The land areas in question have little commercial value beyond sheep, deer or forestry so rewilding, possibly alongside reforestation, seems like an excellent idea. I don't think Chris Packham is suggesting giant theme parks but genuinely releasing species that were once native back into the landscape. I have to disagree with @Gimlet 's otherwise excellent post in suggesting that you rewild by "leaving it alone", the interconnectedness of much of nature would require a helping hand to set the process off in the right direction. Native species would have to be replanted to gain a foothold from which they could spread out and in doing so create a multiplier effect which improves the habitat for all manner of flora and fauna. But it is the arrogance of the Country Landowners Association who believe that their vision of a landscape managed for their benefit that I dislike.
Correct. Small areas are being improved by planting species such juniper and areas once planted with conifers are being replanted with native species but the upper fells are pretty barren places.
That's a very interesting point. I had always assumed that the tree-line in the Lakes was so much lower than in the Alps because the Lakes are so much further north. But now I am just suspecting that the trees were all removed and have never been replanted. You find very old larches and fir trees very high up in the Alps where they are under snow all winter, so it's odd that they wouldn't survive in Britain 1'000m lower down.
Larch does survive lower down but its valuable timber so it never gets a chance, especially if the Forestry Commission have anything to do with it. And where sheep graze year round, the saplings never get started. Apparently the Island of Harris and Lewis would be almost entirely forest if it wasn't for sheep grazing. I assume therefore that much of the Welsh uplands would be as well as soil and climate is almost identical.
