‘Clock is ticking’ to save Britain’s rare rainforests
The “clock is ticking” to save Britain’s rare rainforests, experts have warned.
Rainforests used to cover a fifth of the country but now the figure is just one per cent.
The Woodland Trust said they are being damaged by over-grazing by animals while climate change is impacting moisture levels.
It added that air pollution is killing fragile lichens and tree disease is decimating the rainforest canopy.
The special habitats, found in the west of Scotland and Wales, the Lake District and south-west England, are thought to be more threatened than tropical rainforests.
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Eleanor Lewis, of the Woodland Trust, said: “A healthy temperate rainforest is perfect for scarce plants, lichens and fungi as well as remarkable birds and mammals. Such strange species lurk there like the script lichen – which literally looks like hieroglyphics – and tree lungwort, which looks like the inside of lungs.
“A good example of this habitat could contain over 200 different species of bryophytes [mosses, liverworts and hornworts] and 100-200 species of lichen.”
She added: “Unfortunately, these wonderful, rare habitats are under threat. The clock is ticking and Britain has an international responsibility to protect many of these species due to their scarce global distribution.”
The trust is highlighting the plight of the special ecosystems to coincide with World Rainforest Day today. It owns several, including Crinan Wood in Argyll, Scotland, where 245 species of lichen have been recorded.
The trust said lichens are an important indicator of the health of a wood. It has reported that just seven percent of woodlands are in “good condition”. Its UK rainforest work is supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, of the lottery, said: “Saving the rainforest is a well-known cause but until recently few people realised we have temperate rainforests here in Britain too. They are as important as tropical rainforests, but more rare.
“Few people know they exist and fewer still know how globally significant they are.
“We are delighted that our players’ support is helping raise the profile of these precious places and helping the Woodland Trust work to protect them.”
The trust has urged the Government to fulfil its pledge to bring the majority of ancient woodlands into a state of restoration by 2030, including rainforests.
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