The Newsletter for Broadland Tree Wardens

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The Newsletter for Broadland Tree Wardens
Issue 116 – March 2013
Strange and Unique
Forests
History of Europe’s
Forests
Scotland’s National Tree
Gleneagles Tree Felling
Forest Elephants
News and views
Invasive Non-Native
Species
1
When Will We Stop Interfering?
I
WAS DEVASTATED to learn that the cull of badgers was to proceed because
farmers say that they give cattle TB. Of course, you cannot put cattle with TB into
the food chain and that costs the farmers money. Vaccination of the cattle cannot
(as I understand it) be carried out because such vaccinated animals cannot be put into
the food chain either and that would also cost the farmers money.
The farmers are on a very
tight budget because the
supermarkets are driving down
the price they pay for meat. So
it’s not the farmer’s fault but
that of the supermarkets.
The poor supermarkets complain that
the consumer (ie you and I) won’t pay a
higher price for meat.
Is that right?
Nobody asked me.
Perhaps it is more the case that the
supermarkets have become all too
powerful and they aren’t willing to pay a fair
price for meat because they may have to
lower the obscene profits they make year
after year.
Nothing is ever their fault. Prices they
charge that have no resemblance to what
they pay suppliers are not their fault.
The fact that we have been eating
horse flesh instead of beef is not their fault.
It is a fault in the supply chain.
So it is at this point that you expect me
to launch into a tirade against the
supermarkets. Well you are wrong.
It is at this point that I launch into a
tirade against us. You and me. The
consumer. The selfish individuals that
close their eyes and ears to the problems
in order to save a few bob.
You can stop the culling of badgers.
Stop buying your beef from Tesco or
Sainsburys and source it from a local
butcher that deals directly with the farm. It
may cost a bit more but it may save a lot of
badgers.
Similarly, get you meat (including
burgers) from that same local source and
the chance of eating horse meat is
removed.
It’s funny. I have eaten horse meat
whilst in Belgium and France. That was
before I realised the “steak” meant horse
and “beefsteak” meant beef (of sorts). It
didn’t kill me.
I suggest that the current “crisis” is a
result of us feeling deceived … particularly
by our European cousins.
I have been similarly alarmed by the
report from the UEA that claims that we
need to cull far more deer than we have
been. They believe that the results of a
study based on Thetford Forest should be
applied throughout the country.
I would expect the local primary school
to know that that claim cannot hold water.
Far more research is needed.
The Deer Aware campaign, which is
sponsored by the Highways Agency and (I
am disappointed to say) the Woodland
Trust, estimates that 74,000 crashes on the
UK’s roads involve deer every year.
Well, I have news for them.
My
research shows that each of those 74,000
crashes also involved humans. Indeed, I
can go so far as to say that every road
accident in the UK involves at least one
human being.
So based on the UEA study I take it that
we must immediately start to cull human
beings.
Nonsense?
No doubt the greater
majority of you will think so. However, I
ask you how many deer do you know that
asked to be introduced into this country?
Man simply decided to introduce them.
He didn’t worry about the repercussions of
his actions. No, he could always blame the
deer. How many species has man cleared
(both animal and flora) because he wanted
to use them or they got in the way?
I have little doubt that this wanton
murder will go ahead, but I personally think
it is evil.
H
OW many of you, like me,
have been having trouble
finding weather suitable
for your tree planting events?
The weather has been far too severe
lately and as I am carrying out planting with
the local school this year I have to work
around the school holidays as well.
When the weather is ok then either I am
away on business or the school is on
holiday.
Perhaps it is a sign that we should be
adjusting our calendars.
Changes in
weather and climate patterns have already
pushed my bluebell and snowdrop seasons
back a month.
No doubt, I shall also have to adjust my
tree planting season!!
The big question, of course, is “is it
temporary or permanent?” Now, there’s a
question.
I
WANT
to
repeat
a
suggestion I have made in
the past. I don’t think anyone
has ever taken any notice and I
have no reason to believe that
you will take any notice this
time … but I’m still going to try!
I think it would be a really good idea for
neighbouring wardens to embark on joint
project.
Why not get together with your
neighbour and arrange, say, a walk in the
woods or a joint tree planting programme?
It is always better to work with
somebody else and being able to share the
load (and have the benefit of two minds for
ideas!).
In addition (and perhaps most
important) we all have our own individual
talents. Ernest Hoyos seems to be able to
do everything and do it better than anyone
else!
2
Most of us have one or maybe two
particular skills.
Then, of course, there is Crootie!!
We can all benefit from this and maybe
it could lead to groups or teams being setup with neighbouring wardens working
together for their parishes.
Just think of how you will be able to
tackle much bigger projects.
Anyway, give it some thought and if you
want to know any more about the idea
please contact me. I addition, I am more
than willing to help you get in contact with
each other or co-ordinate teams.
T
WO years ago this month,
Japan was ravaged by a
horrible tsunami. Now, on
the anniversary of the disaster,
there is a new memorial to the
people and things who lived
through it: the “miracle tree”
that survived the surge has now
been converted into a sculpture.
When the surge hit the coast in
Rikuzentakata, the 27m monster was the
only one of a forest of nearly 70,000 trees
to survive and remain standing.
Months later, the pine eventually died
due to its newly barren surroundings, but
not before it could be chopped down and
have its trunk dismantled for preservation.
Now, a fortified sculpture consisting of
the remaining pieces, augmented with fake
branches and leaves moulded from the
original placed on top, has been installed at
the tree’s tsunami-worn home.
The tree’s leafy toupee stands over 7m
tall and weighs 1.4 tonnes alone, to say
nothing of the rest of the towering
monument, which has been assembled
over the past week or so.
It now stands completed as a reminder
both of everything that washed away and
everything that didn’t.
HAT’S it from me for
month.
Perhaps
written an editorial
doesn’t upset someone.
chance!
T
this
I’ve
that
No
I hope you find something in this issue
that interests you and that you enjoy
reading your newsletter.
Remember that I always welcome
articles or comment from you irrespective
of whether or not you agree with me.
Why not let us know about your projects
and what you have achieved … or not
achieved if that is the case!!
Have a good month and take care.
John Fleetwood
Strange and Unique Forests
by Bryan Johnson
Taken from www.listverse.com
ORESTS cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth’s surface. However, they once
covered over 50%. Most people identify forests with trees, but the concept of the
forest ecosystem reaches much further and includes many species, such as
smaller plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, animals, as well as energy flow and nutrient
cycling.
F
Luckily, a large percentage of
people on Earth are still able to
enjoy the tranquility of an
ancient forest.
