Reforestation not vs. rewilding? Two green peas in a pod
In the midst of an ecological and climate crisis, rewilding has been embraced as a powerful force to restore what we have already lost. Conservationist Chris Packham recently spearheaded a petition for the royal family to rewild their estates, as royal land has less overall forest cover than the worrying national average of 13%.
Balmoral in Scotland is an ideal example of a 20,234-hectare estate that could be transformed into a temperate rainforest, currently managed for grouse shooting and deer stalking. Over 100,000 signatories have supported the bid as rewilding catches on as a popular conservation approach.
With UK woodland cover relatively low compared to the European average of 38%, it’s apparent that countryside and cities alike could benefit from more tree planting. According to the Committee on Climate Change, woodland cover needs to increase to at least 17% by 2050 to absorb our currently ‘unavoidable’ carbon emissions. This would mean planting 90 to 120 million trees every year until 2050. Interestingly, there is a clear synergy between the need for more natural woodland in the UK and the increasingly recognised value of rewilding.
How tree planting promotes rewilding
Native tree planting in rewilding areas cultivates rich biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Without trees, we would be lacking fresh air, food, shelter, medicine, oils, syrups, and even wine! Trees are also very important to maintaining our sense of wellbeing (read more about this here). In addition, trees provide a home and food source for a vast array of plants, animals and insects. As the demand for plastic decreases, products derived from forests will also be crucial to create some eco-friendly substitutes. Alongside being stable long-term carbon sinks, healthy wild forests deliver ecosystem services including soil stabilization, water and air purification, and are more resistant to flooding and fires.
Tree planting is a vital component in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Read on for some top case studies of where tree planting has played an integral role in rewilding efforts.
1. Increased biodiversity from trees: The squirrel superhighway
The Woodland Trust Scotland has proposed connecting habitat mosaics to create a “superhighway” for red squirrels and other animals. Native tree planting will connect rewilding habitats for wildlife to move through, with more than 1,000 acres to be potentially planted with woodland in the Scottish Highlands. New woodland will link Sites of Special Scientific Interest and enable red squirrels to move more freely from tree to tree. The mosaic would be a hive of biodiversity, with the area already home to pine martens, water voles, badgers, mountain hares and golden eagles.
Image: Red squirrel. Source: Adrian Coleman
2. Trees regenerating the landscape: Stabilising soils and saving rivers
Some of the best areas for rewilding are those lands once over-grazed or over-farmed. Of these areas, active tree planting is most needed where natural regeneration is no longer feasible i.e. where there are not pockets of woodland nearby. Without tree planting interventions, areas devastated by deforestation or land degradation face further soil erosion, exacerbating floods. This is the case with clear-cut areas in the Carpathian Forests in Romania where reforestation efforts seek to stabilise the soil. Planting trees alongside rivers combats the climatic warming of water temperatures by providing shade and cooling the ground water as it flows through the riparian zone (transitional areas between land and freshwater ecosystems). In Scotland, rising water temperatures are rendering streams uninhabitable for salmon. To combat this, over 200,000 native trees have been planted along the banks of the river Dee since 2013.
Image: River Dee tree planting. Source: The River Dee
3. Rewilding tourism
Rewilding schemes can benefit local communities and economies through romanticising ‘wilderness’ and inviting more natural, untamed beauty into people’s lives. There are many examples where rewilding land has enticed visitors and created a thriving community. Knepp Estate, a large-scale rewilding project in Sussex holds a profit margin of 22% by offering wild safaris, camping, glamping and a shop. In the case of the Knepp Estate, trees weren’t planted but naturally flourished through bird seed dispersal.
The Monks Wood Wilderness experiment in South East England pioneered this approach of passive rewilding in the 1960s. A recent study documented the woodland progression from previously ploughed fields via remote sensing and field surveys. This revealed that seed dispersal from the adjacent ancient woodland allowed for natural regeneration. In a 40 to 50-year time frame, the fields became a close canopy woodland boasting 400 trees per hectare and rich wildlife. This original rewilding experiment reveals how letting nature thrive can create biodiverse habitats and heal agriculturally depleted landscapes.
Image: Knepp Estate. Source: Matt Ellery
In southern Norway, the return of trees rewilded the landscape and fostered diversification of the local economy. Marginal incomes from farming are now supplemented with nature-based tourism, forest products, hunting, fishing, outdoor education, snow sports and hiking.
Right trees, right places
A core aim of rewilding is to promote the restoration of native habitats and native biodiversity. For this reason, tree planting projects that are to benefit rewilding efforts must focus on the planting of native trees. These native trees can support the surrounding wildlife that already lives in that environment, thus contributing to a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
Help trees take root in rewilding
Tree planting and rewilding are effective means to let nature grow, and in turn give space for communities to thrive. When managed correctly to maximise diversity, reforesting and rewilding are two very green peas in a pod.
Here are three simple steps we can all take to rewild our own surroundings:
1. Rewild your garden: Plant native wildflowers and trees to attract a range of species and enjoy nature from the comfort of your home.
2. Contact your local council: Make your voice heard and show support for local rewilding and tree planting initiatives. This could take the shape of wild flower beds along roads or supporting nearby beaver reintroductions.
3. Support 9Trees on its mission to plant more trees: 9Trees is doing tangible work on the ground to plant more trees, you can help by donating here.
By Emma Tegg - Blog Writer and Conservation Communicator