3: Dorset's trees, woods & forests; Current ... - the Dorset AONB

Cardinal Beetle © Forestry Commission

Dorset’s Trees,Woods and ForestsSection 313Why Trees, Woods and Forests are importantTrees, woods and forests and their associated benefits(biodiversity, woodfuel, timber for construction, socialwellbeing, etc) have the ability to contribute to theimprovement of 21 of the Quality of Life indicators forthe South West and 39 of the 68 UK national indicatorsincluding protecting natural resources and creatingsustainable communities (Willis 2004). In addition, thearea of woodland in the UK, the protection andexpansion of ancient and semi-natural woodland andthe sustainable management of woodland are nationalindicators in their own right. Woodlands, particularlyancient woodlands are significant archaeologicalremains and should be conserved as such. Woodlandcan be a major contributor not only to UK sustainabledevelopment policy but also to policies on health,Yellow Archangel © David Reeseducation, social inclusion, rural development andbiodiversity. The Woodland Trust and National Forest objectives highlight the demand fornew woodlands to deliver environmental and socio-economic benefits.Examples of how trees, woods and forests can contribute include:• Biodiversity – woodlands, forests and trees provide habitats for a great variety of animaland plant species, many of which would not survive without them. In particular, ancientwoodlands are enormously important as the plants and animal species have evolved anddeveloped with continuous woodland cover or traditional woodland practices suchas coppicing.• Landscape – trees and woodlands form an important component of the landscape.Wooded landscapes, such as the Marshwood Vale, either directly or indirectly contributeto our quality of life. They help give landscapes a sense of place, identity, quality andsecurity which in turn promotes enjoyment, access and economic return.• Climate Change Mitigation – forests and woodlands play a vital role in the absorption ofcarbon emissions. The amount of carbon sequestered is dependent on their managementand wood can be used as a carbon-lean energy source. Tree species, thinning, productivityand yield class are all factors that need to be considered in the future. Woodfuel is agrowing market in Dorset.• Economics – forests and woodlands contribute to the strength of local, regional andnational economies in many different ways. Directly this is achieved through timberproduction and processing, employment opportunities, local products, rural development,and land regeneration; indirectly through landscape benefits which attract tourist revenueand local visitors. Declining income from broadleaved woodlands over the last 20 yearshas resulted in a massive reduction in resources available for work in woodlands of allkinds. However, forestry is one of a few industries based on renewable resources, and hasa vital future role in a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.• Access & Recreation – woodlands and forests are some of the most popular visitordestinations in the UK. Activities such as walking, cycling and riding can provide healthbenefits as well as enjoying a sense of tranquillity and well being to local populations.Woods and forests are increasingly being managed for a wide range of activities such asshooting, mountain biking, walking and wildlife watching, creating revenue forlandowners and associated businesses.• Education – the woodland environment provides an ideal opportunity to learn about therelationship between humans and the natural environment, and can offer all manner ofcross-curricular learning opportunities. This helps develop an awareness of the ruralenvironment and links between rural and urban environs. The development of forestschools has been a successful way of increasing education opportunities and contributingto education enabling us to appreciate our heritage and culture and live a healthier life.Dorset currently has no accredited Forest School• Communities and Places – trees, woods and forests can provide a wide range of benefitsto all sections of the community. They reduce noise and air pollution and providesustainable urban drainage and shade. They create a green infrastructure, provide a senseof ‘well-being’, inspire people, improve neighbourhoods and bring people of differentcultures, generations, backgrounds and religions together for a common goal or purpose.• Water Quality – In many instances woods and forests can improve water quality andreduce the potential for flooding. Trees can stabilise slopes and riverside banks andstrategically located woodlands can protect water from diffuse pollution fromagriculture and nutrient run-off. Woodland on floodplains also has the potential tophysically ‘retain’ water in times of heavy rainfall, reducing peak flows.• Cultural and Historical Heritage – the trees, woods and forest we see today are theproduct of historic land management systems. Evidence suggests that humans weremanaging woodlands in the Mesolithic period. This continued management incorporatedopen space creation, coppicing, pollarding and cultivating fruit in orchards. It has given aunique identity to the cultural and historic landscape of Dorset.

