British woodlands losing biodiversity
British woodlands are less biologically distinctive than they were 70 years ago, says a team of UK researchers. The use of fertilisers in farming had increased soil fertility, while tree canopies had grown thicker and cut light levels, they explained. As a result, the woodlands were becoming home to the same species, resulting in the unique characteristics of individual sites being lost. The findings appear online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The research was carried out by scientists from Bournemouth University, Natural England and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). “This study shows that increased pollution and poor countryside management have led to increasing homogenisation of biodiversity in British woodlands,” said co-author Professor James Bullock, an ecologist from CEH. “These two issues must be addressed in future if we wish to restore the diverse woodland communities of the past.” …
