Part 6/9:
The 19th and early 20th centuries brought a surge of interest in gardening, specifically in the collections of ferns. This obsession, dubbed "pteridomania," resulted in the widespread uprooting of native species and contributed to the degradation of rainforest ecosystems. Following World War II, the British push for timber led to the rampant replacement of native forests with non-native conifers, threatening the very fabric of Scotland's biodiversity.
The scars of this transformation are still visible today, as much of Scotland's remaining natural landscape is now dominated by Sitka spruce plantations instead of the indigenous flora that once flourished. These changes have not only affected plant life but have also disrupted critical ecological networks that supported native wildlife.