Oak Tree Decline in the UK: Protecting Our Friendly Giants
- Linsey
- Oct 15, 2023
- 3 min read
In recent years the famous oak tree has suffered under the increase of severe weather events and changes within the atmosphere. The past 20 years has seen Oak trees decline in the UK.
When you think about climate change, the first thing that comes to mind is severe weather and animals going extinct. Nature and wildlife are also up there, but Oak trees come as a surprise. The English Oak, native to the UK, is a beloved tree recognisable in our culture. It is also a tree that is spread far and wide across Europe, however it is symbolic to the quintessential English countryside. The decline of Oak trees in the UK is worrying to say the least.
More importantly, the Oak tree is utilised by over 2000 species, ranging from mammals, to birds, to fungi, and many more. They provide food with their acorns, and also homes and shelter for a variety of animals, for instance Badgers and Squirrels. Forests containing Oaks will support the most amount of wildlife in comparison to any other forest. Not only this, but they improve soil conditions, making other wildlife able to grow through protecting them with their stable roots that promote healthy soil.
Why We Need Oaks in the UK | The Basics
They are used as homes and food for over 2000 species. Without their shelter and source of nutrients, many animals and wildlife could suffer. They are a key part of our ecosystem.
They improve soil quality, promoting nature to flourish and helping the ecosystem in the process.
They clean the air we breathe: they are absorbing huge amounts of pollution for us annually. Some can absorb 10 pounds of carbon dioxide in a single year. It is important to note that these friendly giants can live for hundreds and hundreds of years. Think about how much they have protected us!
It is an incredibly common type of tree found in the UK. We have over 121 million Oak trees in the UK. The decline of them would change our landscapes for the worse.
The cultural and symbolic history attached to Oak trees. They are trees that can be ancient, surviving wars and great changes in our society. They symbolise strength and have played a large role in folklore and legends, being loved by many. They are a protective tree that protect many animals but also us through surviving the many years alongside us, but also cleaning our airs.
What Is Happening To Our Oaks And Why Are They Declining?
In short, climate change is happening to our Oaks. With the summers becoming hotter, with less water available our Oaks are becoming thirsty and unable to do the things they need to do; protect themselves. They become subject to 'Acute Oak Decline', meaning they can no longer fight off diseases and they begin to decline in leaf production.
The higher levels of nitrogen in our air caused by pollution is another factor to this, alongside flash flooding when the ground becomes oversaturated and the trees essentially drown. Our Oak trees are unable to evolve at the pace that climate change is happening, meaning they are one of the main parts of wildlife in the UK that is at risk of dying out.
What Can We Do?
Besides the obvious things such as reducing our own carbon footprint, we can help preserve Oak trees through supporting causes such as Action Oak.
They began this initiative off the backs of the worrying decline of Oak trees. Their sole purpose is to protect and to prevent Oaks dying out. They are bringing together different stakeholders such as the government, other charities, and landowners in order to work together in protecting Oaks. They are actively researching the problem and finding new ways to manage it and prevent it. This research is further backed up by the network created by Action Oak that allows access to recording our Oaks around the UK.
Now more than ever we need to be protecting our friendly giants. Supporting causes like Action Oak is a great way to do so.
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