However, some people have never had
the chance to enter one of these majestic
plant communities. In fact, almost 80% of
Europe’s forests are owned by Russia.
As you step foot into an old growth
forest, the rush of fresh air fills your lungs.
Your senses perk up and you become
aware of the life that surrounds you. In the
forest, you never know what is waiting
around the corner. In the forest, you will
discover and witness new things for the
first time.
In the forest, you will come to peace
with nature. In the forest, you will escape
the world of technology and learn what it
was like to live off the land.
This
article
from
the
website
www.listverse.com will examine eleven
strange and unique forests.
N
ORTH SENTINEL ISLAND is one
of the Andaman Islands in the
Bay of Bengal. It lies to the west
of the southern part of South Andaman
Island.
North Sentinel Island is unique because
it is surrounded by coral reefs and lacks
natural harbours. For that reason, the area
was never settled by Europeans and
deforested.
The island is almost completely covered
in old growth trees and is 72 km² (27.8
square miles). Due to the isolation, North
Sentinel Island has become home to the
last pre-Neolithic tribe known as the
Sentinelese.
The Sentinelese tribe consists of 50 to
400 individuals. The group strongly rejects
any contact with the outside world.
On January 26, 2006, two men were
illegally fishing for mud crabs near North
Sentinel Island when they were attacked
and killed by Sentinelese. The Indian
coastguard attempted to recover the
bodies using a helicopter, but they were
met by a hail of arrows.
It was reported that the fisherman’s
bodies were buried in shallow graves and
not roasted and eaten. However, the idea
that the tribe would eat the men is very
real.
During the 2004 Indian Ocean
earthquake and tsunami, North Sentinel
Island was greatly damaged. The tsunami
sank some of the surrounding coral reefs
and raised others. The coastline of the
island was completely demolished.
The Sentinelese fishing grounds were
disturbed, but the tribe has since adapted
to the current conditions. The Sentinelese
maintain an essentially hunter-gatherer
society, obtaining their subsistence from
the forest through hunting, fishing, and
collecting wild plants.
Their
agricultural
practices
and
3
methods for producing fire are currently
unknown. The Sentinelese weaponry
consists of javelins and a flatbow, which
has an extremely high accuracy against
human-sized targets up to nearly 10m
(32.8 ft).
The Sentinelese has even been known
to use untipped arrows for warning shots.
Their food consists primarily of
plantstuffs gathered in the forest, coconuts
which are frequently found on the beaches,
pigs, and presumably other wildlife (which
apart from sea turtles is limited to some
smaller birds and invertebrates).
“I believe our biggest issue is the same
issue the whole world is facing, and that’s
habitat destruction.” Steve Irwin.
T
HE CROOKED FOREST is a grove
of oddly shaped pine trees located
outside the village of Nowe
Czarnowo, in western Poland. The
forest contains about 400 pine trees that
grow with a 90º bend at the base of their
trunks.
All of the trees are bent northward and
surrounded by a larger forest of straightgrowing pine trees. The crooked trees were
planted around 1930 when the area was
inside the German province of Pomerania.
It is thought that the trees were formed
with a human tool, but the method and
motive for creating the grove is not
currently known. It appears that the trees
were allowed to grow for seven to ten
years before being held down and warped
by a device.
The exact reason why the Germans
would want to make crooked trees is
unknown, but many people have
speculated that they were going to be
harvested for bent-wood furniture, the ribs
of boat hulls, or yokes for ox-drawn
ploughs. It is a bizarre case that still can’t
explain.
“A chief event of life is the day in which
we have encountered a mind that startled
us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
THE RED FOREST or the Worm Wood
Forest is located within the 10 km (6.2
mile) area surrounding the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of
Pripyat, Ukraine.
After the Chernobyl nuclear accident on
26 April 1986, the Worm Wood Forest
turned a ginger-brown colour and died. In
the clean-up effort most of the trees were
bulldozed and buried in a collection of
“waste grave-yards.” The trenches were
covered with a carpet of sand and planted
over with new pine saplings.
Today, the Red Forest remains one of
the most contaminated areas in the world.
It holds a mixture of old growth pine, along
with the new saplings planted in 1986.
More than 90% of the radioactivity of the
Red Forest is concentrated in the soil.
The accident at Chernobyl has offered
scientists an unparalleled opportunity to
fully understand the passage of radioactive
debris through an urban, rural and natural
environment over time.
In a remarkable turn of events, the
wildlife in the Red Forest has adapted to
the changes and not only survived, but
flourished. The forest has been labelled a
“Radiological Reserve” and is a hotbed for
endangered animals.
A large collection of species has moved
into the forest and biodiversity in the area
has greatly expanded since the accident.
Since 1986, the population of wild boar
in the Red Forest has exploded. The area
is home to a large collection of wild
species, including storks, wolves, beavers,
lynx, elk, and eagles.
Birds have been observed nesting in
the old nuclear reactors and many
endangered species have been spotted. In
2001, the tracks of a brown bear were
photographed in the streets of Pripyat.
In 2002, a young eagle owl, one of only
100 thought to be living in all of Ukraine,
was seen on an abandoned excavator in
the Red Forest, also an endangered whitetailed eagle was radio-tagged within three
miles of the plant.
In 2005, a herd of 21 rare Przewalski’s
horses escaped from captivity, bred in the
area, and have expanded to 64.
The Red Forest still holds some
unnatural behaviour. The flora and fauna in
the area has been dramatically affected by
the radioactive contamination.
In the years following the disaster, there
were many reports of mutant animals, but
no cases have been confirmed to influence
the genetic evolution of a species, except
for the partial albinism in swallows and
stunted tail feathers in birds.
It should be noted that mutant animals
usually die quickly in the wild, so the
creatures affected by the explosion are
long dead. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
now encompasses more than 1,600 square
miles of northern Ukraine and southern
Belarus, a ragged swatch of forests,
marshes, lakes, and rivers.
“A light wind swept over the corn, and
all nature laughed in the sunshine.” Anne
Bronte.
C
HESTNUT HILLS is the largest
remaining forest of American
chestnut trees. Chestnut blight is
a devastating disease that has struck
the American chestnut tree and caused
the mass extinction of the tree from its
historic range in the eastern United
States.
The
disease
was
accidentally
introduced to North America around 1900,
either through imported chestnut lumber or
through imported chestnut trees. By 1940,
almost all of the American chestnut trees
were gone.
These marvellous trees once grew as
tall as 60m (200ft), with a trunk diameter of
4.2m (14ft).
The chestnut tree is known to grow
beautiful flowers in late spring or early
summer.
