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British Wildlife 34.4 February 2023

The range of Beech in Britain: lessons from the Quaternary

Many ecologists and conservationists, but interestingly not foresters, were blinded for many years by the concept of vegetation as a stable climax.’ (Peterken 1996)

Unfortunately, more than 25 years after Peterken published those words, it seems that a level of myopia persists. Identifica­tion books and other texts often define ranges for plant species. These ranges can then be used as justification for removing certain species from habitats where they are regarded as non-native to that particular geographical area.

Letter from Caledonia How to be wild
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