The United Kingdom is one of the countries represented on the General Coordinating Committee of Forest Europe. Elaine Dick, International Forestry Advisor at Forest Research and Forest Europe focal point, talks about the importance of sustainable forest management in the UK and describes some of the unique features of forests and woodlands in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.    

Forests and woodlands in the UK are managed sustainably to meet a wide range of objectives. The balance between environmental, social, and economic functions varies from one forest to another, shaped by management goals and local or national circumstances. Timber production remains an important priority—especially as the UK currently imports around 80% of its timber—but this is carefully weighed against the need to protect ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and provide spaces for recreation and rural development. Increasingly, management also focuses on climate resilience and reducing risks from storms, pests, and diseases.

The UK Governments’ approach to sustainable forest management is set out in the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS). This is the national baseline regulatory and technical standard, which, together with the country-level forestry strategies (and supporting policies and programmes) for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Science and Innovation Strategy for Forestry in Great Britain, makes up the UK’s National Forest Programme (the policy framework recommended by Forest Europe). The UKFS also underpins the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS), the independent audit protocol for the voluntary certification of sustainable woodland management in the UK (FSC and PEFC).

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is founded on internationally agreed principles of sustainable forest management, tailored to the UK context. It also incorporates the UK’s commitments to biodiversity and climate change. These principles originated from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the UN Statement of Forest Principles, which have since evolved into the UN’s Global Forest Goals and Targets 2030.

Forest Europe, which predates the Rio Summit, has been instrumental in shaping sustainable forest management across Europe, including the UK. Its definitions, guidelines, criteria and indicators form the international framework through which the UKFS is applied.

“We believe that the Forest Europe concept is vitally important in safeguarding cooperation and a common approach to dialogue, monitoring and policymaking on all aspects of sustainable forest management in Europe. It is a unique process due to its voluntary and informal nature coupled with high level policy dialogues. This combination allows Forest Europe to respond effectively to current and emerging issues with impacts on all aspects of forests and forestry.” Richard Stanford concludes.

UK forests and woodlands

Forest and woodland area in the UK is expanding. From a low point of only 5% at the turn of the 20^th Century, it now covers 14% of total land area (around 3.3 million hectares), although this is still low compared with the European average of ~40%. UK forests and woodlands are very diverse, ranging from ancient woodlands that have been in continuous existence for centuries, to planted forests managed to provide timber and other important benefits. They are home to native tree species such as oak, birch, holly and rowan, with some areas like the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands consisting mainly of Scots pine.

The UK’s native woodlands fall into several broad types, each with its own characteristic species and ecological communities. Lowland mixed deciduous woodland, dominated by oak, ash, hazel, and hawthorn, is widespread across England and Wales. In the wetter west, Atlantic oakwoods — sometimes called temperate rainforests — thrive in the mild, humid climate. These rare forests support a wide array of wildlife, including moisture-loving lichens, liverworts, and mosses. In the north and uplands, upland birchwoods, Scots pine forests, and alder-dominated riparian woods trace the contours of hills and rivers.

The UK has few native tree species due to its island geography, which was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels after the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. Only around 30 species are considered truly native: among them are the iconic English oak (Quercus robur), silver birch (Betula pendula), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), hazel (Corylus avellana), holly (Ilex aquifolium), yew (Taxus baccata), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) — each with its own ecological niche and cultural resonance. These trees support thousands of species of fungi, insects, birds, and mammals, forming the backbone of the UK’s woodland ecosystems.

England: ancient roots and new growth

England’s woodlands are deeply woven into its cultural and ecological fabric. Though they cover just 10% of the land, they include some of the most historically significant and biologically diverse forests in the UK. From the ancient oaks of Sherwood and Savernake to the bluebell-carpeted woods of the Chilterns and Kent Downs, these biodiversity-rich landscapes have inspired poets and witnessed centuries of change.

The dominant woodland type in England is lowland mixed deciduous woodland, often featuring pedunculate oak, ash, field maple, hornbeam and hazel. These woods are especially rich in spring flora — bluebells, wood anemones, dog’s mercury, and wild garlic — and support a wide array of birds, bats, and invertebrates. Many are classified as ancient woodland, having existed continuously since at least 1600, and are irreplaceable in terms of biodiversity.

In the wetter west and north, upland oakwoods and wet woodlands of alder and willow line rivers and valleys, providing habitat for otters, dippers, and rare mosses. In the southeast, hornbeam-dominated woods are a distinctive feature, often managed through traditional coppicing — a practice that supports a rich understorey and a dynamic woodland structure.

England is also home to some of the country’s oldest and most celebrated trees. The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, the Crowhurst Yew in Surrey, and the ancient pollards of Epping Forest are living monuments to the country’s arboreal heritage.

There is a growing movement to create new woodlands and reconnect people with trees — through community woodlands, urban greening and rewilding projects. The UK government has announced the establishment of the Western Forest, the first new National Forest in the UK in 30 years. Spanning from the Cotswolds to the Mendip Hills, this £7.5 million project aims to plant 20 million trees over 2500 hectares by 2030. The initiative seeks to increase woodland cover in targeted areas from 11% to 30% by 2050, contributing to biodiversity restoration, flood prevention, and urban greening.

