Conservation experts want to protect UK's lichen and temperate rainforests

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IMAGE SOURCE,GUY SHRUBSOLE

Image caption,

Lichen are extremely important for forest ecosystems

When you think of rainforests, you might think of somewhere hot and tropical. But did you know that we have rainforests here in the UK?

They're called temperate rainforests, and we used to have many more of them, but they've shrunk because of climate change and deforestation.

Conservationists have been calling for the remaining rainforests to be protected over the past few years. Now, they're focussing on some of the rare species that grow there.

These include the lichen - a combination of fungi and algae - that grows on trees.

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Where are the UK's rainforests?

IMAGE SOURCE,BBC/A ALCROFT

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This is Lydford Gorge in Devon. It's one of the UK's temperate rainforests. Can you spot all the different plants growing there?

There are temperate rainforests in the west of Scotland, north Wales, and the north-west and south-west of England.

They're often found not too far from the coast, because this creates a wet environment without too much change in temperature.

Temperate rainforests used to be much bigger - we only have around 10% of them left today. Conservationists want to protect them because of all the weird and wonderful things that grow and thrive in there - including the mysterious lichen.

The importance of lichen

IMAGE SOURCE,A WINDLE

Image caption,

Check out this extremely rare lichen - it's only found in rainforests in the UK

The UK's temperate rainforests are home to lots of different types of lichen. Some of these are really rare, like the horsehair or string-of-sausages lichen.

There's also one type that you can only find in a rainforest in Somerset. It's not found anywhere else in the world.

What are lichen?

Lichen are very unusual - they're made up of fungi that grow with other life forms like algae.

Lichen can sometimes look a bit like white, crusty leaves growing on tree bark. It can also come in lots of different shapes and sizes.

Some animals use lichen as a food source or to make nests.

Lichen need carbon to grow, and contribute minerals to the ecosystems that they live in.

IMAGE SOURCE,CREATIVE COMMONS

Image caption,

This horsehair lichen looks a bit spiky!

The damp conditions of the temperate rainforest makes a great home for lichen, as well as other organisms like moss or rare fungi.

All these species work together to keep the forest alive, alongside animals, insects and trees.

Animals snack on fungi and plants, insects dig up the soil, and plants and trees grow.

This is where we get the term eco-system - it's the idea of all sorts of different things in a natural space working together to keep it going.

How do we look after lichen?

IMAGE SOURCE,GUY SHRUBSOLE

Image caption,

Experts are already helping regrow and develop rainforests to look after lichen. This includes planting seeds from ancient trees, and encouraging different species to grow and develop.

Conservation plans are already in place to help all sorts of lichen grow.

Lichen is badly impacted by ash dieback - so part of the plan involves growing ancient tree species to give the lichen new homes. Ash dieback is a disease that's harming ash trees.

There's also the issue of invasive plants - this is a term for plants that have taken over a certain area, and made it difficult for other species to grow. Conservationists sometimes cut these plants back so they don't completely take over an area.

Curious to find out more? Click here to watch Ricky visit an ancient woodland home to some super-rare bison in Kent, or you can watch Shanequa on the hunt for funky fungi here!