Woodland and forests

It is generally accepted that woodland and forests are vital in tackling climate change, recovering and restoring biodiversity and for improving our health and well-being.

However, "State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021" revealed that the UK’s native woodlands are reaching a crisis point, with just 7% in good condition, according to the first comprehensive assessment of their health by the Woodland Trust of which I am a supporter and member.

The main findings of that report were that:

Woodland cover is gradually increasing but woodland wildlife is decreasing. The trends for the UKs woods and trees are concerning. The UK’s woodland cover has more than doubled in the last 100 years but much of this is non-native trees. Existing native woodlands are isolated, in poor ecological condition and there has been a decline in woodland wildlife.

Woods and trees are vital for a healthy, happy society. They lock up carbon to fight climate change, improve our health, well-being and education, reduce pollution and flooding and support people, wildlife and livestock.

Woods and trees are subject to a barrage of coinciding threats. Threats range from direct woodland loss to more insidious influences from climate impacts, imported diseases, invasive plants, mammal browsing and air pollutants.

Not nearly enough is being done. The report is a loud and clear warning sign that more needs to be done to protect and expand our woods and trees. We urgently need to scale up the many inspiring initiatives to create native woods, put more individual trees back in the landscape, and restore damaged woods.

The UK is one of  the least wooded and forested countries in Europe, with only around 13% tree cover compared to the European norm of over 35%.

The latest national statistics on woodland produced by Forest Research were released on 17th June 2021. The main findings are: the area of woodland in the UK at 31st March 2021 is estimated to be 3.23 million hectares, representing 13% of the total land area in the UK, 10% in England, 15% in Wales, 19% in Scotland and 9% in Northern Ireland.

This website enables you to find the percentage woodland and forest cover in your own area. For me, in Basildon, it is 23%, presumably due to the woodlands of the Langdon Hills area. This is higher than the overall figure for the UK but it is still unacceptably low.

Landscapes across the EU range from sub-Arctic tundra environments in the far north of Scandinavia to semi-arid conditions in some Mediterranean regions in the south or from the lowlands and plains of northern continental Europe to relatively high mountain chains such as the Alps, the Pyrenees or the Carpathians. However, in 2018, the largest proportion of the total area of the EU was covered by woodland (41.1%).

Woodland and forest cover in Finland is 72%, in Sweden 69% and in Estonia 61%. Only Ireland, Moldova, Netherlands, Iceland, San Marino and Malta have lower woodland and forest cover than the 13% in the UK.

I have travelled throughout much of northern, southern, western and eastern Europe and the UK’s lack of woodland and forest cover is starkly apparent compared with all the other countries that I have visited (the Netherlands and Iceland being the only exceptions).

We need radical change.

In December, the UK’s Climate Change Committee said that 2 billion new trees would be needed by 2050, increasing the coverage to 18% of the country and requiring a tripling of the growth rate.

"State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021" published by the Woodland Trust recommended the following priority actions:

Expand woodland tree cover. We need to at least quadruple the current rate of woodland creation and increase the proportion of UK-grown native species to help tackle the effects of climate change and give nature a fighting chance of recovery.

Enhance and protect existing woods and trees. Enable native woods and trees to become a source of widespread nature recovery and improve people’s lives.

Improve the evidence. Inventories of ancient woods and trees need to be frequently undertaken as well as regular assessment of important wildlife sites. Data gaps need filling and there needs to be systematic woodland and tree monitoring. 

Invest in the future. Time, money, people and innovation are needed to take on the challenge and create opportunities for woods and trees.

Unfortunately whilst the Westminster Government has published its England Trees Action Plan 2021 to 2024 and England Tree Strategy, just 2 examples of contradictory policy give great cause for concern as to how genuine its commitment is: the ecological vandalism of the HS2 rail project which is destroying woodland including ancient woodland and the proposed relaxation of planning laws which could provide a free-for-all for developers whilst removing consultation with local communities and other interested stakeholders such as environmental and conservation groups.

As so often, the Government's claimed "green credentials" don't stand up to even limited scrutiny.

We need to do much better.

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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature