11 fascinating flora and fauna found in the UK’s rainforests

Did you know that the UK is home to rainforest, filled to the brim with weird and wonderful wildlife?

Today, Britain’s rainforests make up just one per cent of the islands. In the past, they covered 20 per cent but, despite this decrease, they still remain as unique environments, home to wildlife not seen elsewhere.

Situated in the south-west of England, Wales, north-west England and Scotland, they’re thought to be more threatened than their tropical counterparts, but just as valuable.

Their damp, humid conditions mean they can be a haven for over 200 different species of bryophytes, a group of land plants, and between 100 and 200 species of lichen.

They are particularly special due to their connection to the ocean, which is responsible for their temperate climates and high rainfall, often more than 1.4m per year.

Now, the Woodland Trust has put together a list of 11 distinctive and beautiful wildlife that cling on to life in the rainforest, each with a individual tale to tell, as part of their campaign to preserve these special spaces.

Blue ground beetles (Carabus intricatus)

These little creatures are nighttime adventurers and can cover the scaled-up equivalent of several kilometres a night. They are one the rarest beetles in the UK and a sign of a healthy rainforest.

‘Stinky’ sticta lichen (Sticta sylvatica)

Known colloquially as ‘stinky sticta’, this lichen has really earned its name because, quite literally, it smells like fish.

Tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria)

This interesting piece of flora not only looks like the inside of lungs, but was also used as a treatment for lung ailments by the Anglo-Saxons and mediaeval communities.

White tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

This beast is the largest bird of prey in the UK. Although it went extinct in the country during the early 20th century, due to illegal killing, it was successfully reintroduced.

It often nests in rainforests but hunts in the nearby sea bringing vital nutrients back to the rainforest.

Hazel gloves fungus (Hypocreopsis rhododendri)

This fungus is a conservation priority species and exclusively grows on old hazel trees. As well as having an appearance similar to intestines, its presence is a sure sign of clean air and a wood’s ancient origins.

Pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)

These little birds love rainforests for their rich abundance of insects. Equipped with great reflexes, they catch flying insects from the air, often using favoured perches among tree branches from which to dart at passing prey. They will also take caterpillars and other invertebrates.

Beavers (Castor fiber)

The great natural architects, beavers are back in the UK’s rivers after centuries away – but there are thought to be just 500 in England and around 1,000 in Scotland.

These dam-building rodents can transform their local environment by creating new wetland habitats which help maintain the damp conditions, crucial for rainforests.

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Green Satin lichen (Ricasolia virens)

This lichen is a chameleon-type flora. It goes an intense green when wet and stretches out like a dragon’s skin.

Ash black slug (Limax cinereoniger)

These are one of the world’s largest land slugs and are perhaps best known for one of the natural world’s most bizarre mating rituals. To breed, a ‘couple’ will suspend themselves from a tree in a sticky mucus to mate.

Octopus suckers (Gabura fascicularis)

This jelly lichen looks like clusters of tiny, dark octopus suckers. It performs a useful role in the ecosystem, taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and making it available as fertiliser to other organisms.

Wild Atlantic salmon (salmo salar)

Temperate rainforests often have rivers which contribute to the damp environment. In the UK’s forests, wild salmon swim upstream into the freshwater environment and fertilise the forest with the open ocean nutrients stored in their bodies.

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