The blight was caused by the C
parasitica and destroyed about 4 billion
American chestnut trees. The fungus kills
the tree by entering beneath the bark and
killing the cambium all the way round the
twig, branch, or trunk.
After the blight was first discovered,
people attempted to remove the effected
trees from the forests, but this proved to be
an ineffective solution.
Chestnut Hills sits near West Salem,
Wisconsin. It holds approximately 2,500
chestnut trees on 60 acres of land.
The chestnuts are the descendants
from only a dozen trees planted by Martin
Hicks in the late 1800s. The trees are
located to the west of the natural range of
American chestnut, so they initially
escaped the onslaught of the chestnut
blight.
However in 1987, scientists found the
fungus in the trees and the blight has been
slowly killing the forest. Scientists are
working to try and save Chestnut Hills, as
there is a strong desire to bring the
American chestnut back to the forest.
A large collection of surviving chestnuts
are being bred for a resistance to the blight
by The American Chestnut Foundation,
which aims to reintroduce a blight-resistant
American chestnut to its original forest
range in the early 21st century.
The disease is local to a range, so it is
possible for some isolated trees to exist if
no other chestnuts with the blight are within
10km (6.2 miles).
A small stand of surviving American
chestnuts was found in F D Roosevelt
State Park near Warm Springs, Georgia on
22 April 2006.
“Under the spreading chestnut tree I
sold you and you sold me: There lie they,
and here lie we, under the spreading
chestnut tree.” George Orwell.
T
HE SEA OF TREES or Aokigahara
is a forest located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan.
The forest contains a number of hidden
caverns and giant trees.
It is very dark and has thick growth, so
the only light that can be seen inside the
forest is a collection of sunbeams.
4
forest protection.
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys
itself. Forests are the lungs of our land,
purifying the air and giving fresh strength to
our people.” Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Aokigahara holds an absence of wildlife
and is known for being an eerily quiet
place. In modern times, the Sea of Trees
has gained a reputation for two things, a
breathtaking view of Mount Fuji and
suicides. There are currently no reliable
statistics for the total number of suicides in
the forest. However in 2004, 108 dead
bodies were found in Aokigahara.
In recent years, the Japanese
government has stopped publicizing the
number of suicides in the forest. In 2010, it
was reported that 247 people attempted
suicide in the Sea of Trees, but only 54
succeeded.
The suicide rate has caused officials to
place signs in the forest, in Japanese and
English, which urge people to reconsider
their actions.
Every year, a collection of police and
volunteers conduct an annual body search
of the land. During the event, corpses are
always discovered, usually hanging from
the trees.
The Sea of Trees is reportedly the
world’s second most popular suicide
location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate
Bridge. Japan’s suicide rate is a major
problem and has been rising after the 2011
Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami.
The country has been experiencing a large
wave of social withdrawal.
Hikikomori is a Japanese term that
refers to the phenomenon of reclusive
adolescents or young adults who have
chosen to withdraw from social life, often
seeking extreme degrees of isolation.
It is estimated that around 1% of the
entire Japanese population is living as
hikikomori.
In Japanese mythology, the Sea of
Trees has always been linked with morbid
myths and legends. It is widely believed
that the custom of ubasute, where an
elderly relative is left to die in a remote
location, was widely practiced in the forest.
“The prevalence of suicide, without
doubt, is a test of height in civilization; it
means that the population is winding up its
nervous and intellectual system to the
utmost point of tension and that sometimes
it snaps.” Henry Ellis.
It was created on 13 December 13
2002 and is located in the mountain areas
between Nore in Numedal and Solevann in
Sigdal.
Trillemarka – Rollagsfjell holds the last
ancient wilderness forests of Norway. The
land has all the qualities of the original
Norwegian forests, including untouched
valleys, rivers, lakes, and very old trees.
Trillemarka – Rollagsfjell is home to 93 red
list and endangered species.
Trillemarka – Rollagsfjell holds a large
amount of animals that are dependent on
the forest dynamics. The area is one of the
few untouched woodlands in Norway.
Some of the endangered species that
frequent the forest are the Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker,
Tree-toed
Woodpecker,
Siberian Jay, Stock Dove, and Golden
Eagle.
The forest is also home to endangered
lichens, mosses, and fungi.
Currently, about 75% of Trillemarka –
Rollagsfjell has been protected by the
government and there is a controversy in
Norway over how much of the remaining
land should be set aside for future
generations. It appears that Norway is
lagging behind neighbouring countries in
RILLEMARKA – ROLLAGSFJELL
FOREST is a 147 km² (57 sq miles)
nature
reserve
located
in
Buskerud, Norway.
T
5
D
ARK ENTRY FOREST lies near
Dudley Town (the Village of the
Damned), a ghost town in
Cornwall, Connecticut. It was founded
as a small settlement in the mid-1740s
and was a thriving community by the
18th century, known as Owlsbury.
The town was primarily fuelled by the
region’s iron industry. It was a popular
place to visit until people started to report
strange sightings, unexplained murders,
and mass suicides.
In some cases, the town residents
experienced hallucinations which included
demons who commanded them to commit
suicide. It was also a regular occurrence
for sheep and heard animals to go missing
in the town.
Many early settlers of Dudley Town
began to think the area was cursed. By the
middle of the 20th century, everyone in the
town had either died or moved away.
Today, Dudley Town looks like it did
when Thomas Griffis first settled it some
250 years ago. It is a very thick forest with
rocky terrain and it sits in the shadow of
three separate mountains: Bald Mountain,
Woodbury Mountain, and The Coltsfoot
Triplets.
Due to the dense and tall woods, the
forest has been given the name “Dark
Entry Forest.”
The land is not officially located in a
Connecticut state forest, but sits on private
land near the Mohawk State Forest and
Mohawk Trail.
The ruins of Dudley Town and the Dark
Entry Forest are patrolled by the Dark
Entry Forest group, which prosecutes
anyone who trespasses on the land.
Hundreds of people have been arrested
for visiting the site. The area is also known
for a large collection of orbs, unexplained
lights, and bizarre sounds.
Similar to other strange forests, visitors
claim that the trees are unusually quiet and
without wildlife. Contemporary researchers
have suggested that the town may have
succumbed to mass hysteria or that the
groundwater
could
have
been
contaminated with lead which caused the
deaths.
“An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken
to a little before it will explain itself.”
Charles Dickens.
T
HE ARDENNES is a region of
extensive forests, rolling hills and
ridges in Belgium, Luxembourg,
and France. The land is covered by
thick forests and rugged terrain.
The region is rich in timber, minerals,
and wild game.
The Ardennes holds a strategic position
in Europe. For this reason, a large number
of famous battles have been fought on the
land.
The Ardennes has changed hands on
many different occasions. In the 20th
century, the Ardennes was thought
unsuitable
for
large-scale
military
operations, but in both World War I and
World War II, Germany successfully
gambled on making a passage through the
area to attack France.
The Ardennes was the site of three
major battles in the 20th century, the Battle
of the Ardennes (1914), the Battle of
France (1940), and the Battle of the Bulge
(1944). During the Battle of the Ardennes,
French and German troops literally
stumbled into each other on the battlefield
due to the thick fog. In the winter of 1944,
the Third Reich launched a major offensive
through the densely forested Ardennes
mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium.
The event has become known as the Battle
of the Bulge.
Before the Battle of the Bulge, the
snow-covered Ardennes was so quiet it
was termed “the Ghost Front.” The United
States placed its greenest units on the
wooded hills, along with combat-shattered
troops.
Hitler valued the Ardennes and
arranged for two full Panzer armies and
300,000 troops to conduct a surprise attack
designed to shatter the American front.
Many of the towns in the region were badly
damaged during the battle, including the
historic city of La Roche-en-Ardenne.
The forest wasn’t completely taken
back from Nazi rule until early 1945.
Today, the beauty of the Ardennes and
its wide variety of outdoor activities,
including
hunting,
cycling,
walking,
canoeing, and historic landmarks make it a
popular tourist destination.
“Everything in war is very simple. But
the simplest thing is difficult.” Karl Von
Clausewitz.
T
HE HOIA-BACIU FOREST is
located
near
Cluj-Napoca,
Romania and is locally referred to
as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania.
The forest was named after a shepherd
that disappeared in the area with two
hundred sheep.
Most people who live near the forest
are afraid to enter. They believe that those
who visit the site will never return.
Many of the locals who have gone into
the forest complain of physical harm,
including rashes, nausea, vomiting,
migraines, burns, scratches, anxiety, and
other unusual bodily sensations.
The Hoia-Baciu Forest has a reputation
for paranormal activity. People have
witnessed several strange events on the
land.
The most common phenomenon
includes seeing mysterious orb-like lights,
female voices, giggling, apparitions and
cases of people being scratched.
In the 1970s, the area was a hotbed for
UFO sighting and unexplained lights.
Visitors to the forest have reported a strong
sense of anxiety and the feeling of being
watched.
The local vegetation in the forest is
bizarre and some trees hold an
unexplained charring.
On 18 August 1968, a military
technician named Emil Barnea captured a
famous photograph of a saucer-like object
over the Hoia-Baciu Forest.
Many people who live near the HoiaBaciu Forest have reported a large
collection of orb-like lights inside the tree
line. When using a thermal, these lights
don’t seem to be producing any heat
signatures.
Some people who enter the forest
suddenly remember all of their past
experiences in the trees, but then forget
the memories after leaving the land.
Specialists from around the world are
fascinated by the forest. Scientists from
Germany, France, the United States, and
Hungary have managed to capture bizarre
material structures on film, including faces
and apparitions. Some of the structures are
seen with the naked eye and others only in
photos or videos.
“Authoritarian political ideologies have
a vested interest in promoting fear, a sense
of the imminence of takeover by aliens and
real diseases are useful material.” Susan
Sontag.
I
N FEBRUARY 2012, scientists in
northern China announced that they
had finished reconstructing an
ancient forest that was found buried
under a thick layer of volcanic ash near
the Mongolian district of Wuda.
The 20km² (12.4 square mile) forest
was completely preserved after a large
volcano erupted 298 million years ago and
dropped a large amount of lava and ash on
6
“All this worldly wisdom was once the
unamiable heresy of some wise man.”
Henry David Thoreau.
ELLOWWOOD STATE FOREST is
located in Brown County, Indiana.
The name of the forest is derived
from the yellowwood, a tree seldom
found that far north in the USA.
The Yellowwood State Forest preserve
was established in the 1930s. In 1939, a
133 acre (54 ha) lake, Yellowwood Lake,
was created in the area.
One major mystery surrounds the
forest. A collection of large sandstone
boulders, estimated to weigh about 180kg
(400 pounds), have been found in the tops
of three trees.
The mystery began in the 1990s, when
a turkey hunter, scouting in a remote area
of the 23,000 acre forest, discovered a
large boulder in a chestnut oak tree. The
boulder was eventually dubbed Gobbler’s
Rock.
Gobbler’s Rock sits high on a southfacing slope overlooking a ravine near
Tulip Tree Road in western Brown County.
Officials cannot explain how the
boulders got wedged into the branches.
Some of the theories include a fraternity
prank, tornadoes, high winds, or floods.
The strange phenomenon is now the focus
of several UFO websites.
On
Yellowwood
State
Forest’s
Wikipedia page it claims that the rocks
were placed there by a US helicopter doing
a training exercise from nearby Camp
Atterbury during World War II.
However, the provided reference for the
claim is broken and no further information
can be found on the training exercise or
why such a task would be undertaken.
“Geologists have a saying, rocks
remember.” Neil Armstrong.
Y
the site. The discovery was reminiscent of
the destruction of the Roman city of
Pompeii in 79AD.
It was determined that the blast came
from a large volcano around 100km away.
The destruction left a layer of ash that is
now 660mm (about 40 inches) thick. The
blast ripped leaves from branches,
knocked down trees, and buried the forest.
Scientists from the University of
Pennsylvania, Shenyang Normal University
and Yunnan University have been able to
reconstruct 3,048 m² (10,000ft²) of the
subtropical forest.
They have identified a large collection
of plant species and flora that has been
extinct for centuries.
It is believed that the forest sat on the
edge of a large tropical island off
Pangaea’s eastern shore. It was swampy
land, with a layer of peat and a few inches
of standing water.
In all, six different species of trees have
been identified in the preserved forest,
including the tall Sigillaria, Cordaites, and
the smaller spore-bearing Noeggerathiales,
which is believed to be related to the fern
family.
Scientists have not found any evidence
for animal life, such as ancient amphibians.
7
The History and Geography
of Europe’s Forests
E
UROPE was once covered by forest, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean
Sea. The original forest covered probably 80-90% of the continent. The Gulf
Stream and the North Atlantic Stream warm the continent. The mountain chains
lie mainly in east-west orientation, so they let the westerly wind carry the rain from the
ocean to the East. The southern part of Europe has Mediterranean climate. There are
more or less severe summer droughts in this region.
Over half of Europe's original
forest cover has disappeared.
On average, the forest cover is
one third of the total land area.
Ireland has the smallest forest
area (8%), Finland the largest
(72%).
