward to a more detailed strategy in the coming months.”
Wildlife Trusts are partnering with the insurance firm, and Edwards said they were already putting the money to work “expanding British rainforests with projects already under way in north Wales, Devon and the Isle of Man”.
The forestry minister, Rebecca Pow, paid tribute “to campaigners on this issue, who have led an inspiring movement, and I look forward to working with them on our shared endeavour to protect these unique places”.
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