Seeking Some Early Season Salad
8 April
Restoring and studying temperate rainforest
This is based in the UK, but there are vulnerable temperate rainforests on the west coast of Canada too.
We help scientists to develop cutting-edge research addressing the key challenges in the conservation of temperate rainforest landscapes. From our base in Cornwall, we work in close collaboration with leading international universities and local partners to facilitate interdisciplinary and action-driven research. Our two strands of research highlight why and how we safeguard the future of our rainforest landscapes, alongside championing impactful science outreach to support the future of our rainforest landscapes.
Temperate rainforests are home to a diverse tapestry of plant, fungi and animal species. A relatively wet and mild environment provides ideal conditions for epiphytic ferns, lichens, mosses, and liverworts species (some globally rare) that characterise temperate rainforest ecosystems. In the past, these lush ecosystems would have also hosted predators such as pine martens, wild cats and lynx. However, alongside the effects of land use changes, deforestation and non-native invasive species (e.g. sheep, deer, and Rhododendron) are choking our rainforest growth and disrupting the delicate ecological balance.