Current Status in the SW

Definition¹

Upland Oakwoods are characterised by a predominance of oak (most commonly sessile but locally pedunculate) and birch. They occur generally above 200m but may be found as low as sea level on thin acid soils and steep slopes. Past management for coppice has often further reduced the fertility of soil. Upland Oakwoods are listed on Annex 1 of the EC Habitats Directive.

There will be some complementary coverage within other Habitat Action Plans for the region, including those for ash-maple woodland.

Current Extent¹

Examples of important sites in the South West¹

Cornwall:

Bodmin Moor Natural Area Woodlands (including Golitha Falls, Cabilla Manor Woods, Cabilla and Redrice woods

Devon:

Woody Bay and Heddon Valley; Watersmeet; Holne Woodlands; Bovey Valley and Yarner Wood; Wistman's Wood; Black Tor Copse.

Somerset:

Horner and Hawkcombe; The Quantocks; Barle Valley.

Habitat Loss¹

Associated Species¹

Mammals

• Dormouse
• Noctule Bat
• Pipistrelle Bat
• Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Birds

• Redstart
• Tree Pipit
• Wood Warbler
• Pied Flycatcher

Invertebrates

• Blue ground beetle
• Woodland fritillaries
• Waved Carpet
• Scarce Blackneck
• Double line moths
• Ctenophora flaveolata a cranefly

Plants

• Endemic whitebeams
• Hay-scented buckler fern
• Cornish bladderseed
• Numerous mosses & lichens

Current factors affecting the habitat in the SW

• Invasion by non-native species such as Rhododendron ponticum, cherry laurel, sycamore and beech
• Past management as coppice such that there are now dense stands of even aged oak with very few veteran or young trees.
• Overgrazing, by sheep and in some places deer, which is preventing regeneration. Difficulties in utilising natural regeneration through the WGS.
• Presence of conifer plantations on ancient woodland sites
• In some localised areas undergrazing whereby brambles take over moss and bryophyte-rich ground flora.
• Unsympathetic forest management such as removal of old trees and replanting with inappropriate species.
• Loss of genetic integrity through restocking with trees of non-native provenance.

 

UK biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

Maintain the existing area (70,000 to 100,000 ha ) of the upland oakwood system and improve its condition, by a mixture of management for timber (predominantly as low intensity high forest), as sheltered grazing, and minimum intervention.

Avoiding other habitats of conservation value, expand the area of upland oakwood by about 10% on to currently open ground, by some planting by natural regeneration by 2005.

Identify and encourage the restoration of a similar area (about 10%) of former upland oakwood that has been degraded by planting with conifers or invasion by rhododendrons.

South-west biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

OBJECTIVE 1

Ensure that the existing areas of upland oak wood are maintained

TARGET: ongoing

OBJECTIVE 2

Improve the condition of upland oakwoods by increasing the area under conservation management

TARGET: 10% by 2005

TARGET: 2% by 2010

Current Action

There is a UK Costed Habitat Action Plan for upland oakwoods and the government has set out proposals for a number of SACs, including South East Dartmoor Woodlands.

The Forest Authority has a presumption against clearance of native woodland for conifers/agriculture and provides guidance on woodland management and creation. Forest Authority grants available include Woodland Improvement Grants and Annual Management Grants.

Local Authorities issue Tree Preservation Orders and provide woodland management advice and free trees.

Some sites have statutory protection through SSSI or NNR designation.

Dartmoor and Exmoor are ESAs, which ensures that agreement holders seek advice about the management of their woodlands.

The National Park Authorities carry out woodland surveys and research and monitoring; provide management advice to private owners; acquire and manage woodlands; issue NPA Management Agreements and implement National Park Plans and Biodiversity Profiles.

The Upper Dart and Teign Valleys are managed by the county Wildlife Trusts as nature reserve. The Trust also provide advice to owners of County Wildlife Sites.

Partnerships have been developed between the Forestry Commission/ National Park Native Woodland Accord and the local accords (Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks).

On Exmoor, European funded initiatives (5b - e.g. Bernard Dru Oak) market sustainably produced high quality boards and beams from upland oakwoods.

A joint project - Exmoor tree nursery project - involves the collection of tree seeds from ancient semi-natural woodlands,which are grown on in the NPA's nursery to provide a source of locally provenanced planting stock for use in the National Park.

On Dartmoor, a contract with ITE to access the potential for the creation of new native woodland has been secured. Dartmoor is one of a number of uplands areas being assessed in terms of its potential for new native woodland.

The Veteran Trees initiative, developed by English Nature and partner organisations, promotes the importance of very old trees for dead wood, lichen habitats and cultural value. In Somerset, a temporary surveyor has recently been appointed by the funding bodies to carry out a rapid initial assessment of the veteran tree resource in the county.

Encourage the adoption of policies in Local Plans, National Park Plans and Regional plans which protect upland oakwoods (ongoing)

LEAD: LAs, NPAs
PARTNERS: EN, WTs

Ensure SSSI coverage of upland oakwoods is completed (by 2000)

LEAD: EN

Establish further upland oakwood nature reserves (by 2005)

LEAD: WTs
PARTNERS: EN, LAs, NPAs

Encourage management to sustain the habitat

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: NPAs, EN, NT, MAFF, TGA

Encourage conversion of conifer plantations on ancient woodland sites to a native woodland character (by 2005)

LEAD: TGA, FA, FE
PARTNERS: EN, NT, WTs, TGA

Ensure management of deer and squirrel populations (ongoing)

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: MAFF, FE, EN, NT, NPAs, TGA

Ensure genetic integrity through natural regeneration and use of seed of local provenance (ongoing)

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: EN, NPAs, NT, FE, TGA

Ensure retention of veteran trees (ongoing)

LEAD: FA, EN
PARTNERS: WTs, LA, NPAs, TGA

Promote use of management plans (ongoing)

LEAD:FA
PARTNERS: NPAs, EN, NT, TGA

Promote the restoration of upland oakwoods in Forest design Plans (ongoing)

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: NPAs, LAs, EN. WTs

Support woodland management initiatives (5b etc) ongoing

LEAD: FA, LAs
PARTNERS: TGA, NPAs, EN

Encourage the creation of new oakwoods on improved farmland using seed of local provenance and ,mimicking NVC communities, linking existing woodland habitats where possible (by 2010)

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: NFU, NPAs, LAs, En, CLA, NT, TGA, FE

Advisory

Promote training in native woodland management through seminars, workshops etc (ongoing)

LEAD: FA, LAs
PARTNERS: TGA, NPAs, EN. NT, FWAG

Ensure communication of information on grants, research, management techniques, species election etc.

LEAD: FA, NPAs
PARTNERS: EN, WTs, LAs, FE

Expand the range of sites where long-term monitoring of woodland systems takes place: target air pollution/climatic change and effects on lower plants (ongoing)

LEAD: EN
PARTNERS: NPAs, WTs, FA, NT

Carry out survey and monitoring of key species (ongoing)

LEAD: EN, NPAs, NT, WTs
PARTNERS: FA

Research the best ways of restoring damaged sites (by 2005)

LEAD: FA
PARTNERS: NPAs, EN, NT, TGA

Raise public interest and awareness through increased access, open days, interpretation and events (ongoing)

LEAD: LAs, NT, WTs, NPAs, TGA
PARTNERS: FA, EN, FWAG

Support development of markets for sustainable woodland products (ongoing)

LEAD: FA, LAs
PARTNERS: TGA, NPAs, FE, TGA

Benefits

Landscape improvement
Recreation
Rural income and employment
Farm diversification
Development of sustainable products
Education