Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s recent State of Yorkshire’s Nature Report estimates that 8% of Yorkshire’s land is woodland. Woodlands are under threat from climate change, disease, fragmentation and poor management. Our research shows that 24% of Yorkshire’s most at-risk wildlife favour woodland habitat
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Climate change is affecting our woodlands, with record high temperatures recorded each summer and more extreme weather in winter. We expect to see more flooding, wildfires and plant diseases as a result of the changing climate. Woodland ecosystems did not evolve in these conditions, and we don’t yet know how they will respond over time through unfamiliar conditions. Declining quantity and quality of woodlands means 1 in 5 of our mammal species are now at risk of extinction.
Solution
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust owns 700 hectares of woodland, across 112 nature reserves. We need to improve our understanding of woodland habitats and join-up our approach to woodland management both on our reserves and in the wider landscape. Using data from external sources we will map woodland areas around our reserves to identify opportunities to connect woodland habitats. By doing this we will be well placed to mitigate against the effects of climate change on woodland habitats and species.
