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Forests are areas mostly covered in trees. They have a huge impact on the environment and our wellbeing so it is important we look after them.

In this article you can learn:

• What a forest is
• Different types of forest
• Why forests are important
• How we can protect and conserve forests

This resource is suitable for Landscapes topics for primary school learners.

Join Isla and Connor as they explore forests in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

A forest is an ecosystem made up mostly of trees.

The two main types of forest are:

• deciduous or broadleaf forests
• coniferous forests

Deciduous or broadleaf forests are made up of trees with wide flat leaves. These catch lots of sunlight in summer so the trees can grow. Broadleaf trees lose their leaves in autumn, which helps them save heat and water over winter. Every year the falling leaves add new nutrients to the soil.

Coniferous forests are made up of trees with thin needles. These don't catch as much sunlight as broad leaves. Conifers keep their needles all year round as they do not lose much heat or water through them. Soil in coniferous forest is thin with fewer nutrients as there is no annual leaf material to add to the soil.

• Forests are full of trees and other plants, which absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
• All animals, including humans, breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. This means trees provide us with the oxygen we need to survive.
• By absorbing carbon dioxide, trees prevent pollution, improve air quality and slow down the effects of climate change.
• Forests also provide food and shelter for living creatures.
• Forests can help prevent flooding because the roots of trees absorb water.
• Being in nature, like forests, is good for our health and wellbeing. It can help us feel relaxed and calm.

• Deforestation means the removal of trees. This is sometimes done to clear land for farming, roads or settlements. It is a big problem globally.
• For example, in the Amazon Rainforest in South America around 11,000km² of trees were cut down in 2020.
• Trees are removed to make space for things like farmland to raise cattle for the meat industry. That’s the same as around 2 million football pitches worth of trees being cut down in a year. This is not sustainable.
• In Scotland lots of our forests are now more sustainable. That means that when we cut down trees, we plant new ones to replace them so our forests stay alive and we protect our wildlife and environment.

Scotland was once covered in the ancient Caledonian Forest. Most of the trees were Scots pine but there were also juniper, oak, holly, birch and rowan.

From the end of the stone age around 4, 000 years ago, parts of the Caledonian Forest were lost as people began to cut down trees for fuel and building with. In the 18th and 19th Century, more forest was cleared to make way for sheep farming. Now, only small pockets of the original forest remain in 35 sites.

The maps below show where the ancient Caledonian Forest could be found 5000 years ago and where it still stands today.

• forest - A large area, or ecosystem, covered mainly by trees and vegetation.
• ecosystem - A geographic area made up of all of the living and non-living things. It is an area where plants, animals, and other living things, as well as the landscape and weather work together. Ecosystems can be very large or very small.
• forest bathing - A method of relaxation that involves spending time in forests. It is an old technique that was first developed in Japan.
• Caledonian Forest - The ancient forest that once covered the whole of Scotland. It is mostly made up of Scots pine trees.
• conservation - Protecting something from being destroyed or wasted.
• deforestation - The removal of trees. This is sometimes done to clear land for farming, roads or settlement.
• carbon dioxide - A natural gas that is all around us. It is essential for life on Earth. Trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Planting more trees means more carbon dioxide can be absorbed. This helps reduce the effects of global heating and climate change.
• climate change - The long-term change in weather patterns (temperature, wind, rainfall etc.) on Earth, including its side-effects, for example increased drought and flooding.
• endangered species - A group of plants or animals that are at risk of becoming extinct in the near future.
• broadleaf forest - A forest made up of trees with broad leaves, such as oak, beech and elm. They can be found in places with high rainfall, warm summers and cooler winters and lose their leaves in winter. They are also known as deciduous forests.
• coniferous forest - A forest made up of evergreen trees with needles instead of leaves, such as spruce, pine and fir.
• soil - Material that is made up of five things: minerals, organic matter (like animal poo), living organisms (like worms), gas, and water.
• herbivore - An animal that only eats plants.
• carnivore - An animal that only eat meat from other animals.
• food web - A diagram that shows how plants and animals get their energy. This is sometimes called a food chain too. Most food webs start with a green plant, because plants can make their food by photosynthesis.
• photosynthesis - A process in green plants use sunlight to make nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is one of two national parks in Scotland. The park is made up of unique forests, rivers, lochs, mountains and wildlife.

Look at this map to see where Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is and some of its main places and features.

In Scotland, we have unique areas of forest that support rare and endangered species.

Learn more about how we can conserve Scotland's forests and the wildlife that lives there.

In the video at the top of the page we learned about food webs. This is made up of different connected food chains.

• Trees and other plants in forests get nutrients and energy from sunlight and the soil to grow.
• These plants become food for plant-eating animals (herbivores). For example, bigger animals, like deer and beavers, and smaller rodents, like squirrels and birds.
• The small animals often become food for meat-eating animals (carnivores). For example, foxes and pine marten.

Find out more about how plants and animals get energy.

Write a story or poem about a forest.

In this article, we have learned so much about forests. Can you write a story or poem about trees or wildlife that you might find in a forest?

Here are some ideas to inspire you.