Climate change: 100,000 new trees to be planted in UK rainforests

The UK used to have lots of temperate rainforests

More than 100,000 new trees are going to be planted along the north Devon coast to create a 'wilder, woodier and wetter landscape'.

The special project is being led by the National Trust, which is hoping it will expand and improve the region's rare temperate rainforest habitats.

The planting at all sites will be carried out by local primary schools and community groups, alongside National Trust rangers, and will aim to create a safe place for endangered UK wildlife.

Temperate rainforests, also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforests, are known for their consistently wet climate, making them the perfect home for a unique variety of rare ferns, mosses, liverworts, lichens and other wildlife including pine martens, pied flycatchers and stoats.

They are also a key player in protecting both the UK's biodiversity and helping to tackle climate change.

They used to run the length of the western coast of the UK, but now cover less than 1% of Britain.

That's because over the centuries woodland areas have be severely reduced largely due to air pollution, invasive species and diseases.

John Deakin, Head of Trees and Woodlands at the National Trust said: "The rare specialist plants that depend on this habitat now desperately cling to the remaining fragments for survival.

"Without urgent action, these unique plants could soon be facing extinction."

The new trees will be planted on the North Devon coast at Exmoor and Woolacombe and inland at the Arlington Estate.

Part of the north Devon project is already underway and planting will now also take place across the three other sites, with 50,000 trees to be planted at Arlington Court, 38,000 on Exmoor and 20,000 at Woolacombe and Hartland.

More planting is also planned to follow in the coming years.