New report from Woodland Trust provides evidence of compounding threats that pose catastrophic consequences for UK woods and trees 

Environment

A new report published by the Woodland Trust brings together evidence which highlights a barrage of compounding threats which could have catastrophic consequences for the UK’s woods, trees and the flora and fauna within them.

The State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021 examines the data and evidence behind the health of the nation’s woods and trees. It is the first of its kind to focus on native woods and trees, which are such an important part of our natural and semi-natural habitats in this country. It shows that 5 major threats are compounding to result in negative impacts that could spell disaster for wildlife including plants, birds, butterflies and insects.

Abi Bunker, Director of Conservation and External Affairs, Woodland Trust said:
“The warning signs in this report are loud and clear. If we don’t tackle the threats facing our woods and trees, we will severely damage the UK’s ability to address the climate and nature crises. Our wildlife havens are suffering, and we are storing up problems for future generations.

“The first step is setting legally binding targets for the recovery of nature, including our precious and irreplaceable ancient woodlands and trees.  The Government’s new Environment Bill must provide the foundation for ambitious, effective and well-funded woodland policies and grants so that landowners and communities can protect, restore and create wildlife-rich, healthy wooded and treed landscapes, in towns, cities and the wider countryside. There is no success in hitting creation targets if our existing woods and trees are struggling and in decline.”

The major threats include:

  1. Poor woodland condition
  2. Climate change affecting woodland lifecycles
  3. Direct loss and resulting fragmentation
  4. Pests, diseases and pollution
  5. Slow rate of woodland expansion

Declining woodland condition

  • Only 7% of native woodland is in good condition.
  • Lack of dead wood, veteran trees and open space are causing declining habitat variety.
  • 50% of ancient woodland is damaged by commercial forestry plantations or rhododendron invasion.
  • A large proportion of woodland SSSIs are in “unfavourable condition”.
  • Woodland butterflies such as white admiral, heath and pearl-bordered fritillaries are in steep decline.
  • Dead wood beetles such as bee, noble and rose chafer beetles are in steep decline – a key food source for bats.
      • Woodland specialist birds have declined by over 80% since 1970: including willow tit (declined 94% since 1970 – Britain’s fastest declining resident bird), lesser spotted woodpecker, lesser redpoll, spotted flycatcher, and capercaillie.
    • Flowering plants like spreading bellflower, and lily of the valley are in decline.

Climate change affecting woodland lifecycles

  • Changing phenology(the timing of nature’s seasonal events) caused by climate change is impacting food supply and synchrony leading to reduced breeding success and species decline.
  • Trees are leafing earlier in warmer years – birds such as blue tit are struggling to adjust breeding times accordingly to benefit from leaf caterpillars.
  • Migratory birds like pied flycatcher cannot adjust behaviour to take account of early leafing in UK Spring, resulting in reduced breeding success and survival rates (down 43% since 1970 baseline).

Loss and fragmentation of woods and trees

  • Only 2.5% of UK land area is ancient woodland, many ancient woods are now isolated.
  • At least 1225 ancient woodlands are currently under threat from destruction by new built development.
      • 85% of individual field trees have been lost over last 150 years, shown in a study of the ‘Eastern claylands’ of Norfolk and Suffolk likely to be replicated across the UK.
    • Habitat fragmentation causing declines in species abundance
        • Marsh tit - one of the UK’s fastest declining birds – 70% decline in numbers since 1970, depends on well-connected woods for breeding success;
      • Hazel pot beetle, once widespread is now one of UK’s rarest insects due to loss of scrubby woodland edge habitats.

Pests, diseases and pollution

  • 19 new damaging tree pests and diseases have established in UK since 1990, and only 4 in the previous 40 years.
  • A ten-fold increase in imported live plant value since 1990 is likely fueling the increase in new tree disease and pests.
  • For every £1 earned from importing plants, it costs £50 to manage the resultant pests and disease.
      • Tree disease and pests causing local extinctions of wildlife species across the UK; 120 million ash trees alone to be lost to ADB meaning at least 106 ash -dependent species could see dramatic declines.
      • Nearly all UK woods exceed thresholds for nitrogen pollution which is wiping out lichens and other species leading to disruption and decline of ecosystems and causing micro-extinctions.
    • Clean air lichens (e.g. beard and horsehair lichens) are disappearing from tree trunks and branches.
        • Nitrogen-tolerant grasses and plants are wiping out woodland flowers such as violets, bugle, heather and bilberry. Fears that Bluebells might be decreasing in some woods as other woodland plants like wild garlic dominate.

Slow rate of expansion 

      • Only 290,000ha of new woodland created over last 20 years – next 20 years need to create at least 600,000ha. Speed of expansion not fast enough.
      • Over last 5 years only 45% of new woodland comprised broadleaf trees – need to increase proportion of new native trees to tackle nature crisis.
  • Trees outside of woods not being replaced, yet the two most common species – oak and ash – are threatened.

Compounding effects

  • Most woods and trees impacted by more than one of the above threats at the same time.
      • g. Scotland’s rare rainforest habitatis under threat from overgrazing by deer, plantation forestry, invasive rhododendron, tree disease (especially ash dieback), nitrogen air pollution, and climate change. This results in increased rates of wildlife decline and loss.
      • Groups of indicator species for all UK woods are showing steep declines. Average 47% decline in woodland specialist birds, 41% decline in butterflies 18% decline in woodland flowering plants.
      • The willow tit is the fastest declining woodland bird because of poor woodland condition, climate impacts, and habitat fragmentation.
      • Even our iconic oak is under threat from climate change, disease and pests and pollution.

To reverse these threats and avoid catastrophic consequences for wildlife and plants the 
below key recommendations need to be implemented. 

1. Native woodland must be a major part of woodland expansion, to help nature recover. We need more native woodland connecting and expanding existing woods and replacing lost trees outside woods.*

2.Enhance existing woods and trees. Existing native woods and trees must be protected and enhanced to become a source of widespread nature recovery and improve people’s lives. **

3. Improve evidence and monitoring. ***

4. Invest in the future. ****

A healthy society needs healthy woods and green spaces, not only to help tackle climate change, but also greatly benefits people’s health and wellbeing.

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*1. To deliver for nature, native woodland must be a major part of woodland expansion.  Woodland cover has nearly tripled since the beginning of the last century, but most of this is low diversity forestry plantations and over half the woodland species we have data for are in decline. We need more native woodland connecting and expanding existing woods and replacing lost trees outside woods.

**2. Protect and enhance existing woods and trees. Existing native woods and trees must be protected and enhanced to become a source of widespread nature recovery and improve people’s lives. At present, they are subject to a barrage of coinciding threats from direct loss to more insidious influences such as climate impacts, imported diseases, invasive plants, mammal browsing and air pollutants. These threats diminish the benefits of woods and trees for people and for wildlife.

***3. Improve evidence and monitoring and the tools to look after our woodland heritage. Data provides the tools for viewing past trends and tracking progress towards targets and in developing the tools for the future. Yet in some cases data to allow monitoring and an assessment of the state of UK woods and trees is incomplete, lacking or not readily available. Baseline inventories must be regularly updated, data gaps filled and regular assessments of woods and trees undertaken.

****4. Invest in the future. Significant resources will be required to rise to the size and scale of the challenges and opportunities for more and better woods and trees.