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Why protect ancient woodland in the UK? Rethinking the ecosystem approach

Razzaque, Jona; Lester, Claire

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Authors

Claire Lester



Abstract

Sites of ancient woodland in the United Kingdom (UK) are diminishing rapidly and the multi-functional forest management system with its fragmented approach fails effectively to protect such woodland. In the face of reports on the destruction of ancient woodland, the HS2 High-Speed train project in the UK signifies the extent of trade-offs among the key stakeholders. Such large infrastructure projects typically come with high environmental and social costs, including deforestation, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss, and social disruption. This article examines the protection of ancient woodland in the UK and assesses the challenges in applying the ecosystem approach, an internationally recognized sustainability strategy, in the context of such protection. A better understanding of the ecosystem approach to manage ancient woodland is critical for promoting sustainable forestry practices in the UK and informs the discussion in this article of the importance of conserving ancient woodland globally. Lessons learned from UK woodland policies and certification schemes include the need to have in place strong regulatory frameworks, introduce clear indicators, and recognize plur-alistic value systems alongside economic considerations. The article concludes that the protection of ancient woodland in the UK requires distinct and strong laws that reflect multiple values of this resource, acknowledge the trade-offs among stakeholders, and adopt an inclusive approach to reduce power asymmetries.

Citation

Razzaque, J., & Lester, C. (2021). Why protect ancient woodland in the UK? Rethinking the ecosystem approach. Transnational Environmental Law, 10(1), 135-158. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102520000333

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 31, 2020
Online Publication Date Nov 17, 2020
Publication Date Mar 1, 2021
Deposit Date Dec 1, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Transnational Environmental Law
Print ISSN 2047-1025
Electronic ISSN 2047-1033
Publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 10
Issue 1
Pages 135-158
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102520000333
Keywords Ancient woodland; Ecosystem Approach; Certification; United Kingdom; Forestry
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6845003

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