Section 3HistoryThe character of Dorset’s wooded landscapes has evolved through intricate interactionsbetween nature and human activity. For centuries Dorset’s trees and woodlands have beensubject to management and been an integral part of the local economy. This has left avaluable cultural and social legacy, which must be protected and managed to provide thebenefits expected from society now, and in the future.Eight thousand years ago as much as 80% of Great Britain was forest (albeit with wide openspaces grazed by large herbivores). By about two thousand years ago large-scale forestclearance for settlement and agriculture, combined with changes in the climate had alreadyresulted in tree cover falling to around 20%, with distinct regional variations. This declinecontinued through most of the next two thousand years, and by 1900, forest and woodlandcover was around 5%. People have shaped almost all of what we see today in the landscape,and many of the open spaces of the uplands and lowland heaths, as well as the layout oftowns and villages, owe much to the actions of people many centuries ago.The Doomsday Book (published in 1086) quotes Dorset as having approximately 32,800hectares (81,000 acres) of woodland, including wood pasture (Rackham 1986), slightly higherthan recent surveys of 28,758 hectares. In the Ancient Woodland Inventory, compiled andwritten by Jonathan Spencer, Dorset is quoted as having 7,749 hectares of ancient woodland.Melbury Park in North West Dorset is an outstanding example of well-treed parkland.Melbury Park was enclosed in 1547 and its continued management as a deerpark with its individual trees of great antiquity explains why it is one of the richestlocalities for epiphytic lichens in Europe.Woodland archaeology can be categorised into those remnants from an earlier, openlandscape preserved by tree cover, and those that relate to the past management of treecoveredlandscapes. From the former category, features and sites such as round barrows,burial mounds and prehistoric field systems exist in woodland. From the latter category,charcoal hearths, limekilns and brickworks inform us of past woodland management. Allform part of the historic environment and provide the tools with which we can understandour past. They are a finite, non-renewable resource, and once lost, can not be replaced. Toallow the interpretation and study of the historic environment by future generations, theymust be managed to ensure its preservation.Throughout the centuries woodlands of Dorset were extensively managed and providedeconomic and social functions to local communities. Until the 1800s, woodlands remainedrelatively intact. Over the last 200 years woodlands have become more linked to the cycleof modern economies and a great deal of timber was felled to meet the demands of twoWorld Wars.Dorset has a history of plantations and natural regeneration of woodlands on heathlandsand other formerly open space. In many areas removal of trees to re-create open ground ofhigh nature conservation value has been very successful but in other areas mixed ‘woodedheath’ also provides suitable habitats for many species. Woods and forests that are managedsuccessfully provide not only economic benefits but also social and environmental ones aswell. The success of many species is a result of the combination of traditional managementpractices and commercial forestry providing suitable habitats for these species and deliveringpriority Biodiversity Action Plans for endangered species.Motte & Bailey © Forestry CommissionSince 1945, the direct loss of individual trees was largely driven by agricultural policies of thetime. Many veteran trees were felled to make way for new plantings as they were thoughtto be of little value, or died due to unsympathetic management practices such as hedgerowremoval or over-shading. In more recent times veteran trees have suffered as they are a“Health and Safety” hazard the misconception that these trees are dead, dying or dangerous.Between 1946 and 1975, at least half of the ancient woodlands in Dorset had lost theirancient woodland characteristics through the planting of non-native species, reduction inappropriate management and lack of economic value (Rackham, 1990.) The remaining 50%maintain many ancient woodland characteristics but many suffer from inappropriatemanagement.Commercial forestry consisting of non-native species was highly appropriate to the forestrypolicies and woodland objectives of the past. Many of these forests have been managed verysuccessfully and are now an important capital resource for their owners and have continuedto be an important component of local timber industries. With the rise in the cost of15

Section 316imported timber, continuing these commercial forests is important to maintain theproduction of quality timber whilst underpinning the current and emerging markets.Traditional woodland management practices, such as coppicing and pollarding helped createa wealth of biodiversity associated with the county’s trees, woods and forests. However,with the greater availability of fossil fuel, plastic and metal alternatives and ever increasingtimber imports, many coppice woodlands became redundant and today many woodlandproducts such as charcoal, hurdles, thatching spars and construction timber are importedfrom abroad because they are cheaper. This decline in woodland management subsequentlyled to a decline in the biodiversity of Dorset’s woodlands, particularly butterfly andwoodland bird species. Many of these remaining trees and woodlands are of ancientorigin, and remain today as protectors of numerous rare native wildlife species and habitats.The increase in deer and squirrel populations combined with inappropriate managementhas resulted in a decline in many native woodland species such as common dormouse(Muscardinus avellanarius), pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly (Boloria ephroyne), greaterand lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum & R. hipposideros) and the spottedflycatcher (Muscicapa striata). However, in many instances the planting and subsequentmanagement of forestry plantations has provided ideal habitats for many threatened speciessuch as bats, nightjar (Carpimulgus europaeus), smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) andDartford warbler (Sylvia undata).Ancient oak on bank in Harbins Park © Sean Cooch by kind permission of Harbins Park FarmOrchardsMany traditional orchards, especially those which are no longer actively cultivated, facethe threat of neglect or removal to make way for housing developments, horse grazingor intensive arable agriculture. Traditional apple, pear, plum, cherry and nut orchards havechanged from being part of most farms to rarities in most counties. Yet these orchardsare often the richest kinds for a huge diversity of wildlife, and vary enormously across thecountry, creating distinctive and historic landscapes. Traditional orchards are cultural landmarks.They are the source of genetic variety, local recipes and customs. They are home to thehundreds of varieties of apples and other orchard fruits and are extremely biodiverse.Forest and open heathland © David Rees

