Forests are biodiversity’s best friends. They host countless species and maintain the delicate balance of climates and watersheds. In the dense canopy or along the forest floor, life thrives. Animals find shelter and sustenance, and plants perform the vital task of carbon absorption, fighting climate change in a natural way. Forests are more than just collections of trees—they’re bustling cities of plant and animal life.
The best ways to help preserve old-growth forests? Stay away from palm oil, use recycled paper and tissues, bathroom tissue, choose recycled wood products, and live a sustainable life!
If planting trees, learn how to make gardens safe for pets. Use no-dig gardening to help wildlife and know trees to avoid near horses (including yew & oak).
Keep away from grey/white caterpillars (oak processionary moths that cause allergies and breathing difficulties – contact a doctor/vet if in contact). Also cordon off affected trees from livestock and horses. Mostly found in London in warm weather, report to your council and Treealert.
Understanding Biodiversity and Its Importance
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It’s not just about the number of species; it encompasses genetic diversity and ecosystem variety too. Picture a quilt with countless patterns—each square represents a different life form, each thread a unique genetic code. This richness defines our planet.
Biodiversity occurs at three levels. Genetic diversity refers to differences within species—think of the various breeds of dogs, each with its own genetic traits. Species diversity is the vast array of different organisms, from towering trees to tiny insects. Finally, ecosystem diversity is the range of environments where life exists, like rainforests, deserts, and oceans. These layers of biodiversity ensure that ecosystems can adapt to changes and provide resources like food and medicine.
The axe falls not just on trees but on entire ecosystems. When forests make way for farms or roads, species lose habitats. Imagine having to leave your home with nowhere to go—this is the plight of many creatures. Urban sprawl continues to nibble away at forest edges, pushing wildlife into smaller spaces.
Pollution seeps into our forests, tainting soil and water. Meanwhile, climate change shifts weather patterns, making some forests too hot or dry for many species. These changes unsettle the balance, leaving some species struggling to survive. The web of life begins to fray as temperatures climb and pollutants accumulate.
Books to Learn More About Our Forests
Nature’s Temples is an impassioned case for the importance of ancient forests, and their preservation. Standing in an old-growth forest, you can instinctively sense the ways it is different from forests shaped by humans. These ancient undisturbed ecosystems are increasingly rare and misunderstood. This book explores the science of old-growth forests, and makes a compelling case for their protection.
Many foresters propose ‘forest management’, while ecologists and conservation biologists believe it’s best to leave forests alone, in order for them to be healthy. Author Joan Maloof (founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network and a professor of biological sciences) describes the life forms and relationships that make old-growth forests unique – from salamanders and micro-snails to plants that communicate through fungi – and reveals why human attempts to manage forests can never replicate nature’s sublime handiwork.
The book also sheds new light on the special role forests play in removing carbon from the atmosphere and shares what we know about the interplay between wildfires and ancient forests. With drawings that illustrate the science but also capture the remarkable beauty of ancient trees, this book invites you to discover the power of trees that are so connected to our planet and fellow species.
Author Joan Maloof PhD is founder and director of the Old-Growth Forest Network which works to save threatened forests. She is also professor emerita of biological sciences at Salisbury University.
Also read If A Tree Falls, a book to educate about the importance of trees that give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide, reduce heat island effect and crime and provide homes for wildlife (and food for us as fruit and nuts). Yet trees are cleared for agriculture, lost in wildfires and harvested for wood. Forests also play a critical role in climate moderation. Find out what you can do to protect forests and preserve them for future generations. Chapters explain the history of deforestation and what happens to food and animals that live there. Boxes of ‘Tree Trivia’ educate young readers on how to help trees.
Why Ancient Woodlands Matter: A Quick Look
Have you ever seen flowers blanketing the forest floor? Ancient woodlands are their true home. Alongside these stunning flowers, you’ll find species like the elusive hazel dormouse and the charming lesser spotted woodpecker. And let’s not forget the mighty ancient trees themselves – oak, yew, and pine, some standing for hundreds, even thousands of years.
Think of ancient trees as the wise elders of the forest. They anchor ecosystems, stabilising the soil with their roots. Their boughs provide homes for owls, bats, and myriad insects. Just as cities revolve around landmarks, these woodlands revolve around these majestic giants.
A Book to Celebrate Our Woodland Birds
Although most of us are more familiar with garden birds, our woods house many more bird feathered friends. They like to take advantage of natural shelter and lots of tasty insects that are often within leaf litter. Woodland trees also provide many natural food like berries, and ideal places to build nests and raise their chicks. But we have now lost most of our woodland (many trees have been felled for the disastrous HS2 high-speed rail project) and other trees and woodlands have been killed off to make way for new housing, railways and roads). Also read about our drilling and drumming woodpeckers!
Also read how to help stop birds flying into windows. Only use plain quality wooden bird boxes (site between north and north-east to protect from harsh weather, with a clear path to hide from predators). Never buy ‘decorative’ coloured tin birdhouses, these overheat and attract predators.
Read Matt Sewell’s delightful guide to Our Woodland Birds which takes us into forests, copses and wastelands to meet bramble-picking blue tits, a flight of finches and a parliament of young owls.
A few of our most common woodland birds include:
- Blackcaps often forage for insects in coniferous woodland
- Nightingales are known for their beautiful song
- Tawny owls are nocturnal, so not easy to spot
- Treecreepers like to eat insects & spiders in trees
- Wood warblers migrate to England in summer
- Nightjars easily camouflage themselves in trees
Matt Sewell is one of England’s best-selling bird book writers. A talented artist, he is also a passionate ornithologist, and his bird images appear on postage stamps on the Isle of Man.
