New research suggests conservation projects based on planting non-native conifers actually damages red squirrel populations, instead of boosting them.

Red squirrels enjoy a stronghold on the Isle of Wight, where there are no non-native grey squirrels, but they are threatened across the UK.

Now, a study by Queen’s University Belfast and Scotland's University of St Andrew has found the key to red squirrel success is down to a rise in native predators living in native woodland, not in the planting of conifer trees.

The report, published today (Wednesday), has concluded pine martens living in conifer forests prey on red squirrels, due to a lack of alternatives.

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Woodland at Firestone Copse, near Havenstreet, which is a mix of the two.

It says 75 per cent of the UK and Ireland's forests are made up of non-native timber plantations.

Thanks to conservation, the UK's pine marten population has surged.

In native broadleaf woodlands, they prey on grey squirrels, but in large non-native conifer plantations the opposite happens, says the report.

The five-year university study saw Ulster Wildlife and citizen scientists use cameras to monitor 700 sites across Northern Ireland.

They found conifer forests mean a lack of alternate prey for pine martens, or refuge for red squirrels, and are not a good habitat for grey squirrels, so they are not readily available to pine martens.

Dr. Joshua P. Twining, lead author from Queen’s University Belfast, said: "Restoration of native predators is a critical conservation tool to combat the on-going biodiversity crisis, but this must be in conjunction with maintenance and protection of natural, structurally complex habitats.

"This has global implications given the on-going recovery of predators in certain locations such as mainland Europe.

"It also shows that the current national red squirrel conservation strategies that favor non-native confer plantations are likely to have the opposite impact to what is intended."

Isle of Wight County Press: Firestone Copse, near Havenstreet, is a mix of native woodland and pines.Firestone Copse, near Havenstreet, is a mix of native woodland and pines.

Dr Chris Sutherland, from the University of St Andrews, said: "This research demonstrates the enormous value of large scale data collected through public participation.

"Combining this data with state-of-the-art analytical techniques has generated important conservation insights that until now have been overlooked.”