Restoration of ancient woodland and temperate rainforest is essential to counter biodiversity crisis

The biodiversity crisis often seems to be overshadowed by the climate one. Both threaten the future of the planet. Indeed, they are interlinked, with the depletion of biodiversity resulting in more carbon being pumped into the atmosphere, causing climate change. The biodiversity crisis is very real, amounting to the disintegration of the web of life on which we all depend. We are amidst the sixth mass extinction of species. In the last 50 years, the number of farmland birds have reduced by half, woodland edge butterflies by 40% and insects by huge numbers. One area of devastation that has helped accelerate the crisis is the loss of ancient woodland. This process has gone on over centuries, as humanities means of living has changed. In the 20th century, there as been the clearance of tropical rainforests, making way for more cattle to feed hungry human carnivores. The UK is home to many temperate rain forests, mostly down the western side of the country plus Scotland. These areas have high rainfalls. The temperate rainforests boast lichens, moss and liverworts - they are great carbon sinks, as well as fostering biodiversity and human well being. Birds like pied wagtail and redstarts live in these habitats. Unfortunately, these rainforests have been reduced to a fraction of their former selves. Previously, they covered 20% of the UK landmass. Today, they cover less than one per cent. Just 13% of the UK is covered by trees. Writer and campaigner, Guy Shrubsole has called for the saving of existing forests and restoration of much of what has been lost. He makes a powerful case in his book, The Lost Rainforests of Britain. In many ways the best way to restore lost ancient woodland is to leave alone what is already there. Some 30% of Britain's ancient woodlands were cut down from 1950 to 1980, being replaced by quick growing conifers. This variety of tree provides commercially saleable timber more quickly but it has less biodiversity value. Shrubsole argues that protecting and encouraging existing temperate rainforests will help re-establish them into the future. Much of the devastation to trees has been caused by sheep, deer and rhododendrons. So reducing all three will help ancient woodland re-establish. A rewilding advocate, Shrubsole would like to see some of the predators of deer reintroduced - these include wolf and lynx. The spread of pine martins would control grey squirrel numbers. Squirrels also cause tree damage. Farmers have a key role to play. Working with nature to achieve sustainable farming is the way forward. The government's new Environmental Land Management Scheme, which rewards landowners for using land in a way that enhances rather than diminishes nature, can prove a powerful tool in forest restoration. So there is plenty that can be done to restore ancient woodlands and amongst that the temperate rainforests. One of the encouraging things is that much of what has gone wrong in the past can be put right by simply leaving what is there alone, let it regenerate in a natural way. Enhancements like controlling the deer and sheep population and eliminating rhododendron will help but nature is a great healer of itself. Let's hope in the coming years that our ancient woodlands and temperate rainforests revive. It will be for the betterment of all creatures living on this earth - including the human being