Save Grove Wood!: April 2011

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Why Ancient Woodlands Matter

Now occupying only 1% of the land, ancient woodlands are all that remain of the original forests of Britain. They need extra protection as they grow on soils that have not been changed by agricultural activity and provide vital habitats for the survival of many species. Accordingly, natural regeneration is preferred. The following links explain why they matter so much for people, wildlife and our biodiversity: Forestry Commission (PDF); Royal Forestry Society; Wikipedia; Woodland Trust.

Photo : 8th April 2011

Legal Notice

This is an independent amateur account of the ongoing activities on the land. No material or information is permissible in any court of law without the prior consent of the author. The opinions expressed by the author are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of any other groups or organisations. Whilst acting in good faith for the public interest, the author is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied. All material generated by the author is subject to international copyright law.

The Many Benefits Of Trees

Social & Environmental
1. Symbolise a community focal point which provides high amenity and aesthetic value as well as historical continuity in conservation areas.
2. Provide habitats for a broad range of wildlife throughout the year, particularly bats and owls.
3. Work all year round for us by reducing localised extremes in temperatures - cooling in the summer and warming in the winter.
4. Help keep urban areas peaceful by screening traffic noise.
5. Perform many hydrological functions, especially helping drain the soil by absorbing water run-off through their root systems and returning it to the atmosphere via leaf perspiration.
6. Provide a sense of place for people and local communities, including a high amenity value for families.
7. Mark the changing seasons with leaf colours and floral displays.
8. Tree canopies provide handy shelter during rainfall.

Health & Well Being
9. Our stress and illness levels are lowered as trees provide a sense of well being and psychological refreshment from the built environments and city life.
10. Mature trees create character and a sense of place whilst also releasing scents and aromas that promote a positive emotional response.
11. As well as cleaning the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, they absorb and reduce pollutant gasses including ozone, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
12. Contribute to lower dust and noise levels.
13. Reduce the risk of skin cancers by providing shade from harmful ultra-violet radiation.

Highway Safety
14. As roadside trees, they reduce the risk of accidents - preventing surface glare by shading the road after rainfall and reducing skidding as frost, ice and dew are less common under trees.
15. Large leaf canopies catch rainfall which slows down the water’s progress from sky to ground, thus helping to reduce flash flooding.
16. Reduce road rage by offering a more pleasant driving experience.

Economic & Climate Change
17. Increase the value of residential and commercial property by 5-18%.
18. Reduce fossil fuel emissions by lowering fuel costs for heating and cooling local buildings.
19. Offer employment through woodland management and all aspects of forestry.

Why Deadwood Is Important

The following is an extract from Deadwood by Chris Skellern

Benefits

Deadwood is a naturally occurring material which has a very important role in a woodland ecosystem. Many species of bird, insect, and fungi need the resources that deadwood provides. The need of some species is so great that they would become extinct if deadwood was made unavailable to them. Different species make use of different types of deadwood and some species will only use the deadwood whilst it is attached to the tree, high up in the canopy; once the wood has fallen to the woodland floor a different species may take over.

As the deadwood becomes broken down within the leaf litter, valuable nutrients are returned to the tree through the soil. This is an important natural process and one which is absent from most of our urban trees. Mulching with bark or wood chips, is however, becoming more popular but this usually just consists of a small mulched area located directly around a tree stem which is a poor substitute for the richness of a woodland floor.

Management

In woodland areas retention of deadwood both within the canopy and on the ground should be encouraged. This may however, be difficult in some situations so a compromise needs to be established. Most woodlands with public access will have dangerous deadwood removed from main footpaths and access roads. The same method could be applied to a large woodland garden where all members of the family are educated to the reasons for retention.

Dead branches can be stacked into small log piles within the woodland or garden to encourage insects and small mammals. Many gardeners shy away from retaining large pieces of wood on the ground in case they should attract the attention of Honey Fungus. However, Honey Fungus is a natural element of a woodland, it has an important role to degrade and rot wood; unfortunately it will also attack sick trees. For this reason it is usually best to avoid retaining old stumps and large pieces of wood within a formal garden which contains a number of specimen trees but instead reserve them for a woodland area.

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Why Ancient Woodlands Matter

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Emergency Contact Number

Status

Legal Notice

Blog Archive

Key Documents & Links

Other Useful Links

Television Coverage

The Many Benefits Of Trees

Why Deadwood Is Important

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Why Ancient Woodlands Matter

Total Pageviews

Emergency Contact Number

Status

Legal Notice

Blog Archive

Key Documents & Links

Other Useful Links

Television Coverage

The Many Benefits Of Trees

Why Deadwood Is Important

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