The UK’s Hidden Rainforests: The Magical Ancient Woodland You’ve Probably Never Heard Of - Plantlife

New research commissioned by Plantlife to mark World Rainforest Day (22 June 2015) reveals that while over half (58%) of people in the UK say they understand what a temperate rainforest is, a surprising number still associate them with faraway places like Brazil (45%) – unaware that Britain is home to its own ancient rainforests.

For years referred to as "Atlantic oakwoods" or "Celtic rainforests," the term temperate rainforest better captures their global rarity. Woodland with high levels of rainfall, mild climate and high levels of biodiversity, the climatic conditions required to form temperate rainforest occur over less than 1% of the planet, which makes it a very precious habitat.

“Britain’s rainforests are hiding in plain sight – in places like the west coast of Scotland, Eryri (Snowdonia) in Wales, the Lake District and the fringes of Dartmoor and Exmoor,” said Adam Thorogood, Rainforest Programme Manager at Plantlife. “These are ancient places with twisted branches, dappled light and boulders cloaked in mosses and lichens – survivors of Earth’s earliest ecosystems, tracing back 400 million years.”

Our rainforest is also one of the most biodiverse habitats on Earth, home to a vast array of wildlife, much of it scarce and threatened; the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and songbirds such as wood warbler, pied flycatcher and redstart.

Despite being some of Britain’s oldest living landscapes, once covering up to 20% of the UK, temperate rainforests are now reduced to less than 1% due to centuries of clearance, air pollution, inappropriate grazing and invasive species.

The UK public wants the government to do more – with 88% of people saying it should make protecting temperate rainforests a priority.