During recent times, deforestation has
been stopped and in a sense Europe
became greener through plantation of
trees.
The problem is, that in many cases
conifers have been preferred over original
deciduous trees. The plantations and
monocultures, which now cover vast tracks
of land usually, offer very poor habitats for
European forest dwelling species.
Following the last Ice Age, natural or
pristine forests developed freely without
human intervention. These forests should
show no or almost no sign of human
intervention.
Old growth and even younger stages of
natural forests have a considerable amount
of dead wood in the form of snags, stumps
and logs.
Natural forests usually have a varied
age structure; they are a rich mosaic of
trees and patches of forests of different
ages.
Old growth natural forests typically
contain trees which are several hundred
years old.
With the new data from the WWF forest
scorecards, Taiga Rescue Network and the
UN/ECE/FAO
assessment
of
the
temperate and boreal forests, WWF could
estimate for the first time the amount of
pristine or near pristine forests in Europe.
These still cover a heartening 15-20
million hectares - nearly as much as the
entire forest area of Finland and Sweden.
There is still a chance to save some
outstanding remnants of our European
forest heritage.
The most of these pristine forests are
located in the north, in the taiga (Komi
Republic, between the White Sea and the
Urals). There are patches across the
Russian-Finnish border and between
Norway and Sweden.
Many Mediterranean and Eastern
European forest types constitute relic
forests, included in the red list of plants.
These are usually only several thousands
of hectares in size.
Semi-natural forests look very natural.
They may contain the same tree-species,
but they show signs of human intervention.
Many of them are managed. Trees usually
do not reach their maximum age.
Semi-natural forests are the basis for
the wood-supply and by protecting them
Europe could help begin to restore its lost
forests.
Many plantation forests consist of
European tree species, but show clearly
that they have been planted.
The amount of pristine forests in
Western Europe is just 2-3%. In the
European part of Russia 5-10% of the
forests can be classified as pristine or
near-pristine natural forests.
Of these areas, perhaps less than 50%
of pristine forests is considered to be
effectively protected. The remaining
unprotected old-growth and relic forests
must be the priority areas for adding to the
existing protected area networks in Europe.
These forests represent the last
vestiges of the forests which once covered
Europe before the arrival of man"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Editor
For some time several of my oaks (ie trees with acorn
things hanging from them) have been suffering from beefsteak
fungus Fistulina hepatica (see, you aren’t the only one who
can use these posh foreign words!!). I haven’t been too
worried until recently.
Like most people who keep abreast of current affairs, I
have been following the news of horsemeat being used
instead of beef. Perhaps you could tell me and your other
readers (reader??) if this is contagious to fungus and could it
be that my oaks actually have horsesteak fungus Fistulina
hepatica subsp equine?
In addition, could it be that our beloved horse-chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum is actually a cow chestnut? From its
posh foreign name I take it that it was originally thought to be
from the hippopotamus (a relative of yours?) and was
wondering if there are plans to rename it Aesculus
cowcastanum?
Your help and guidance on these pressing matters will be
gratefully received. However, please try to restrict your reply
to words of one syllable or less.
Peter Croot - Coltishall
Plonker! - Ed
8
Contractor Mistakenly Chopped
Down Rare Plymouth Pear Tree
A
CONTRACTOR mistakenly chopped down 19 protected trees including a rare
Plymouth Pear, a court heard. Plymouth magistrates were told that Christopher
Seymour felled the Plymouth Pear– one of only around 20 growing wild in the
city. The 47-year-old was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £2,765 for what his
solicitor called a "very unfortunate error".
Mrs Morris added the trees, some 40ft
Magistrates fined him £1,000 for felling
high and up to a 100 years old, were given
the Plymouth pear and £250 for each of the
protection orders in 1990.
five trees named in the charges. He must
She said the rare pear tree was found
also pay costs of £500 and a victim
in Plymouth by local naturalist Archer
surcharge of £15.
Briggs in 1870.
After the case, Cllr Brian Vincent, the
The court heard it is the only tree
council's cabinet member for environment.
Helen Morris, prosecuting for Plymouth
species given special protection under
said: "It was extremely sad to see the rare
City Council, said the first specimen was
Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside
Plymouth Pear tree and the others cut
identified here and it was "emblematic" of
Act 1981, which was designed to protect
down.
the city.
especially rare species in England and
"We take the enforcement of tree
Seymour,
of
Rockview
Avenue,
Wales.
protection orders very seriously, so I'm
Southway, admitted six offences of
Mrs Morris said Seymour told the
pleased with the result of this action that
contravening tree preservation orders by
council he had been told by landowners
we've taken through the courts.
cutting down trees and asked for 13 similar
London and Westcountry Estates to tidy up
"The Estover site is designated a site of
offences to be taken into consideration.
the site for a prospective tenant. But he
special scientific interest to protect the
Together with the Plymouth Pear, he
was not specifically told to fell the protected
trees.
felled an oak, an ash and several holly
trees.
"It will now be monitored and officers
trees.
Patrick Somerville, for Seymour, said:
will liaise with the leaseholder and Natural
Mrs Morris said Seymour, trading as
"This a very unfortunate error for which he
England about the management of the site
Plant Tech, chopped down 19 trees at the
is deeply remorseful.
in relation to the best interests of the
Cannon Mill industrial estate in Estover
"The area was not very well maintained,
Plymouth Pear and the other species of
Road on April 4 or 5 last year.
overgrown and a bit of a mess and frankly
tree in the future."
She said members of the public called
he never would have known in a million
The council has planted specimens in
the council and the tree officer contacted
years that the trees were protected."
Forder Valley and Efford Marsh Local
Seymour and stopped him chopping down
He added Seymour had offered to
Nature Reserves to secure its survival.
any more trees but half the group were
replant the felled trees at a cost of about
gone.
£1,300.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The court heard Plymouth
Pears only grow in the city and
around Truro and have unique
legal protection for a species of
tree.
Endangered Snowdrop Threatened
by Winter Olympics Site
THERE are 20 described species of snowdrop Galanthus spp. Of those, one is a
recently recognised species. Panjutin’s snowdrop Galanthus panjutinii was recently
recognised as a new species by Dmitriy Zubov (National
Academy of Sciences, Ukraine) and Kew botanist Aaron
Davis.
This snowdrop is named in
honour of the climber and
naturalist Platon Sergeyevich
Panjutin (1889–1946) who made
significant studies of the flora
of Abkhazia. It flowers from
March to June, depending on
the elevation.
Its habitat is the subalpine and middle
montane forest belts on calcareous ridges;
along streams, in forest clearings, on
limestone outcrops, rarely in inversion
dells.