Section 3Woodland Ownership19(All tables in this chapter are derived from the latest data available from the ForestryCommission’s National Inventory of Woodlands and Trees, published in 2002.)One of the biggest issues facing the future of Dorset’s woodlands is the large number ofindividual woodland owners combined with their small size and fragmented nature. Thetable below shows the breakdown of woodland ownership in Dorset in comparison toregional and national figures.Dorset SW Region NationalOwnership Type Total % of Total Total % of Total Total % of TotalArea (ha) Woodland Area (ha) Area Area (ha) AreaPersonal 15,104 53.7 107,218 52.1 480,794 47.1Business 1,563 5.6 31,221 15.2 146,601 14.3Forestry/Timber business 0 0 0 0.0 7,200 0.7Charity 1,365 4.9 16,214 7.9 68,484 6.7Local Authority 1,211 4.3 6,350 3.1 61,098 6.0FE 6,512 23.2 6,868 17.5 27,302 21.7Other Public 2,052 7.3 35,900 3.3 222,694 2.7Community/common land 0 0 130 0.1 3,732 0.4Unidentified 294 1 1,709 0.8 3,917 0.4Total 28,101 100 205,610 100 1,021,822 10077% of woodlands and forests in Dorset are outside the Forestry Commission’s ownership,and of this ‘other’ ownership 70% of the woodlands are in private hands. The NationalInventory of Woodlands and Trees also shows that 55% of these woodlands are of less than100 hectares. With such a fragmented ownership, engaging with the owners of theseassets is key to ensuring a proactive approach to woodland management in the futureand delivering better economics for wood products. It is also crucial to ensuring trees, woodsand forests play an ever more important role in providing social, economic and environmentalbenefits.Beefsteak fungus © Emma Brawn

Section 3Current Woodland& Tree Resource20Current Woodland and Tree ResourceThe charts below show the breakdown of woodland type, and compare the countywoodland cover to regional and national averages.Dorset % CoverSW % CoverGB % Cover60.0050.0040.00According to the most recent (2002) National Inventory of Woodlands and Trees, carried outby the Forestry Commission, Dorset has 28,758 hectares of woodland and forest over 0.1hectare.28,758 hectares equates to 11% of the total county land area and 13.5% of the totalwoodland in the South West region. Of the total woodland cover in Dorset over a quarter,or 7,749 hectares, is believed to have been wooded since 1600AD. This is a significantpercentage of Ancient Woodland and extremely important for biodiversity, culture andheritage. Within this definition of ancient woodland, 52.4% has been planted with nonnativespecies (known as Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites or PAWS). In addition tothe ancient woodland sites there are a number of native species woodlands that have beenplanted or naturally regenerated over the last 150 years.The tables below show the woodland area by forest type, and the principal species foundwithin these woodlands.30.0020.00% CoverDorset’s Woodland by Forest TypeFelled 0.7%Mixed 14.6%Coppice 1.1%10.00Broadleaved 47.6%Open Space 5%Conifer Coppice-w- Broadleaved Coppice Mixed Windblow Open Space FelledStandardsBroad Forest Types0.00Conifer 30.7%Coppice-w-Standards 0.3%

Section 3Oak 13.3%Woodland Area by Principal Species(excluding coppice, felled and open areas)Beech 9.5%Sycamore 3.5%Ash 12.2%Birch 5.6%condition and biodiversity. However the county still retains a good number of importantsites sixty five woodland and parkland areas included within Sites of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI), although specific woodland SSSIs are under-represented in Dorset (M Heath, perscomm.) Two of these areas are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Inaddition there are 621 woodland Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCIs). All comprise6,693 hectares. In recent years more innovative silviculture practises have been adopted,such as Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) and there has been a resurgence of coppicing.Much of the ancient woodland cover is to be found on the clay and alluvial soils in thecounty although there are a number of scattered woodlands on chalk soils. The more recentforestry conifer plantings are predominantly on the drier, sandier soils to the southeast ofthe county, whilst broadleaf plantations have been established on chalk soils.21MixedConifer 0.9%OtherConifer 12.3%Larch 2.4%Elm 0.1%OtherBroadleaves 8.1%MixedBroadleaves 8.3%Between 1995 and 2005 over 2,190 hectares were planted with trees in Dorset, with over1000 hectares being ‘new’ woodland planting, a significant increase of approximately 4%of woodland cover over the county.Pine 23.8%Dorset’s woodland cover has probably remained relatively constant since about 4,000 yearsago. Few woodlands remain that are managed sustainably and these only account for a smallproportion of the total resource. Very few parklands or wooded commons were managedthrough history, some lasting no more than decades before going into decline. Those thatdid survive up to the World War 2 have since been grubbed out, or neglected. The fewremaining managed parklands, such as Melbury Park, Charborough Park and Stock Gaylardgive an indication of how things were. Those woodlands and parklands that remain in awell-managed condition are extremely important in their own right and the county isnationally recognised for its number and quality of woodland and veteran trees species.Quality UK grown timber © Forestry CommissionIn reality traditional woodland management has been in decline since the end of the19th century, and in many woodlands the lack of appropriate management and impact ofagricultural and forestry policies has been a major factor in the loss of habitat composition,

