E
cosystem
servicesdelivered
Provisioning
Regulation & maintenance
Cultural
Abiotic
C
ontribution
topolicyobjectives
Water Framework Directive
Floods Directive
Birds & Habitats Directive
2020 Biodiversity Strategy
P
otential
biophysicaleffects
Runoff
Reducing pollution
Soil conservation
Habitat
Climate Change
High
Low
Medium
None
The high rates of
evapotranspiration
from growing forests can dry out soils, providing more infiltration and
storage capacity
. Forests provide organic carbon to the soil,
leading to both higher water holding capacity and greater infiltration capacity. Forest soils also have higher hydraulic resistance. As a result, forests tend to
reduce peak flows
by retaining water from landscape-scale runoff, returning water to the atmosphere and moderating rates of snowmelt.
The
organic matter
in forest soils can retain metals, persistent organic pollutants and mercury. Forests also play an important role in intercepting atmospheric nitrogen and
in supporting biological and abiological processes. Land use conversion can thus contribute to improvements both in
groundwater
quantitative and chemical status.
Forests play an important role in
slope stabilisation
and in controlling erosion and sediment transport. They have a high potential to create valuable terrestrial
habitat
,
especially if native or indigenous tree species are used, and to provide natural biomass. Forest cover contributes to reducing peak temperature by intercepting radiation in the
canopy. Growing forests have the potential to retain CO
2
both in growing biomass and in organic matter in the soil, and thus have significant
climate change mitigation
potential
. Forests may also offer important recreational and cultural opportunities, as well as aesthetic value.