Galanthus panjutinii is considered to be
Endangered according to IUCN Red List
criteria. It is known from only five locations,
and its area of occupancy (AOO) is
estimated to be 20 km2.
The ongoing construction of facilities for
the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be
held in Sochi, has destroyed a large part of
one location, and hence is a threat to the
species.
I can think of other places for people
to go skiing!!
9
Woodland Trust Hoping to Find out What Should
be Scotland's National Tree Through Online Poll
Survey launched after a petition was submitted to Holyrood calling
for the "iconic" Scots pine to be made the country's national tree.
A
NEW survey to find Scots' choice for a national tree has been launched the
Woodland Trust. The Trust is asking people to take part in an online poll to find
out what tree they think best represents the nation. It comes in the wake of a
petition submitted to Holyrood calling for the "iconic" Scots pine to be made the
country's national tree.
Rory Syme of the Woodland
Trust Scotland said "Just 17%
of Scotland's land area is
wooded and less than a third of
that is native.
"Despite that, we have a great range of
native trees, each of which has its own
important place in the ecosystem."
He added that "Scots pine is
undoubtedly going to be a favourite" in the
survey to find out which species should be
declared Scotland's national tree.
Hopwever, Mr Syme said: "We want to
give some of our other native trees a
chance to shine.
"Suggestions have already included the
Arran whitebeams, which are the only
species of tree that are only found in
Scotland, and also the rowan, which is well
known for its striking red berries."
The results of the survey will be handed
to the Scottish Parliament, which is
currently considering campaigner Alex
Hamilton's petition for the Scots pine to be
made the official National Tree of Scotland.
Last month Mr Hamilton told MSPs on
the Public Petitions Committee that 70
countries across the world already had a
national tree but that Scotland currently did
not.
He described having a national tree as
being a "symbolic statement of a nation's
aspirations and its commitment to
woodland".
As he said that the Scots pine "comes
in all shapes, colours and forms", he
argued it would be a "wonderful
representation of a multicultural Scotland".
Mr Syme added: "Having our own
national tree would be a great legacy for
the Year of Natural Scotland.
"Alex Hamilton deserves a lot of praise
for having the idea and getting it in front of
MSPs."
The poll is on the Woodland Trust
website.
Burning Wood Effectively
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Chestnut’s only good, they say,
If for long ‘tis laid away.
But ash new or ash old
Is fit for queen with crown of gold.
Birch and for logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last.
It is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E’en the very flames are cold.
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for the queen with golden crown.
Poplar gives a better smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room
With incense like perfume.
Oaken logs, if dry and old,
Keep away the winter’s cold.
But ash wet or ash dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.
Editor’s comment –
Can Scotland really have any other tree as
its national tree than the Scots pine. How
can you ever forget seeing the withered
trees high on a Scottish mountain side?
No, it’s the Scots pine for me.
Anon
My thanks to Crootie for sending this to me. Not only is is a lovely little rhyme, very
useful to those who burn wood, but it is also worth remembering that our ash trees that
will, alas, soon all disappear give the best fuel.
10
Extinction Looms for Forest Elephants
60% of Africa's Forest Elephants Killed
for Their Ivory Over Past Decade
A
FRICAN FOREST ELEPHANTS are being poached out of existence. A study just
published in the online journal PLOS ONE shows that across their range in
central Africa, a staggering 62% of all forest elephants have been killed for their
ivory over the past decade.
"The analysis confirms what
conservationists have feared:
the
rapid
trend
towards
extinction -- potentially within
the next decade -- of the forest
elephant," says Dr Samantha
Strindberg of the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS),
one of the lead authors of the
study.
"Saving the species requires a
coordinated global effort in the countries
where elephants occur -- all along the ivory
smuggling routes, and at the final
destination in the Far East. We don't have
much time before elephants are gone,"
says the other lead author Dr Fiona
Maisels also of WCS.
The study, which examines the largest
ever amount of Central African elephant
survey data, comes as 178 countries
gather in Bangkok to discuss wildlife trade
issues, including poaching and ivory
smuggling.
The study -- the largest ever conducted
on the African forest elephant -- includes
the work of more than 60 scientists
between 2002 and 2011, and an immense
effort by national conservation staff who
spent 91,600 person-days surveying for
elephants in five countries (Cameroon,
Central African Republic, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Gabon and the
Republic of Congo), walking over 13,000
km (more than 8,000 miles) and recording
over 11,000 samples for the analysis.
The paper shows that almost a third of
the land where African forest elephants
were able to live 10 years ago has become
too dangerous for them.
Co-author Dr John Hart of the Lukuru
Foundation says: "Historically, elephants
ranged right across the forests of this vast
region of over 2 million km² (over 772,000
square miles), but now cower in just a
quarter of that area. Although the forest
cover remains, it is empty of elephants,
demonstrating that this is not a habitat
degradation issue. This is almost entirely
due to poaching."
Recent surveys from Democratic
Republic of Congo showed a major decline
of elephants in the Okapi Faunal Reserve,
considered the last stronghold for
elephants in the region.
Results show clearly that forest
elephants were increasingly uncommon in
places with high human density, high
infrastructure density such as roads, high
hunting intensity, and poor governance as
indicated by levels of corruption and
absence of law enforcement.
Distinct from the African savannah
elephant, the African forest elephant is
slightly smaller than its better known
relative and is considered by many to be a
separate species. They play a vital role in
maintaining the biodiversity of one of
Earth's critical carbon sequestering tropical
forests.
Prof Lee White CBE, head of Gabon's
National Parks Service says: "A rainforest
without elephants is a barren place. They
bring it to life, they create the trails and
keep open the forest clearings other
animals use; they disperse the seeds of
many of the rainforest trees -- elephants
are forest gardeners at a vast scale.
“Their calls reverberate through the
trees reminding us of the grandeur of
primeval nature. If we do not turn the
situation around quickly the future of
elephants in Africa is doomed. These new
results illustrate starkly just how dramatic
the situation has become. Our actions over
the coming decade will determine whether
this iconic species survives."
Research carried out by the CITESMIKE program has shown that the increase
in poaching levels across Africa since 2006
is strongly correlated with trends in
consumer demand in the Far East and that
poaching levels are also strongly linked
with governance at the national level and
poverty at the local scale. This has resulted
in escalating elephant massacres in areas
previously thought to be safe.
"We have been carrying out surveys in
the forests of Gabon for over a decade and
seen an increasing number of elephant
carcasses over the years" say co-authors
Rostand Aba'a of the Gabon National
Parks Service, and Marc Ella Akou of
WWF Gabon.
