Wild Wood?

The UK currently only has 13% woodland cover (compared with a European average of 40%). There is a cunning plan for the UK to 'rocket' to having 30,000 hectares of woodland by 2025 but, by March 2020, only 13,460 hectares had been planted. A report has suggested that the best solution is to allow the woodland to restore itself (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/15/restore-uk-woodland-trees-report-rewilding-britain). The natural dispersal of seeds, in designated areas, will do the job very effectively, with appropriate species. It is argued that this is both cost-effective and boosts biodiversity (by having a range of species and their associated animals, plants and fungi). Avoiding monocultures also would also make the areas more disease resistent. Obviously, grazing by some organisms would have to be curtailed, until the woodlands were well established. I think, however, there might be resistance to the suggestion as a) Some people like their woodlands to be a bit garden-like and b) Governments do like to boast how many trees they have 'planted' to save the planet. As I have said repeatedly, different tree species vary in their abilities to act as effective carbon sinks. All trees are not equal.