After the last glaciation, woodland grew to cover much of the UK. This naturally established wood was known as wildwood, but since Neolithic times it has been progressively influenced by the activities of humans - either through management or complete clearance for farming.
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The ancient woodland habitat has had centuries to develop and generally hosts a greater number of species than more recent woods - especially rare or localised species. It is considered an irreplaceable habitat - the UK's equivalent of the rainforest - by conservationists.
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Virtually all land in the UK could eventually become woodland if left without interference from factors such as grazing, mowing or ploughing. You can probably think of examples of wasteland or uncultivated fields in your area where this process is starting to happen.
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