Natural colonisation has the potential to create biodiverse, locally-adapted woodlands, and help expand woodland cover across the UK, but the outcomes of the resulting woodland habitat are usually uncertain. These six case studies provide an overview of the timescales and outcomes of creating woodland through natural colonisation (in some cases, still at a grassy/scrub stage) in a range of habitats. In some sites, naturally-colonised woodland can resemble mature woodland after 50 years (Monks Wood, Case Study 4), but in others, areas can have very low tree cover after 30 years (Noddle Hill, Case Study 5).
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