A new study has found that large parts of England and Wales offer suitable habitat for pine martens, despite the iconic species disappearing from much of the UK more than a century ago. 

Recently published in Landscape Ecology, the study is the first of its kind to draw on pine marten records from across the whole of Europe. Using species distribution modelling, it provides important new evidence to support the recovery of this once widespread native species and follows successful reintroduction efforts in areas such as Devon, Somerset, Wales and the Lake District.

Driven to extinction in most of England and Wales in the early 20^th century due to habitat loss and persecution, pine martens – a small, cat-sized animal belonging to the weasel (mustelid) family - play an important role in the recovery of woodland ecosystems. Together with partners, Kent Wildlife Trust, who conducted the research, will use the new findings to help identify suitable areas where the species could thrive once again, paving the way for their return across further parts of their former range.

Drawing on data from across Europe, the research shows that pine martens are most likely to thrive in landscapes with extensive woodland cover, while urban areas and intensively farmed arable landscapes provide poor habitat. Substantial areas of highly suitable habitat have been identified across Southeast England, and wooded parts of the Southwest, Gloucestershire, East Yorkshire, East Anglia, Southwest Scotland, and sections of Britain's western coast.

The study forms a key part of the Southeast Pine Marten Restoration Project, which is exploring the potential for pine martens to return to Southeast England. The project is a partnership led by Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust, with Sussex Wildlife Trust, The Conservators of Ashdown Forest and Forestry England. The research process was supported by the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology (DICE), Forestry England and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) Conservation Internship Awards.

Lead author, Ella Lewis, nature-based solutions and evidence officer for Kent Wildlife Trust, says:

“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.

“In using data from all over Europe, we’ve been able to predict the best habitat suitability for pine martens here in Britain, and we now have a more complete understanding of where this special keystone species could potentially do well beyond the areas where remaining populations have survived or already been reintroduced.”

Pine martens were once common throughout Britain, but today, they remain largely confined to Scotland, with small, fragmented populations in England and Wales, where they are Critically Endangered and a priority species for conservation.

Read the study

As well as being a native species, pine martens are an important woodland predator and create complex interactions with other animals, contributing to more balanced and resilient ecosystems that support a greater diversity of wildlife. They also disperse seeds on their fur enabling plants to spread and are an indicator of healthy, connected woodland habitats.

Suzanne Kynaston, Wildwood Trust’s co-lead for the project, says:

“This research is a crucial step in building our understanding of what a future for pine martens in the Southeast could look like. 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. This study gives us an invaluable foundation for our work to progress.”

Understanding where suitable habitat exists is a vital first step in assessing whether future reintroductions could be successful. Reintroduction projects in the Forest of Dean, Wales, Dartmoor, Exmoor, and the Lake District are demonstrating that carefully planned and evidence-led releases can bring pine martens back from the brink.