FIVE THINGS TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS DO FOR US, AND HOW WE CAN GIVE BACK
Written by: Alejandra Hart
The charismatic, gnarly oaks and mossy rocks of Wistman's Wood. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice
It is easy to walk around a temperate rainforest and appreciate the beauty it possesses. But have you thought about how they function and what they might quietly be doing for us?
Temperate Rainforests once covered 20% of the UK and 40% of the South West of England. Today, only 8% of that original rainforest remains in Devon and Cornwall and 2% in Britain, meaning we’ve lost 90% of our rainforest.
This World Rainforest Day, 22nd of June, we’re celebrating five ways temperate rainforests support our lives in surprising ways, and five ways we can help restore, reconnect and protect what remains.
1. They hold water in the land
Temperate rainforests are often called “water forests”. They grow where rain falls often, and mists roll in from the sea. This constant moisture creates the perfect conditions for the rainforest to thrive, and in return, the rainforest helps store and slow the movement of water in the landscape.
By soaking up rain like a sponge and releasing it gradually, rainforests help reduce flooding in the wet season and store water during drought. They also reduce pressure on drainage and sewage systems by slowing the flow of stormwater and allowing natural filtration in the soil. Mosses and other plants growing on trees act like sponges too, absorbing rainfall in the canopy. This water slowly makes its way down to the soil, forming vertical rivers that help keep the rainforest damp even during dry periods.
Making our sites beaver-ready by adding deadwood to slow the river’s flow and reconnect it to its floodplain. Credit: Sam Manning
But over centuries, much of the land around these forests has been drained. Streams have been straightened and rivers carved into gutters that carry water quickly away. Urban development and land-use change have hardened landscapes, leaving them less able to cope with extreme rainfall.
When we restore temperate rainforests, we start to reverse that. Through natural flood management, otherwise known as rewetting or stage zero restoration, we can slow the flow and hold water in the landscape. We give our rivers room to breathe again and help entire catchments become more resilient to both floods and drought. We also help reduce the risk of sewage overflows caused by heavy rainfall. This is more important than ever: according to the Met Office, the number of intense rainfall events could increase by up to 50% by 2070 due to climate change, putting even more pressure on our water systems.
In return, we can support natural flood management, plant native trees and protect the rainforest fragments that are key to a wetter, more resilient landscape.
Felling trees along the river channel to create leaky damns to help slow and spread the flow of the river coursing through the site. Credit: Julia Comerford
2. They bring balance to our climate
The west coast of Britain is often known for its rain, but what happens here has effects far beyond. New research suggests that if we increase temperate rainforest cover in the west, we may help reduce drought risk in the east.
It’s a theory called the rain shadow effect. As rainforests grow, they create a rise in evapotranspiration - a natural cycle of moisture leaving leaves and moving into the air. This added moisture can be carried by the prevailing south-westerly winds, which typically move clouds from west to east across the UK. As a result, western woodlands can help pull moisture inland, where it may fall as rain further east. In this way, our temperate rainforests could play a role in helping fields in the east stay greener and more resilient through the dry summer months.
Map showing the “Atlantic Rainforest Shield”, a study led by researchers at the University of Plymouth. Credit: Murphy, Hanley, Ellis & Lunt (2019)
Rainforests also cool local air, help regulate temperature, and store carbon in their soil, branches and roots. And they offer a quiet resilience, protecting landscapes against the shock of sudden weather events and climate instability.
In return, we can restore rainforest fragments, campaign for climate-sensitive land use, and help more people see temperate rainforests as a crucial part of our climate future as a nation.
Old man's beard lichen hanging off oak trees at Wistman’s Wood. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice
3. They are home to rare and wonderful life
Temperate rainforests might seem calm at first glance. But if you stop and take a closer look, you’ll find a world of rare species and intricate ecological relationships, some of which only exist in places where clean air, cool light and constant moisture combine.
