Pine martens could return across much of Britain, study finds

Large areas of Britain could support pine martens again, according to the first habitat-suitability study of its kind, published in the journal Landscape Ecology. For gamekeepers and shoot managers the modelling matters: it identifies substantial suitable habitat across south-east England, the South West, Gloucestershire, East Yorkshire, East Anglia, south-west Scotland and the western coast, well beyond the species’ current strongholds.

What did the pine marten study find?

The research, led by Kent Wildlife Trust, drew on 4,189 pine marten records from across Europe to model habitat suitability at a resolution of 100 metres. The Wildlife Trusts say the species was driven out of most of Britain by habitat loss and persecution, and the new map shows where woodland cover and connectivity could now support it.

Ella Lewis, lead author and nature-based solutions and evidence officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “These new findings present the exciting potential for pine martens to return to their former range in the future, bringing with them habitat benefits such as seed dispersal and helping to balance and boost woodland ecosystems.”

A feasibility project in the South East

The study feeds the Southeast Pine Marten Restoration Project, a partnership of Kent Wildlife Trust, Wildwood Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, the Conservators of Ashdown Forest and Forestry England, which is focusing on the High Weald. Any release would follow feasibility work that the partners say will take in local views, and shoots and keepers in the project area will want their experience of managing ground-nesting birds and release pens heard in that process.

Suzanne Kynaston, project co-lead at Wildwood Trust, said: “We are very encouraged to see substantial areas of suitable habitat identified across the region. Our feasibility work will bring together evidence on habitat and connectivity, alongside understanding the views of local communities and stakeholders, to assess whether pine martens can thrive in this landscape.”

What happens next

The feasibility study for the High Weald will assess habitat, connectivity and stakeholder views before any decision on a release. Land managers in the identified regions can read the full findings in Landscape Ecology, and shoots in the South East can expect the project partners to seek local input as the work develops.