temperate broadleaf woodlands

• Temperate broadleaf woodland

  • No major temperature extremes
  • No pronounced dry season - water available all year
  • Deep, fertile soils with DOM and root binding

  
• Ecological features of temperate broadleaf woodland

  • Lack of available food in winter causes animals to become less active, store food, hibernate
• Biodiversity

  High biodiversity creates high ecological steerability, no species are completely dominant so a change in one has limited effect on the overall community
• Woodland resources historically used

  • Building construction
  • Fencing
  • Tools
  • Food from animals and plants
• Historical conservation methods

  • Mature standard trees for timber
  • Coppiced woodland for fencing, panels, charcoal
  • Wildwood areas with minimal interference

  
• Modern conservation methods

  • Monoculture plantations
  • New woodland around field margins
  • Community forests for recreation and amenity
• Conservation management

  • Coppicing to create wildlife habitats
  • Creating woodland clearings to increase habitat diversity
  • Planting mixed species woodlands to increase biodiversity
• Ancient woodlands in the UK are defined as those that existed before 1600, and have high biodiversity due to long colonisation time
• Designated protected areas

  • Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve
  • Epping Forest SAC
  • Many UK National Parks have deciduous woodland areas
• The 2012 National Planning Policy Framework states that planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland
• Overgrazing by deer or deliberate clearance of ground vegetation may prevent regeneration of young trees, causing ancient woodlands to become degraded and lose wildlife value
• Large areas of new woodland have been planted in the UK over the past 30 years, often including a mix of indigenous tree species likely to have increasing wildlife value as the woodlands mature