There has been a recent surge of interest in British temperate rainforests, habitats which host internationally significant populations of lichens, bryophytes and ferns. Here, Dave Lamacraft shares recent findings, conservation issues and habitat-management challenges in south-west England, especially in temperate rainforest and oceanic woodlands.
Field lichenology in Britain seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance, guided by a generation of enthusiasts who were mentored by some of the pioneers of British lichenology, such as Peter James, Oliver Gilbert, Francis Rose, Frank Dobson and Ursula Duncan.