Page 58 - Homes amp Gardens UK February 2021

LIFESTYLE
Carpinus betulus
(hornbeam) is one of
Britain’s 15 principal
natives and is found
in many ancient
woodlands. Hatfield
Forest in Essex is
home to some of the
oldest specimens
Ancient tree trunks
provide a habitat for
threatened species
that are slow to
react to change,
find it difficult to
adapt or are unable
to move to other
locations to survive
THE official definition of an ancient woodland is any
area that has been continuously wooded since 1600
or before. Made up of trees of different ages, it now
accounts for just two per cent of Britain’s landmass.
Ancient trees have survived in areas that have not
been farmed or developed, such as mountainsides,
private estates and in graveyards, where yews were
planted as guardians of hallowed ground. The
Fortingall yew, growing in a graveyard in Fortingall
village in Perthshire, is estimated to be 5,000 years
old and is one of Britain’s most ancient trees. Legend
says that Pontius Pilate, who oversaw the crucifixion
of Christ, was born beneath the Fortingall yew.
Some veteran trees are safeguarded by Tree
Preservation Orders (TPOs) but many stand
unprotected, often from neglect or a lack of awareness
of their biological and historical significance. The
Woodland Trust and Ancient Tree Forum are both
campaigning for changes to the law to ensure the
safety of these veterans. Threats to ancient trees
include felling; changes in land use for development
or agriculture; competition from surrounding trees;
and pests and diseases, such as ash dieback and
sudden oak death, which also affects larches. A total
of 25 million elms were wiped out when Dutch elm
disease spread across the country in the 1980s. Today,
cuttings from the few survivors are being used to
propagate a new generation of these beautiful British
natives. But devastating diseases are on the rise.
The solutions? Planting different species and trees
of different ages helps to reduce the impact of disease
and promote an individual specimen’s longevity. Also,
most of our woodlands contain just 30 species, and if
one, such as ash, dies out, the effects can be disastrous.
If you spot a diseased tree, notify The Woodland Trust’s
Observatree project (observatree.org.uk), which aims
to eliminate and control outbreaks. The Trust can also
advise on tree preservation and planting in your area.→
H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S . C O M 57