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The underlying bedrock of the Forest of Birse is granite, from which most of the soil in the area is derived. However, a thick layer of peat has formed over many of the higher hills, creating extensive areas of blanket bog. Historically, a 'forest' was an uncultivated area set aside for hunting and was not necessarily wooded, and indeed heather moorland is the principal habitat in the Forest of Birse. However, native pine woodland has regenerated across approximately 5 square kilometres of the northern slopes of the Forest of Birse since the Second World War. There are also fragments of riparian woodland along many of the watercourses of the forest, containing a diverse range of native trees including downy birch (Betula pubescens), hazel (Corylus avellana), aspen (Populus tremula) and holly (Ilex aquifolium).
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