Temperate Rainforest
Temperate rainforests in Britain are of global importance, having the greatest concentration of oceanic lichens and mosses in Europe, they are rare habitats. Plantlife is working to protect their long-term future.
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What are Temperate Rainforests?
Woodlands that are found in areas that are influenced by the sea, with high rainfall and humidity and damp climate are temperate rainforests. They are home to some intriguing and sometimes rare lower plants. These lower plants – the ferns, mosses, liverworts, and lichens – are ancient. They pre-date humans, flowers, trees and even dinosaurs.
We are working on project with partners across England, Wales and Scotland to protect these rare and amazing habitats.
What Plants can you Spot in the Temperate Rainforest?
Lichens
A lichen is a composite organism made up of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner– usually an alga and sometimes a cyanobacterium (or both!). There are also yeasts and bacteria involved in the relationship.
Mosses and liverworts
Mosses and liverworts are ancient non-flowering plants, having been around for 400 million years. Mosses have small leaves that grow all round their stems. Liverworts may lack leaves and stems entirely or have two ranks of leaves either side of a stem.
Free Rainforest Guides
Am I in a Rainforest?
A downloadable guide filled with activities for all the family to find out whether you are in a British Temperate Rainforest
Download
Discover Forest Ferns
A downloadable guide filled with activities for all the family to find out how to identify them and learn about their very, very, very long history
DownloadOur Work
Managing Temperate Rainforest
Learn more about Temperate Rainforests and how to manage them.