Scotland: the wild heart of Britain’s forests

Scotland’s forests and woodlands are among the most evocative and ecologically rich in the UK, shaped by millennia of natural processes and human influence. Covering nearly a fifth of the country’s land area, they are home to some of the most iconic and ancient forest types in Britain — from the rugged Caledonian pinewoods of the Highlands to the moss-draped Atlantic oakwoods of the west coast.

At the heart of Scotland’s native woodland story lies the Caledonian Forest, a remnant of the vast boreal forest that once blanketed much of northern Britain after the last Ice Age. Today, only fragments remain — in places like Glen Affric, Rothiemurchus and Abernethy — but these ancient pinewoods still support a unique assemblage of species. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Scotland’s national tree and one of only three native conifers, dominates the canopy, often accompanied by birch, rowan, juniper, and aspen. The forest floor is a mosaic of heather, blaeberry, and mosses, attracting wildlife such as red squirrels, capercaillie, and pine martens.

To the west, the damp Atlantic climate nurtures another of Scotland’s natural treasures: the temperate rainforest. These woodlands, often called Atlantic rainforest, are dominated by sessile oak (Quercus petraea), hazel, holly, and birch, and are cloaked in a luxuriant growth of mosses, liverworts, and lichens — some of which are globally rare. Places like Sunart, Morvern, and Knapdale are among the best surviving examples, offering a glimpse into a world where trees drip with moisture and the air is thick with the scent of leaf mould and rain.

In the southern uplands and lowlands, upland oakwoods and lowland mixed deciduous woodlands are more common. These are often ancient or semi-natural, with a rich diversity of species including oak, ash, alder, hazel, and hawthorn. Many of these woods are small and fragmented, but they remain vital refuges for woodland birds, bats, and invertebrates.

Scotland’s native woodlands and ancient trees are not just ecological havens — they are cultural landscapes. The Birnam Oak, said to be the last surviving tree from the forest mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, still stands near Dunkeld. The Fortingall Yew, nestled in a quiet Perthshire churchyard, is thought to be one of the oldest living trees in Europe, possibly more than 5,000 years old. Despite their beauty and importance, Scotland’s native woodlands face significant threats. Overgrazing by deer, invasive species, and the legacy of past land use have left some woodlands in poor condition. Restoration efforts are underway across the country, reconnecting fragmented habitats, encouraging natural regeneration, and planting native species to rebuild resilient forest ecosystems.

Wales: rainforests and ridgewoods

Wales is a land of wooded valleys, misty hillsides, and ancient groves. Woodland covers around 15% of the country, and while much of this is planted forest, Wales also harbours some of the UK’s most ecologically important native woodlands — particularly in the west, where the Atlantic climate nurtures rare and luxuriant habitats.

The jewel in Wales’s woodland crown is its temperate rainforest, found along the western seaboard in places like Meirionnydd, Cwm Einion, and the valleys of Snowdonia. These Atlantic oakwoods, dominated by sessile oak, are rich in biodiversity and are home to pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers, and elusive mammals like the pine marten. Elsewhere, upland birchwoods, wet alder carrs, and lowland mixed woodlands add to the diversity. Rowan, hazel, holly, and ash are common companions to oak, while the forest floor bursts into colour each spring with wood sorrel, primroses, and violets.

Trees feature prominently in Welsh folklore — from the magical forests of the Mabinogion to the sacred groves of the druids. Today, these woodlands are not only ecological refuges but also cultural touchstones, deeply valued by local communities. Efforts are underway to restore and expand native woodland cover, often through natural regeneration and community-led planting. In a landscape shaped by sheep grazing and upland farming, the return of trees is seen not just as an ecological necessity, but as a way to heal the land and reconnect with its deep-rooted woodland heritage.

Northern Ireland: fragments of a forgotten forest

Northern Ireland has the lowest woodland cover in the UK — just under 9% — but within that modest figure lie some remarkable and ancient woodland fragments. These are the last echoes of a once-forested land, where oak, ash, and hazel once cloaked the hills and valleys from the Mournes to the Fermanagh lakelands.

The most ecologically significant woodlands in Northern Ireland are its ancient semi-natural woodlands, many of which are small and isolated but rich in biodiversity. Oakwoods, often dominated by sessile oak and downy birch, are found in places like Rea’s Wood on Lough Neagh and the Glenariff Forest in the Antrim Glens. These woods support a variety of woodland birds, bats, and ground flora, including wood anemone, bluebell, and wild garlic. Wet woodlands, or carrs, dominated by alder, willow, and birch, are common along rivers and lake margins, providing important habitat for amphibians and invertebrates. In the uplands, scrubby birchwoods and heathland-edge woodlands reflect the challenging conditions and long history of grazing and peat cutting.

Despite centuries of deforestation, Northern Ireland retains a strong cultural connection to trees. The Dark Hedges, an avenue of beech trees in County Antrim, has become an iconic landscape, while ancient yews and hedgerow trees still mark old boundaries and sacred sites. Today, there is growing momentum to reverse the decline in woodland cover. New planting schemes, community forests, and conservation projects are helping to reconnect these fragments and reimagine a more wooded future for Northern Ireland.