What is native woodland?
Most of the native woodland in the UK is broadleaved, with trees that drop their leaves in winter, although in Scotland, there are also some native pinewoods.
Native woodland consists mainly of native trees, that is those that have grown here naturally since the last Ice Age and have not been introduced by humans.
At one time, this native broadleaved woodland would have covered much of the UK's landscape.
However, the UK is now one of the least wooded places in Europe. Only around 12 per cent of the UK is wooded compared with an average of 44 per cent in other European countries. And, only a small proportion of our woodland, around 40 per cent, is native.
The Woodland Trust is continually campaiging to increase the UK's area of native woodland, as well as protecting and enhancing what little ancient woodland we have left.