In the UK, we are a stronghold for lower plants: lichens, mosses, liverworts. We have over 2000 species of lichen and 1000 species of bryophytes, making us the most biodiverse place on earth for lichens. Some look like seaweed clinging to trees. Others shimmer green like glass on a stone. These tiny plants help clean the air, shelter insects, and signal forest health.
A beard lichen on an oak branch after rainfall, an example of the beautiful nature around us! Credit: Pete Callahan
And then there’s the wildlife. Dormice nesting in thickets. The blue ground beetle shining under logs. The hazel glove fungus shaped like tiny rubber gloves on branches. The pied flycatcher singing from a branch, once nearly gone, now returned.
In these forests, every species plays a role. From fish stocks in nearby rivers to the fungi hidden beneath our feet, temperate rainforests create a web of life that extends far beyond the tree line. Many of these species depend entirely on the unique conditions found in temperate rainforests and now survive in the last remaining fragments of this rare and fragile habitat.
In return, we can learn the name of species, support restoration efforts, and protect the last places where these animals, insects, fungi and epiphytes live.
A Pied Flycatcher now returning to our temperate rainforests in Devon and Cornwall. Credit: Bull & Wolf
4. They connect land to sea
Temperate rainforests are coastal forests. They grow where ocean currents meet high cliffs and where sea breezes bring steady rains. They are shaped by the sea and are becoming increasingly known as ocean forests.
Some of the most powerful rainforest restorers are animals that move between ocean and land. Atlantic salmon carry nutrients from the sea upstream. Sea eagles nest in the forest canopy and feed from coastal waters. Even the beaver, though it doesn’t live in the ocean, creates ponds and wetlands that echo the tidal rhythm.
These coastal forests contribute to healthier fish populations and more resilient marine ecosystems. By restoring temperate rainforest, we rebuild these "trees-to-seas" connections. Rainforest Recovery means thinking not just about the tree in front of us, but the river that feeds it, the fish that swim beneath it, the cloud that rained upon it, and the sea that sent it our way.
In return, we can protect river corridors, support marine catchment restoration, and view our forests as part of an interconnected land-to-sea network.
A temperate rainforest coastline where forest meets sea. Credit: Bull & Wolf
5. They remind us of what’s possible
In Ausewell Wood, you can walk between ancient trees and see new ones rising. You can step from conifer plantations into native broadleaf groves, where lichens are beginning to return. You can stand at the edge of a reconnected stream and feel the difference underfoot.
We’ve lost 90% of temperate rainforest habitat, but that means we know what needs to be done. We can restore and reconnect the remaining fragments. We can even create new rainforest where it once stood.
The South West Rainforest Alliance is working to triple the area of temperate rainforest by 2050. With support from landowners, farmers, local communities and the help of technology like drone seeding, we believe it’s possible.
The drone in action over Bodmin Moor. Credit Bella Williams
Rainforests also restore us. Time spent in woodland improves mental and physical wellbeing. Studies show that spending time in forests can lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. These landscapes offer moments of calm, the hope of recovery, and the quiet reminder that nature can heal when given the chance.
Two participants of our Lichen ID training at Bovey Valley, learning about the many hidden lichens on our rainforest. Credit: Danielle Semple
So, what can you do? Five small acts in return for five rainforest gifts:
Plant native trees or support tree planting near rainforest fragments
Volunteer with the Woodland Trust or other conservation charities
Learn about and share stories of your local rainforest
Campaign for better protection of ancient woodland and clean air
Support restoration through donations and advocacy
Would you like to see what it feels like to step into a temperate rainforest? Our Virtual Reality headset experience at The Box in Plymouth will transport you into some of the healthiest rainforest sites left in Devon and Cornwall.
Join us on World Rainforest Day, 22nd of June, at The Box in Plymouth to celebrate, protect and restore these rare and remarkable ecosystems.
Rainforest Recovery is the South West strand of The Rainforest Restoration Project. It is being led by the Woodland Trust in partnership with Plantlife. This project is funded as part of the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered on behalf of Defra by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.