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So where have all the trees gone?

Percentage of Tree Cover Today

Past and present farming practice

Livestock, particularly sheep and deer, have played a major part in the shaping of our woodlands:

• In the past, creating open grassland for livestock required the clear felling of wooded areas.
• Once the grassland is established, the livestock prevent any new tree growth.  New tree saplings are particularly tasty!

Which of these woods do you think has been grazed by sheep? (click on the image to find the answer)

The loss of much of the Peak District woodlands to farming makes what we have left today all the more valuable, especially the pockets of ancient semi-natural and native woodlands.  Because a native woodland may have taken hundreds of years to establish, once they are lost they are lost forever.  Certain woodland plants find it extremely difficult to colonise other habitats and are only found in ancient semi-natural woodlands.

Introduced species including Rhododendron, sycamore and conifers, tend to grow very well in our wet mild climate and have been planted in preference to native trees.  However, they also tend to be less valuable for wildlife and biodiversity than native trees. 

A native oak tree will support over 300 different species of insect compared with as few as 50 for introduced trees such as sycamore or certain conifers.  The greater the number of insects, the greater the number of birds and other species that feed on them, and the greater the tree's biodiversity value.

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