| |
About UK
woodland: |
|
1 |
The UK is
one of the least wooded places in Europe. Only 12 per cent
of the UK is woodland, compared to an average of 44 per cent
in other parts of Europe. |
|
2 |
We have
around 50 species of native trees and shrubs, including
three conifers, in the UK. |
|
3
|
In the last
100 years, 46 broadleaved woodland species have become
extinct in the UK. |
|
4
|
In 1980,
native species accounted for only five per cent of trees
planted in the UK. Thanks, in part, to the efforts of
conservation organisations like the Woodland Trust, by 2000,
this figure had risen to over 40 per cent
|
| |
About ancient woodland: |
|
5
|
Ancient
woodland is land that has been continuously wooded since at
least 1600AD. |
|
6 |
Ancient
woodland is the last remaining link with the original wooded
landscape, which covered the UK after the last Ice Age. |
|
7 |
Ancient
woodland now accounts for only around 2 per cent of the UK’s
land use. |
|
8 |
Our version
of the ‘rainforest’, ancient woodland is home to more
threatened species than any other UK habitat and is
irreplaceable. |
|
9 |
Nearly 50
per cent of the ancient woodland that still remained in the
1930s, has since been either lost to agriculture and
development, or damaged, mainly by conifer plantation. |
|
10
|
Of the
remaining ancient woodland in the UK, 85 per cent has no
legal designation. |
|
11
|
Ancient
woodland is fragmented; eight out of 10 woods are less than
20 hectares (50 acres) in size and nearly 50 per cent of
ancient woods are less than five hectares.
|
| |
About the Woodland Trust: |
|
12 |
We have more
than 160,000 members and over 200,000 other supporters. |
|
13
|
We have
planted over eight million native trees in the UK, more than
any other conservation organisation. |
|
14 |
For each new
member who joins, on average, we can care for another half
an acre of woodland. |
|
15 |
Everyone can
enjoy visiting more than 1,000 sites in our care, covering
20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of land.
|
| |
About Tree For All |
|
16 |
The Tree For
All campaign aims to engage one million children in planting
12 million trees over five years. |
|
17 |
Since it
began Tree For All has engaged more than half a million
young people in planting over three million trees.
|
| |
References and sources: |
|
1 |
Forestry
Statistics 2006 – from
Forestry
Commission website |
|
2 |
There are at least 35 native trees in the UK, including
three conifers, plus at least 14 native shrubs. For the
purposes of simplicity we have not included many individual
or particularly rare specimens of trees or numerous
sub-species and hybrids. |
|
3
|
The
UK BAP
(Biodiversity Action Plan) states that broadleaved woodland
is ‘the habitat type from which most species have become
extinct in the last 100 years, with 46 species being lost,
and the one with most globally threatened (at least 78) and
rapidly declining species. Biodiversity: The UK Steering
Group Report - Volume I: Meeting the Rio Challenge (1995) |
|
4
|
Forestry
Statistics 2006 – from
Forestry
Commission website |
|
5
|
Spencer, J.W.
and Kirby, K.J. (1992) ‘An inventory of ancient woodland for
England and Wales’. Biological Conservation, Vol. 62, pp.
77-93 |
|
6 |
No reference
available. |
|
7 |
The figure
for Great Britain, taken from the Ancient Woodland Inventory
in 2001 is 2.4%. The figure for Northern Ireland has since
been calculated as around 0.07%. When added to the GB figure
and taking into account total area, this equates to around
2% for total UK. |
|
8 |
The
UK BAP
(Biodiversity Action Plan) lists 232 threatened broadleaved
woodland species. |
|
9 |
Keeping
Woodland Alive |
|
10
|
Legal
designation is taken to mean statutory designations, such as SSSI
(Site of Special Scientific Interest). |
|
11
|
Forty eight
per cent of ancient woods are identified as less than five
hectares in size and only 617 exceed 100 hectares. There are
just 46 ancient semi-natural woodlands larger than 300
hectares. Source: Spencer, JW and Kirby KJ (1992) An
inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales.
Biological Conservation vol. 62 pp 77-93. |
|
12 |
Membership
figures correct as of March 2007 from WT Direct Marketing team. |
|
13
|
Tree
For All campaign |
|
14 |
Figures correct as of March 2007 from WT Direct Marketing team. |
|
15 |
Our woods directory |
|
16 |
Tree
For All campaign |
|
17 |
Tree
For All campaign |
| |
|