North Atlantic moist mixed forests

North Atlantic moist mixed forests
Ecology
Biome	Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Borders	Celtic forests, and Caledonian forest
Geography
Country	Ireland, United Kingdom

The North Atlantic moist mixed forests is a Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome in Northwestern Europe in the Palaearctic ecozone, the forest has undergone major habitat loss.

Location

The North Atlantic moist mixed forests spans a considerable distance stretching from the south of Ireland through western northern Scotland. A major part of the ecoregion extends over the western mainland coast of Scotland including Argyll and Bute carrying north to the Shetland islands. On the island of Ireland, the North Atlantic moist mixed forests include the far northwest of Ireland including the northernmost part of the Republic of Ireland as well as the northwestern-most element of Northern Ireland.

Fauna and Flora

Fauna

• Red fox
• Badger
• Roe deer
• Red deer
• Barn owl

Flora

• sessile oak
• English oak
• silver birch
• Willow
• Chestnut

Threats

Western Scotland's and Ireland's forest has undergone significant habitat loss and damage through deforestation and over hunting of its many once abundant wildlife. Animals such as the grey wolf, Wild boar, Brown bear, European bison, Lynx, Tarpan, Golden eagle used to inhabit the forests, however due to over hunting and timber extraction the animals have disappeared. The North Atlantic moist mixed forests ecoregion is classified as vulnerable by the World Wildlife Fund.

Prehistory

The ecoregion is relatively young with regard to human settlement, due to glaciation during the most recent ice age, less than 10,000 years ago. Mesolithic peoples were certainly in evidence circa 9000 to 8000 years ago throughout the present day Irish portion of the ecoregion, as well as somewhat later in the western Scotland areas of the North Atlantic moist mixed forests. Neolithic farming ensued, as grain farming technologies developed, along with advancing forms of livestock tending, along with appearance of some of the early Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological monumental sites in the region including standing stones and stone circles.

See also

• Ancient woodland
• Biodiversity
• Biodiversity Action Plan
• Bioregionalism
• Community Forests in England
• Conservation biology
• Forestry Commission
• Geology of England
• List of ecoregions
• List of forests in the United Kingdom
• National Nature Reserves in England
• Protected areas of the United Kingdom
• Trees of Britain and Ireland

External links

• http://www.forestry.gov.uk/ UK forestry commission website
• http://www.globalspecies.org/ecoregions/display/PA0429