Record Heat Killing England's Ancient Oaks

England's ancient oaks are dying in summer 2026's extreme heat and drought, the Woodland Trust reports, with older "survivor" trees hit hardest. Summer 2026 is set to be the UK's hottest on record. These trees sustain specialized ecosystems built over centuries — communities of organisms that co-evolve with the tree. Replanting alone cannot replace what takes hundreds of years to form.