edition
Ar Es
Al Mayadeen English
  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Europe
  4. Rainforest could be revived in UK if allowed to naturally regenerate
Europe

Rainforest could be revived in UK if allowed to naturally regenerate

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 22 Oct 2022 10:41

Currently only 1% of the rainforest covers the UK, with efforts by the public and NGOs aiming to reach 20% coverage as part of COP15 talks.

  • A rainforest in Dartmoor (The Times)
    A rainforest in Dartmoor (The Times)

Two maps released by Lost Rainforests of Britain, and shared with The Guardian, revealed that a temperate rainforest that has been ravaged for thousands of years could potentially be restored and revived across a fifth of Great Britain.

The west coasts of Britain and Ireland were once covered by the Atlantic temperate rainforest in the mild conditions of the archipelago, which nurtures rainforest indicator species such as lichens, mosses, and liverworts. However, today it covers less than 1% of land only found in isolated pockets, such as the waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and Ausewell Wood on Dartmoor.

The maps demonstrate the current and future conditions, showing the remaining pieces of rainforest in England, Wales and Scotland after being compiled with the help of the public, scientists, and geolocation specialists.

93% of Britain's public advocate for protecting the rainforest

One of the two maps illustrates that more than half of Wales and almost all of western Scotland, as well as large parts of Cornwall, the Lake District and other pockets north of Manchester, have the suitable potential to harbor climates for the temperate rainforest.

Environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole, who leads the Lost Rainforests of Britain campaign, spoke of the possibility to double the 18,870 hectares (46,628 acres) that currently exist in England if permitted to naturally regenerate and be spread by ecosystem engineers such as the jay bird - proven to be substantial support to forest revival and regrowth.

“I don’t necessarily think we could cover all of the 20%. But I do think we could allow those existing fragments that we have identified to expand in size.”

After Shurbsole's organization commissioned a YouGov poll, it was discovered that 93% of the British public advocate for protecting the country’s rainforest, 85% support its expansion and 80% believe that its restoration should be supported by public funding. 

According to ecologists, pollution, invasive species, and grazing by livestock have wreaked havoc on the temperate rainforest but hope for natural regeneration could be validated if substantive protection and careful tree-planting are applied. 

Just last month, the British parliament was looking into the possibility of revoking 570 environmental laws from the national legislation system, which would leave wildlife unprotected and deregulated, going against post-Brexit promises to put nature's demise to a halt by 2030. 

  • Britain
  • cop15
  • UK
  • rain forest
  • Montreal
  • wildlife

Trending Now

All
as

UK water companies discharge sewage into water, protected by monopoly

Most Read

US unprepared for potential war with China: Study

US unprepared for potential war with China: Study

  • US & Canada
  • 23 Jan
Is this Western war on Russia simply stupidity?

Is this Western war on Russia simply stupidity?

  • Opinion
  • 22 Jan
Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco on Nov. 4, 2022 (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FBI created dashboard to mislabel Twitter users as Russian bots

  • US & Canada
  • 27 Jan
The Russian-manufactured Marker 2 tank-striker (Military Review)

Russia reveals Marker 2 combat robots

  • Europe
  • 26 Jan

Read this

All
Dozens of thousands rally against Netanyahu in "Tel Aviv" for the fourth consecutive week
Palestine

Tens of thousands rally against Netanyahu in "Tel Aviv": Israeli Media

  • 28 Jan
Kiev aims securing  missiles to strike Crimea: Zelensky's advisor
Politics

Kiev eyes securing missiles to strike Crimea: Zelensky's advisor

  • 28 Jan
A man on a bicycle passes the headquarters of Germany's biggest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Europe

Rheinmetall capitalizes on Western insecurities

  • 28 Jan
14 Killed, 24 wounded after Kiev shelled hospital in Lugansk: Russia
Europe

14 Killed, 24 wounded after Kiev shelled hospital in Lugansk: Russia

  • 28 Jan
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS