Trees and ancient man
The opening up of the English Channel after the Ice Age meant that more tree species could not return to establish themselves in Britain, which accounts for why we have so few indigenous species. The east-west mountain ranges of continental Europe also provided a considerable barrier.
Of the native British species 30 are broadleaf trees (or hardwoods) and there are three types of conifers (commonly known as softwoods). They tend to be distributed by region or habitat: for example ash grows on deep, damp limestone soils, the downy birch mainly in Scotland and northwest England while and beech and box favour high open chalkland.. Willow and alder grow near water, while hornbeam, English oak, wild cherry and wild service tree are happy growing in clay soils. A number of other species have become naturalised – in other words they grow wild here after being introduced from other countries.
When humans recolonised Britain after the Ice Age, they made their mark on the landscape by beginning to fell the trees that had re-established themselves.
Hunter-gatherers in the Mesolithic period first cleared land for temporary camps and to make it easier to hunt game. Woodland clearance increased during the Neolithic period as people turned to farming crops and keeping domesticated animals and developed permanent settlements. As the population of Britain grew during the Bronze Age and Iron Age, new areas were cleared of trees, including the fells and peaks of the uplands, where forests gave way to the bog and heath that we’re familiar with today.
