Life beyond the trees
Protect the habitat.
Let life flourish.
Native forests are living networks. Fungi connect with roots, insects pollinate flowers, and birds carry seeds. Preserving biodiversity means protecting these relationships, not just individual species.
By caring for diverse native woodlands and the habitats around them, we help make room for a richer, more resilient natural world.
Forest structure
Five layers of a living woodland.
Ecologists describe forests in vertical strata. Each layer offers distinct microclimates, food and shelter — the more complete the structure, the more ecological niches are available.
Upper crown
Mature tree crowns capture most sunlight and host nesting birds, bats and epiphytes.
Young trees
Shade-tolerant saplings wait for gaps in the canopy — the forest’s next generation.
Flowers and cover
Shrubs, ferns and wildflowers feed pollinators and shelter small mammals.
The hidden network
Mycorrhizal fungi exchange nutrients with roots; deadwood feeds saproxylic beetles and fungi.
Deadwood is alive
When a tree dies, a habitat is born.
Fallen trunks, standing snags and old stumps feed fungi, beetles, woodpeckers, bats and mosses. Deadwood in Europe’s forests rose from 11.5 to 14 m³ per hectare in the latest State of Europe’s Forests report — a welcome trend, as many species depend on it for part of their life cycle.
The stag beetle
Europe’s largest beetle spends several years — often three to six — as a larva inside decaying wood. It needs old stumps and roots left in place to survive.
The tinder fungus
Its woody brackets can persist for decades, slowly breaking down beech and birch and returning nutrients to the soil for the next generation of trees.
A closer look
Understanding a living forest.
Why do native trees matter?
Native trees have evolved alongside local wildlife. Their leaves, flowers, seeds, and shelter support relationships that introduced species may not provide. The most suitable species depend on the local ecosystem.
Is planting more trees always the answer?
No. Existing forests need protection, and other native habitats — including grasslands and wetlands — are valuable in their own right. Natural regeneration can be the best option where conditions allow.
What makes a forest a healthy habitat?
Variety matters: different native species, young and mature trees, understory plants, deadwood, healthy soils, and connected habitats all provide places for different forms of life.
Why do fires matter so much now?
Fire caused 42% of global tree cover loss in 2025, and over the past three years fires burned more than twice as much tree cover as two decades ago. Hotter, drier seasons turn degraded and fragmented forests into fuel, so keeping forests intact and diverse is also fire prevention.
Are trees themselves endangered?
Yes. Trees now make up more than a quarter of all species on the IUCN Red List, and threatened tree species outnumber all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined by more than two to one. Tree species are at risk in 192 countries — protecting native seed sources is part of protecting them.
Does a forest grow back after fire?
Often, but not always. Researchers warn that forests “do not always recover” after fire, and repeated fires can delay or prevent regeneration altogether — as in parts of Canada’s boreal forest. Diverse, uneven-aged stands and healthy soils give a forest its best chance.
How can I support biodiversity near home?
Choose locally native plants, avoid unnecessary pesticides, leave some leaf litter and safe deadwood, and seek guidance from local conservation groups. Even small spaces can contribute when managed with care.
Key concepts
The science we draw on.
- Habitat connectivity — ecological corridors let species move, disperse and maintain genetic diversity between fragments.
- Edge effects — small, fragmented woods suffer drier, more disturbed margins; larger connected blocks support interior species.
- Keystone species — some organisms, such as oaks or seed-dispersing jays, shape the habitat for many others.
- Conservation status — the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species guides which species need priority attention. Its first Global Tree Assessment found 38% of 47,282 tree species at risk of extinction.
- Living Planet Index — tracks the average change in monitored vertebrate populations; the 2026 edition records a 73% average decline since 1970.
- Kunming–Montreal framework — the global plan to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, including protecting 30% of land and sea and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems.
Living Planet Report 2026
Where wildlife is declining fastest.
The Living Planet Index, run by the Zoological Society of London and WWF, follows 35,803 populations of 5,790 vertebrate species. Its 2026 edition added 967 populations, which “reinforces our confidence in the continued decline in biodiversity”, says ZSL’s Andrew Terry. Yet WWF’s Kirsten Schuijt stresses that “recovery is in reach” where conservation is targeted.
−85%
Rivers, lakes and wetlands show the steepest average decline. Forested catchments keep these waters cool, clean and stable.
−69%
Land species are hit hardest by habitat loss and degradation — the most frequently reported threat in the index.
−59%
Ocean populations suffer from overexploitation, though bluefin tuna show that managed recovery is possible.
−95% · −80%
South America recorded the steepest regional decline, followed by Africa — both home to vast tropical forests.
Freshwater: the kingfisher
It hunts only in clean, clear water. Shaded, forested riverbanks keep streams cool and filter the runoff its prey depends on — and freshwater species have declined the most.
Forest-dependent: the orangutan
Borneo’s great ape lives almost entirely in the canopy. In Indonesia, forest loss rose 14% in 2025, partly from mining and large-scale agricultural clearing.
A note on reading the index: the 73% figure is an average change in population size, not the share of animals lost, and it is especially sensitive to declines in already small populations. The 2026 edition added 295 species compared with 2024. Habitat loss heads the list of threats, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease.
A greener future starts with us.
Be part of a world where forests — and all life within them — flourish.