Research from the Woodland Trust shows in the last decade 100 square miles (26,000 hectares) of ancient woodland in the UK has come under threat from destruction or degradation, equivalent to an area the size of Birmingham.
The shocking figure emerged after a 12 month study which looked into ancient woodland under threat in the UK. The threats come from developments including, roads and houses, airports, golf courses and utilities*.
The research shows that over the last ten years 800 woods, covering a total of 26,000 hectares, have been threatened (Five per cent of the total amount of ancient woodland remaining in the UK).
Ed Pomfret of the Woodland Trust comments: "This is a worrying picture, half of the ancient woodland that existed in 1930 has been lost. Ancient Woodland is the UK’s equivalent of rainforest and is irreplaceable having been wooded for over 400 years. It’s the UK’s most valuable space for wildlife, home to more rare and threatened species than any other UK habitat. "
In theory, these woodlands are protected by national policy and should not be developed. However, loopholes in the system allow this protection to be over-ridden if a developer can prove an economic need. If these woods were buildings they would be protected to the highest Grading. But natural heritage is not afforded the same importance, despite the fact many ancient woodland sites date back far beyond that of the built environment.
The biggest threat to ancient woodland is from new roads, followed by utilities and power-lines. Housing, mineral extraction, airport expansion and leisure facilities have all posed threats to ancient woodland, and continue to do so.
Ancient woodlands are invaluable places for wildlife, they are timeless places of great beauty and tranquillity where we can escape from the stresses and strains of modern life. Species such as the willow tit, marsh tit, barbestelle bat, bechstein’s bat, pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and dormice all rely on ancient woodland to survive
Long undisturbed and some dating back to the Ice Age, these ancient woodlands are historical treasure troves. Bronze and Iron Age earthworks, Saxon boundaries, ancient park boundaries, ridge and furrow fields, park pales and wood-banks are all preserved and give a picture of the past. We must act now to save the UK’s rainforests from destruction, safeguarding them for wildlife and future generations to learn from and enjoy.
Ed Pomfret comments: "It’s up to the public to put a stop to this destruction; we can’t rely on any official body to help us. We need eyes and ears for woodland to help stop ancient woodland destruction on our doorsteps. That’s why the Woodland Trust has launched WoodWatch to provide tools and information for people to find and save threatened woodland in their local areas."
Those who want to get involved can find all they need to help them navigate the planning system and learn how to run a successful campaign at www.woodwatch.org.uk. Through the interactive map people can locate and update the Woodland Trust on threats in their area. Funding will become available from next year to help kick start local campaigns, and cover costs such as banner design, leaflet printing and hall hire.
