Campaigners have criticised the UK government for neglecting natural tree regeneration in England, favouring tree planting instead.

Recent data reveals that just 5% of Forestry Commission grants for woodland creation support natural regeneration, with the remaining 95% directed toward planting.

Natural regeneration allows trees to grow without human intervention through self-seeding, root sprouts, or natural seed dispersal. Ecologists argue that this method produces more biodiverse, resilient woodlands that are better suited to local conditions, offering greater benefits for wildlife.

Guy Shrubsole, an environmental campaigner who obtained the figures under freedom of information laws, said: “Tree planting has its place, but right now the incentives are skewed far too much in favour of planting over natural regeneration. Ministers need to change these ridiculous rules if they want to stand any chance of meeting their own targets for woodland creation.”

The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), a Forestry Commission initiative launched in 2021, provides grants to landowners and farmers to encourage woodland creation. However, since its inception, the scheme has funded only 501 hectares of naturally regenerated woodland, compared with 8,642 hectares established through planting.

Although the EWCO introduced support for “natural colonisation” in 2021, uptake has been limited. The scheme funds fencing to protect young trees from grazing, allowing them to regenerate naturally.

However, strict eligibility rules restrict natural regeneration support to land within 75 metres of existing trees. This limitation conflicts with research showing that woodland birds can disperse seeds, like acorns, over distances of 1 to 6 kilometres, which may explain the low number of natural regeneration projects.

Campaigners argue that the current funding structure and restrictions reflect an overwhelming preference for planting, potentially undermining more sustainable, ecologically valuable methods.

“Trees are perfectly capable of self-seeding: after all, they’ve been doing so for millions of years,” said Shrubsole. “Whilst tree planting certainly has its place, we could have far richer, more natural forests if only we properly supported farmers and landowners to let trees naturally regenerate.”

The Forestry Commission, however, maintains that the choice between planting and natural regeneration is ultimately up to individual land managers.

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are committed to increasing woodland creation – it’s why we are investing £400m into tree planting, have announced the first new national forest in 30 years and provide woodland creation grants. Whilst we recognise the benefits natural colonisation can bring, land managers are best placed to decide what woodland creation measures are most appropriate for their site.”

 

 

——————————————————————————

At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.

Donate now and join in the solution!