Restoring forests needs both nature and nurture | Letters

Increasing our woodland by allowing trees to naturally regenerate is a welcome idea, but some management will always be necessary, writes Robin Prior. Plus letters from Patrick Cosgrove, Alex Johnson and Jane GiffordI wholeheartedly support the idea of increasing the amount of woodland we have i n Britain, especially in England, which is very thinly forested by northern European standards (Restore UK woodland by letting trees plant themselves, says report, 15 December).But the problem with “just letting nature get on with it” is twofold: first, ecological succession takes a long time. And second, Britain now contains so many invasive plant and animal species that we may never get the resulting forests we hope for through a policy of benign neglect. In other words, some management will always be required. Continue reading...