11
Earlier this month, the government of
Gabon
announced
the
loss
of
approximately 11,000 forest elephants in
Minkébé National Park between 2004 and
2012; previously holding Africa's largest
forest elephant population.
President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon
says: "Gabon's elephants are under siege
because of an illegal international market
that has driven ivory prices in the region up
significantly. I call upon the international
community to join us in this fight. If we do
not reverse the tide fast the African
elephant will be exterminated."
Dr George Wittemyer of Save the
Elephants and Colorado State University,
says: "This study provides unequivocal
evidence of the rapid demise of one of the
planet's most charismatic and intelligent
species. The world must wake up to stem
this destruction of species due to
conspicuous consumption."
Effective, rapid, multi-level action is
imperative to save elephants. A drastic
increase of funding, and an immediate
focus on the most effective protection
strategies, are essential to avoid future
huge losses to the remaining elephant
populations.
Dr Stephen Blake of the Max Planck
Institute, says: "Forest elephants need two
things: they need adequate space in which
to range normally, and they need
protection. Unprotected roads, most often
associated with exploitation for timber or
other natural resources, push deeper and
deeper into the wilderness, tolling the
death knell for forest elephants. Large
road-free areas must be maintained, and
the roads that do exist must have effective
wildlife protection plans if forest elephants
are to survive."
ZSL's
West
and
North
Africa
Programme Manager Chris Ransom says:
is also vital to improve control of import and
daunting, China and other Asian countries
"The evidence of this study, coupled with
sales of wildlife goods by the recipient and
demonstrated that strong political will can
the evidence of the massive seizures of
transit countries of illegal ivory, especially
quickly and successfully modify behaviour
ivory seen in East and South East Asia
in Asia.
and governance, as was witnessed during
over the last couple of years makes it clear
The recipient nations, with the
the 2003 SARS threat. Similar action,
that we must take action."
international community, should invest
focused on curbing ivory demand is key if
Reducing chronic corruption and
heavily in public education and outreach to
elephants are to survive.
improving poor law enforcement, which
inform consumers of the ramifications of
facilitate poaching and trade, are crucial. It
the ivory trade. Although the challenge is
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Invasive Non-Native Species
An article edited by Kay Haw found in the
Woodland Trust’s Wood Wise spring 2013 issue
NVASIVE NON-NATIVE SPECIES (INNS) are defined as ‘species whose introduction
and/or spread threaten biological diversity or have other unforeseen impacts’. They
are one of the most serious global threats to biodiversity today, along with habitat
destruction and climate change. They also impact on humans; each year they cost the
UK economy alone £1.7 billion, whereas the European Union spends at least €12
billion a year, and figures suggest the damage caused by INNS amounts to around five
per cent of the world’s economy. Eradication efforts also require many man hours.
I
In Great Britain, native species are
classed as those that colonised the land
naturally at the end of the last ice age. As
the glaciers melted, flora was able to grow
in the re-emerging soil beneath, gradually
moving northwards as the ice retreated,
and fauna took advantage of the expanding
habitats.
However, the melting ice also raised
sea levels, until the land bridge connecting
Britain to mainland Europe was flooded.
Only species that crossed over naturally
before Britain became an island once more
are classed as native.
Humans arrived in Britain about 8,000
years ago and most non-native species
found today have been introduced through
human activities. A small number have
found their way here naturally, including
the tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum,
first recorded in the UK in 2001 and not
invasive.
Natural boundaries, such as seas and
mountains, prevent the spread of many
species between certain areas of the
globe. However, international trade and
travel by humans has artificially transported
species
across
these
previously
impenetrable borders.
M Williamson
(1996) Biological
Invasions initially proposed a ‘tens rule’;
approximately 10% of introduced species
will establish in a new area, and 10% of
those will become invasive.
However,recent research shows this to
be incorrect. For many animal taxa the
actual proportion that can establish and
become invasive exceeds 50%.
In the UK some non-native species
have become naturalised but do not pose a
threat to native species/habitats, including
sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa.
However, due to climate change, there
is a worry that some currently benign non-
natives could become invasive. They could
respond better to the changing climate than
native
species
and
may become
problematic in the future.
Non-natives that have already become
invasive in the UK include Himalayan
balsam, Impatiens glandulifera, and
rhododendron, Rhododendron sp.
Prevention is the most effective
method for dealing with INNS, and this
should guide future policy.
If a species has become established
then early detection and rapid, coordinated
action
is
essential
for
successful
eradication. Where eradication is not
possible, in the case of long-term INNS,
control and containment are the priority.
In January this year, Environment
Minister Richard Benyon announced a ban
on the sale of five invasive non-native
aquatic plant species:
• Water fern, Azolla filiculoides
• Parrot’s feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum
• Floating
pennywort,
Hydrocotyle
ranunculoides
• Australian swamp stone-crop (New
Zealand pygmyweed), Crassula helmsii
• Water primrose, Ludwigia peploides
However, the ban does not come into
effect until April 2014.
Retailers will risk a fine of up to £5,000
and six months in prison if they are found
selling any of these species once the ban
is in place. It is hoped similar bans will be
placed on other INNS in the future.
A new EU Directive is also in
development, many hope this will
strengthen the mechanisms in place to
deal with and prevent INNS.
The following case studies illustrate the
problems caused by species that are
already established and what action can
and should be taken to eradicate them.
12
A
MERICAN SKUNK CABBAGE
(ASC), Lysichiton americanus, is
a
terrestrial,
semi-aquatic
perennial plant native to western North
America.
Although it is not listed under Schedule
9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981,
it is one of a growing number of species
slowly being recognised as a threat at
national level.
The species is a particular danger to
wet woodland, a Biodiversity Action Plan
priority habitat that is already endangered.
Its tall, large colonies outcompete native
species for light.
As with many plants, ASC became
popular with gardeners and is sold widely
by garden centres and the nursery trade.
The problem comes when this fast
spreading species escapes its domestic
confines, often caused by deliberate
planting or the careless disposal of garden
material in the wild.
This bog plant has been identified at
sites across the UK and Ireland, and is
limited by soil moisture content.
ASC can grow to 1.5m in height and
has large, leathery leaves that come out
early and last for much of the growing
season. It forms dense colonies that shade
any plants beneath, degrading previously
species-rich communities. The yellow
hood-like spathes are similar in shape to
those of the native plant wild arum or lordsand-ladies, Arum maculatum.
Berries are produced in summer and
the seeds can be dispersed long distances
along waterways and by birds and
mammals.
The New Forest Non-Native Plants
Project (NFNNPP) was established in 2009
and is hosted by Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Wildlife Trust (HIWWT).
researching the impact of ASC on native
vegetation. The aim of this research was
to: describe the characteristics of the native
vegetation susceptible to invasion by
American skunk cabbage in the New
Forest area and to indicate the relative
ecological value of these habitats in a
national context.
