State of Nature report - RSPB

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David J Slater Woodland “It is not so much for its beauty that the forest can make a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.” Robert Louis Stevenson, from Essays of Travel
WOODLAND Much of Britain was once covered by woodland, but now it covers just 12% of the land 1 . Nevertheless it is home to a spectacular variety of wildlife, and is cherished by people as a beautiful and important part of our countryside. In this report we take a broad view of woodlands, and include scrub, coppice, carr, copse, wood pasture and parkland, as well as plantation and semi-natural woodland, both coniferous and broadleaved. Since 1945, the area of woodland has doubled in the UK 1 , mainly as a result of trees planted for timber production. This has led to the dominance of coniferous species, particularly in Scotland, where they make up 81% of woodlands. In Wales, the figure is less, at 55%, and just 35% in England. More recently, from 1998 to 2007, the area of broadleaved woodland has increased by 7% in the UK 2 , and existing broadleaved woodland has matured. Index (1990 = 100) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 140 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 Year Figure 13 English woodland butterfly indicator 3 . Data from BC, CEH, Defra and JNCC. 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 People have had a profound influence on woodland in the UK, and no truly pristine woods remain untouched by our activities. However, ancient woodlands are often home to special communities of plants and invertebrates that reflect the age of the wood and the long history of human management through activities such as coppicing. Irrespective of age, woodlands are highly valued; there are an estimated 250–300 million day visits to woodlands each year 2 and people feel passionately about the protection of woods and the wildlife they support. Index (1970 = 100) 120 100 80 60 40 20 All woodland birds (38) Generalists (12) Specialists (26) 0 1970 1975 1980 1985 Year Figure 14 UK woodland bird indicator 4 . Data from the RSPB, BTO JNCC and Defra. Numbers in brackets are the number of species in each group. 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 The area of UK woodland has increased, mainly due to conifer planting, but woodland birds have been declining since the 1970s and woodland butterflies since the 1990s. Of the 1,256 woodland species studied, 60% have decreased and 34% have decreased strongly. 11% of woodland flowering plants are on the national Red List: 30 species in all. The declines of most woodland species are linked to changes in the structure of woodlands, due to increased grazing pressure by deer, changes to management practices and woodland ageing. Some conservation action is focused on priority species, while other projects are designed to benefit a wider range of wildlife through sympathetic management. STATE OF NATURE 2013 35
Page 3 and 4: STATE OF NATURE Foreword by Sir Dav
Page 5 and 6: UPLAND STATE OF NATURE 2013 29
Page 7 and 8: Although robust data are in short s
Page 9 and 10: ought species back from the brink o
Page 11 and 12: Wasps (175) All (5%) Moths (676) La
Page 13 and 14: MEASURING THE STATE OF NATURE Measu
Page 15 and 16: Although the evidence for the wides
Page 17 and 18: FARMLAND Farmland makes up around 7
Page 19 and 20: Why is farmland wildlife changing?
Page 21 and 22: Brown hares have benefited from hab
Page 23 and 24: lowland semi-natural grassland and
Page 25 and 26: Why is lowland semi-natural grassla
Page 27 and 28: Common lizard Steve Knell All six o
Page 29 and 30: UPLAND The UK’s uplands are the h
Page 31 and 32: o single factor is responsible for
Page 33: Golden eagles and other animals are
Page 37 and 38: Why is woodland wildlife changing?
Page 39 and 40: Increased grazing pressure from dee
Page 41 and 42: COASTAL Wrapped in a narrow ribbon
Page 43 and 44: Why is coastal wildlife changing? T
Page 45 and 46: Genevieve Leaper Sea thrift on a cl
Page 47 and 48: FRESHWATER AND WETLANDS Freshwater
Page 49 and 50: Why is freshwater and wetland wildl
Page 51 and 52: Common frog Mark Sisson Freshwater
Page 53 and 54: URBAN There are many different ways
Page 55 and 56: Why is urban wildlife changing? A s
Page 57 and 58: The renovation or demolition of old
Page 59 and 60: URBAN Derelict, disused and unloved
Page 61 and 62: MARINE he UK is truly a maritime na
Page 63 and 64: hanges in the temperature, circulat
Page 65 and 66: Harbour seals have declined by near
Page 67 and 68: UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES The UK has
Page 69 and 70: Just one individual of St Helena’
Page 71 and 72: EXTINCTIONS AND COLONISATIONS You w
Page 73 and 74: Little egret Ernie Janes The little
Page 75 and 76: CONSERVATION HEROES Picture the sce
Page 77 and 78: Climate change Climate change is al
Page 79 and 80: A: In some datasets, both total cha
Page 81 and 82: Watchlist indicator Between 1995 an
Page 83 and 84: 11: Fuller RM (1987) Biological Con
Page 85 and 86:
in urban area: implications for nat
Page 87 and 88:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements T
Page 89 and 90:
Conchological Society of Great Brit
Page 92:
The State of Nature report is a col
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State of Nature report - RSPB

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