Section 322Ancient and Veteran Tree Resourcetrees and their maintenance and appropriate management is vital to their survival. Someindividual trees support the only known populations of particular lichen species in thecounty, and in a few cases in the country. Other more common species also rely on suchtrees for a variety of reasons such as nesting (birds) and hibernating (bats).As well as being of considerable ecological importance, many veteran trees have significantcultural and historical value, a source of pride for many of the landowners who protect them.Trees such as the sycamore at Tolpuddle, (where the Tolpuddle Martyrs met), two trees inBlandford known as the Bastard Brothers (named after two brothers who rebuilt the townafter the 1731 fire) and the Wyndham Oak (reputed to be over 1000 years old), are wellknown landmark trees with important cultural associations.Churchyard yew © Sean CoochInformation on the number and distribution of individual veteran trees in Dorset is limited.A report published by the Dorset Environmental Records Centre (DERC) in 2005 identifiedimportant veteran tree sites in the county (with 5 or more trees), but there is littleinformation on number and location of individual or small groups of veteran trees. Thedata that exists is currently being updated by Natural England. The Dorset Greenwood TreeInitiative was launched in 2007 by a sub-set of Dorset Woodlink partners to address ancientand veteran tree issues. A major part of the project is to increase the number of records ofveteran trees for the county, adding to the data accumulated by DERC.Dorset’s veteran trees are a part of the internationally important veteran tree resource oflowland England. Although the information is incomplete Dorset probably supportsapproximately 5% of the South West’s resource of veteran tree wood pasture and parkland(Edwards 2005). They can be seen almost everywhere (urban setting, farmland, hedgerows,woodland, churchyards, gardens and parklands). Historic parklands probably support themost important numbers of veteran trees and their associated ecological interests. Manynationally uncommon species of fungi, invertebrates and lichens are associated with veteranBracket fungus © David ReesMany veteran trees are located in woodlands as old boundary trees, old wood pasture(consumed by plantations) or maiden trees. One of their major threats is a lack ofunderstanding about their management, their mechanics and general care. As woodlandedge, hedgerow or field trees they can suffer from the effects of pesticides and fertilisers,shading, root damage from cultivation and soil compaction and changes in water table. Inplantations they can suffer from the effects of forestry operations including planting tooclose, structural damage by harvesting operations and root damage from harvesting machinery.There are a number of issues facing ancient and veteran trees, which by their nature are oldand show signs of decay. With care these trees will live for many years, but in the meantimethe next generation need to be identified and managed appropriately.

Section 324Accessible woodlandsOver 50% of woodlands and forests in Dorset are accessible by public rights of way orpermissive access for a distance of 100 metres or more, but the majority of these can only beeasily reached by car or some other form of motorised transport. Only 12.35% of Dorset’spopulation has access to woodlands over 2ha in size within 500 metres of where they live(Woodland Trust 2004).Only 26% of schools are within 500 metres (walking distance) of an accessible woodland andwhilst the majority of smaller towns and villages are within walking distance of a woodlandor forest, the bigger urban areas have little or no accessible woodland within walkingdistance.As populations grow there is a need to identify and encourage multi-functional woodlandareas to meet the increasing need for recreational opportunities. Woodland habitats tend tobe more ‘robust’ than some other habitat types, and when in a peri-urban landscape they arecapable of absorbing high numbers of people and their associated pressures.Horse riding in woodland © Forestry CommissionDiscussing all ability access © Forestry CommissionWoodlands that are accessible to the public, both urban and rural, are significant in that theyprovide places where people feel they can get away from the stresses of everyday life.Woodlands and trees have an important role to play in the physical, mental and spiritualwellbeing of people, and the health impacts of well designed woodlands can be extremelybeneficial. Engaging communities with local woodland design and management can developa sense of pride in the woods, ensuring that the woods stay as a place for peaceful andsociable recreation.