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The Guardian
05-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
‘An exciting moment': England's urban and rural trees mapped for first time
England's non-woodland trees have been mapped for the first time, using cutting-edge methods of laser detection and satellite imagery. Tree scientists at the UK's Forest Research agency have built a comprehensive picture of trees in urban and rural areas in a 'groundbreaking' map that goes live on Saturday. The tool will allow conservation groups and local authorities to target tree-planting efforts more accurately by pinpointing lone trees that could be connected to nearby wooded areas, bolstering habitats for wildlife, they said. The environment department, Defra, said this would support the government's pledge to expand nature-rich habitats and help to achieve its legally binding target to increase England's woodland canopy to 16.5% of total land area by 2050. The forestry minister, Mary Creagh, said: 'Our precious street trees improve air quality, mark the changing seasons and provide us with peace, shade and joy. Their value simply cannot be overstated. 'This groundbreaking new tree census will not only help us better understand our current tree canopy cover, but allow us to identify areas where we can create more nature-rich habitats for wildlife and people to enjoy as part of our plan for change.' Sir William Worsley, the chair of the Forestry Commission, said: 'This has been a real endeavour by the team – the results are spectacular and will be invaluable to us as we strive to meet our legal target to increase tree-planting cover. 'The map fills critical data gaps about our national tree assets, helping us understand this natural resource and the benefits it brings, including carbon storage. Many people – from citizens to governments – will use the map to make evidence-based decisions to improve management and protection of our trees.' Freddie Hunter, the head of remote sensing at Forest Research, said: 'This is an exciting moment. By using the latest technology, we have been able to pinpoint all tree cover across England, including trees outside of woodland for the first time. 'This laser technology measures the Earth's surface using satellite imagery, which we can use to capture tree canopy cover form a comprehensive picture across the breadth of the country and will be vital in informing future tree-planting'. The maps shows single trees make up 30% of England's tree cover. They could play an important role in storing carbon, regulating temperatures and mitigating against climate change impacts, such as flooding and overheating in towns and cities, Defra said. The trees can also help to improve health and wellbeing in urban areas by boosting nature and reducing the impacts of air pollution. The map, which is fully automated and can be updated regularly to capture changes in tree canopy cover, was funded by Defra's natural capital and ecosystem assessment (NCEA) programme. It comes as part of wider government efforts to boost woodlands, including recent announcements of a new national forest, increasing timber in construction to boost forestry and sustainable housebuilding and a dedicated tree-planting taskforce.
BBC News
23-03-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Why are there no native squirrels in Guernsey?
A grey squirrel made headlines when it arrived as a stowaway on a ferry to Guernsey - an island which has neither grey or red why does the Channel Island have no native red squirrels - and why does it lack other small species like moles, badgers and foxes, as well as snakes and toads?Dr Ellie Scopes, a population modeller for Forest Research, says Guernsey became an island towards the end of the last ice age before many small animals reached it."That's definitely what happened with Ireland," Dr Scopes said. "It got cut off much earlier than Britain did so has a completely different assemblage of animals." She said some small species such as moles "could have made it over" in the past, but become extinct Guernsey is a small island, once they went extinct locally they would not be able to re-establish themselves, she Scopes was part of a team that discovered a species of giant vole on Guernsey in said another possible reason Guernsey did not establish a population of red squirrels, which are native to Britain and France, is because they "like tree cover" and Guernsey does not have larger areas of other species such as field voles and common shrews could thrive on Guernsey if they became Scopes said a single animal, even a pregnant female, was "highly unlikely" to be able to establish a viable population because of inbreeding."You need quite a few to start a population," she said, potentially as many as 20 to 40 individuals."Very interestingly, Ireland has had a population of greater white-tooth shrews introduced recently," Dr Scopes said, adding that they are suspected to have come into the country hidden in some hay. Ice age Guernsey and the other Channel Islands were originally joined to mainland France but broke away towards the end of the ice age, according to Guernsey and Alderney were separated from the French mainland about 11,200 years ago, a spokesperson and Sark became separate from Guernsey 2,500 to 3,000 years separated from the mainland much later, around 6,000 years ago according to the island's Guernsey, Jersey has a native species of toad as well as red squirrels, which were introduced to the island in the late 1800s, Jersey's government squirrels are native to North America and classed as an invasive species in the UK because of the threat they pose to native red were first brought to the UK by the Victorians as an "ornamental species" in gardens of stately can out-compete smaller reds for food and habitat, and some also carry a virus fatal to the native greys in the UK was banned in 1930, but they have spread across England, Wales and large parts of Scotland.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Living library' created to save rare native tree
A living gene bank of the rarest native tree in Britain, the black poplar, is being created in an urgent effort to create a breeding population. The National Trust at Killerton in Devon is building on existing efforts across the UK to save the declining species which it says has effectively died out in the wild. A total of 80 distinct clones of the species have been collected and planted at the site, making it the most genetically diverse population in the country. The location of the 'living library' is along 3km (1.9 miles) of newly restored River Culm floodplain, which is the favoured habitat for the tree. The library has been started with support from Forest Research and community groups who have located and collected a diverse selection of cuttings. The National Trust said black poplar trees were once as common as oak and beech, but drainage of land and demand for faster growing non-native timber trees had contributed to their gradual decline. Out of an estimated 7,000 black poplar trees left growing wild in Britain, only about 150 of those that have been tested are genetically unique. The