Recently, the Scottish Government has announced another £3m in funding towards protecting the temperate rainforests in the West of Scotland.
This investment is part of a larger rainforest restoration effort which has received over £5m in funding since 2023.
According to Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon, Scotland has some of the “best remaining rainforest sites in Europe.”
The unique weather conditions of high humidity and a variety of soil types create a rare type of coastal temperate rainforest on Scotland’s Western Coast.
This habitat is just as important as tropical rainforests in terms of its environmental impact and biodiversity, absorbing up to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly and housing more than 500 species of mosses, ferns, lichens and liverworts.
Many species found in Scotland’s temperate rainforests cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Alongside the £3m investment helping to tackle the biodiversity crisis and protect Scotland’s rare species, conserving temperate rainforests is also a crucial step towards achieving Scotland’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Priority rainforest habitat includes 1,350 hectares on the Isle of Arran, particularly the North Sannox and Merkland Wood forestland.
The funding will primarily be used to manage deer populations, return native species to the land, and remove rhododendron; one of the most threatening non-invasive species that robs plants of nutrients and light, making it harder for them to survive.
Other areas that will benefit from the new investment include Wester Ross, the Isle of Raasay, Knapdale, and areas of West Argyll, West Cowal, and East Loch Lomond.
Forestry and Land Scotland have already restored over 2,654 hectares since funding began in 2023.
With the additional £3m in funding, it will allow for conservation efforts to happen more quickly and reach more of Scotland’s threatened forests.
“Skye waterfall” by savagecat is licensed under CC BY 2.0.