Trust said "urgent effort" is needed to form a breeding population of male and female trees to make the species resilient again. Fi Hailstone, National Trust ecologist at Killerton said: "We want to establish a naturally reproducing population of black poplar on the stretch of river we have relinked to the floodplain. "Black poplars need male and female trees within 200m of each other to pollinate each other. This is not something likely to happen in the wild which is why we are stepping in". Ms Hailstone said the project will bolster the resilience of the species as once established, cuttings can be taken from the trees and spread to planting projects elsewhere. Tom Shuttleworth, tree and woodland advisor for the National Trust said the black poplar is a tree with an important history. "It features famously in John Constable's landscape The Hay Wain. "It was a useful timber tree and used for cartwheels, brakes, and in mantle pieces." Killerton is one of six nature super-sites identified by the National Trust for their potential to restore nature across whole landscapes through activities such as planting trees and restoring rivers. Tree planting to boost flood resilience under way Thousands of trees planted to create rainforest First trees planted after city centre felling National Trust
BBC News
14-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Living library' created in Devon to save rare native tree
A living gene bank of the rarest native tree in Britain, the black poplar, is being created in an urgent effort to create a breeding National Trust at Killerton in Devon is building on existing efforts across the UK to save the declining species which it says has effectively died out in the wild.A total of 80 distinct clones of the species have been collected and planted at the site, making it the most genetically diverse population in the location of the 'living library' is along 3km (1.9 miles) of newly restored River Culm floodplain, which is the favoured habitat for the tree. 'Urgent effort needed' The library has been started with support from Forest Research and community groups who have located and collected a diverse selection of National Trust said black poplar trees were once as common as oak and beech, but drainage of land and demand for faster growing non-native timber trees had contributed to their gradual of an estimated 7,000 black poplar trees left growing wild in Britain, only about 150 of those that have been tested are genetically unique. The Trust said "urgent effort" is needed to form a breeding population of male and female trees to make the species resilient again. 'Naturally reproducing population' Fi Hailstone, National Trust ecologist at Killerton said: "We want to establish a naturally reproducing population of black poplar on the stretch of river we have relinked to the floodplain."Black poplars need male and female trees within 200m of each other to pollinate each other. This is not something likely to happen in the wild which is why we are stepping in".Ms Hailstone said the project will bolster the resilience of the species as once established, cuttings can be taken from the trees and spread to planting projects elsewhere. Tom Shuttleworth, tree and woodland advisor for the National Trust said the black poplar is a tree with an important history."It features famously in John Constable's landscape The Hay Wain. "It was a useful timber tree and used for cartwheels, brakes, and in mantle pieces."Killerton is one of six nature super-sites identified by the National Trust for their potential to restore nature across whole landscapes through activities such as planting trees and restoring rivers.
The Guardian
14-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
National Trust creates living gene bank of endangered native black poplar
Captured by John Constable in one of his most celebrated paintings, the black poplar tree was once as common as oak and beech in Britain. Now the rarest and most threatened native species in the country, the National Trust is creating a living gene bank of the black poplar to ensure Constable's The Hay Wain does not become a tribute to an extinct breed. The conservation charity has planted a new breeding population of male and female black poplar trees on a restored area of floodplain at Killerton estate in east Devon. Working in partnership with Forest Research and other community groups to locate and collect a diverse selection of cuttings, a total of 80 trees have been planted along the River Culm floodplain with hopes that cuttings will go to planting projects across Britain. Fi Hailstone, a National Trust ecologist at Killerton, said: 'We want to establish a naturally reproducing population of black poplar on the stretch of river we have relinked to the floodplain, the tree's favoured habitat. 'Black poplars need male and female trees within 200 metres of each other to pollinate each other. With numbers in huge decline this is not something likely to happen in the wild, which is why we are stepping in to create a new breeding population. 'The trees can live for over 200 years and can grow to 30 metres in height. Once established, cuttings can be taken from the trees and spread to planting projects elsewhere, acting as a living gene bank, bolstering the resilience of the declining species and boosting its chances of survival.' Land drainage and the demand for faster and straighter growing non-native trees for timber contributed to the decline of the species and of an estimated 7,000 black poplar trees left growing wild in Britain, only about 150 of those that have been tested are genetically unique. Many are also male, as historically they were favoured aesthetically over the female trees which produce large amounts of white fluffy seed in spring. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Tom Shuttleworth, a tree and woodland adviser for the National Trust, said: 'The native black poplar is an iconic tree in the British landscape; arguably our tallest native broadleaf, it features famously in John Constable's landscape The Hay Wain. 'Slower growing than hybrids and American poplars, it was a useful timber tree, its wood being strong under flex and temperature and used for cartwheels, brakes and in mantlepieces. 'It has important biodiversity value to numerous species including the poplar hawk moth, hornets, figure of eight moths and aphids, which in turn support wood ant species.' At the trust's plant conservation centre in Devon, breeding of native black poplars is under way and will be expanded using cuttings from the trees at Killerton once they have established. Further initiatives to halt the decline of the black poplar are happening across National Trust land including the establishment of 16 trees in restored wood pasture on the Oxburgh estate in Norfolk. At Quarry Bank, rangers have been working with Chester zoo, which runs a breeding programme to produce new black poplars, to plant trees on the Cheshire estate. Killerton is one of six nature super sites identified by the trust for their potential to restore nature across whole landscapes through activities such as tree planting and river restoration.