This built on work in 2010 by the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology which
sought to fill evidence gaps relating to the
economic, social, habitat and biodiversity
impacts of ASC.
The report found that initial colonisation
appears to be slow, but as plants mature
and numbers grow there is exponential
expansion, resulting in areas of total
ground cover.
The length of time it takes for the
infestation to become a problem may be
why ASC was not thought to be a
considerable threat until recently. However,
projects such as this highlight the true
invasive nature of the species and serve as
a caution to others with ASC on their land.
I
It is a partnership project funded by
organisations
such
as
HIWWT,
Environment Agency, Natural England,
Forestry Commission and the New Forest
National Park Authority. ASC is a priority
species being tackled to prevent the
spread of invasive non-native plants in the
New Forest, especially in wetland habitats.
The project also helps to implement
The
Invasive
Non-Native
Species
Framework Strategy for Great Britain
published by Defra in 2008.
In
2010,
HIWWT
conducted
experiments on the treatment of ASC. Two
areas
were
treated
by
qualified
professional contractors, one with 2, 4-D
amine, the other with glyphosate. 2, 4-D
amine is a man-made selective herbicide
that only kills broadleaf plants, but can be
harmful to fish.
Glyphosate is a common non-selective
broad spectrum herbicide that is only
effective on actively growing plants, where
it inhibits enzymes.
The
Environment
Agency
has
approved 2, 4-D amine and the glyphosatebased herbicide called Roundup ProBiactive for use near water.
Both types of treatment were found to
have a negative effect on ASC. Early
observations found those plants sprayed
with 2, 4-D amine to be less healthy.
However, two months later there appeared
to be far higher levels of mortality among
those individuals sprayed with glyphosate.
The latter was therefore deemed to be the
most effective control method.
To date, control of ASC has cost the
NFNNPP over £6,000, and work continues.
Following ASC removal, re-colonisation by
native species such as sallow, Salix
caprea,
and
hawthorn,
Crataegus
monogyna, is taking place.
However, some of the cleared areas
are now being infested with another INNS,
Himalayan balsam, Impatiens glandulifera,
which causes its own serious problems.
During 2012, the NFNNPP focused on
N THE UK there are around 1 million
deer made up of six species, but only
red deer, Cervus elaphus, and roe
deer, Capreolus capreolus, are native.
Fallow deer, Dama dama, were
introduced to Britain by the Normans in the
11th century.
Sika deer, Cervus nippon, were
introduced from Asia into Britain in 1860.
Muntjac deer, Muntiacus reevesi, were
introduced from China in the early 20th
century.
Chinese water deer, Hydropotes
inernis, escaped from Whipsnade Zoo after
being introduced there in 1929 – the UK
population is thought to represent 10% of
global populations.
Humans have hunted to extinction any
natural predators of deer in the UK, such
as the wolf, Canis lupus. This, and other
factors such as milder winters, mean their
number are increasing.
Parallel to this is the reduction of
natural habitat through human develop-
13
ment.
An excess of deer leads to overgrazing
and excessive browsing and trampling.
This is especially problematic for ancient
woodland flora and fauna. Over-grazing
causes the loss of iconic woodland ground
flora, such as bluebells, and can prevent
natural regeneration. This loss of food
plants results in a decline in invertebrate
species.
Woodland birds are negatively affected
by a loss of prey, but ground nesters also
struggle as ground cover is consumed.
Too many deer can also cause health
problems for themselves (through lack of
food), damage to farmland and gardens,
and an increase in traffic accidents.
It is estimated that there are up to
74,000 deer-vehicle collisions each year.
Defra estimates that deer cause £4.3
million of damage to agriculture in England
alone.
The
GB
Non-Native
Species
Secretariat estimates some 350,000 deer
are culled each year to try and manage
populations and reduce damage.
Brede High Woods is a 262 hectare
Woodland Trust site in East Sussex, in the
High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. Fallow deer are the main species
in the area, although roe and muntjac are
on the increase.
It was estimated that up to
60 fallow deer were using Brede. Fallow
deer are widespread in England and
Wales, but are patchier in Scotland.
When the Trust took over the wood in
2007, deer were quickly identified as an
immediate issue. There was some damage
being inflicted on the wood, but Brede is
fairly robust. They were, however, far more
of a problem to neighbouring land.
Two orchards next to Brede were
almost unviable because of the deer
impact, which was causing environmental
and economic issues.
A deer impact assessment was carried
out at Brede. This showed a high level of
deer activity and a moderate level of
impact, with a risk to sensitive features
such as coppice.
The Deer Initiative suggests that an
unmanaged fallow deer population can
double its numbers in five years and treble
in seven years.
Unlike other deer species they do not
seem to have found a limit to population
growth due to lack of food or habitat.
Therefore, it was also recognised that
allowing the deer population to rise would
cause Brede increasing problems in the
future. As a rule, early preventative action
is the best option for dealing with any
invasive species.
In collaboration with the Deer Initiative,
the Trust tried to set up a deer
management
group
with
local
stakeholders, but this proved too difficult.
Deer stalking is competitive and there
was found to be a poaching problem, so it
was initially difficult to get information on
deer culls in the area. Over time
relationships were built with local deer
stalkers and this has increased the flow of
information, although it is not the full
picture.
Co-ordination at a landscape scale is
important for successful deer control. One
problem with deer stalking is that male
bucks are sometimes killed over does, as
they make more impressive trophies.
However, to successfully control a
population the females should be targeted.
At Brede a flow chart was created to
keep track of numbers, sexes and ages.
This was used to set a cull figure to reduce
the population by 10%.
Deer management can be expensive,
but Brede entered into a mutually beneficial
arrangement with a local stalker. He carries
out culling to a figure set in collaboration
with the Trust, and in return he keeps the
deer killed to generate income.
The deer impact assessment was
repeated in 2009 and came up with a
similar result to the first. This indicates that
the population is being maintained at a
suitable level and is not increasing.
Due to the open access policy at
Brede, there are constraints in place to
protect the public. In the last couple of
years, increased public access and
opening up the woods through thinning and
rhododendron clearance has made it more
difficult to reach cull targets.
Deer control can be a sensitive subject,
but is often essential to maintain the health
of habitats and the diversity of species
using them. A landscape approach
involving all stakeholders is the best
method, and the Deer Initiative is an
excellent source of information and
guidance.
Due to its potential impact on the
Water Framework Directive (WFD) status
of water bodies it is viewed as a priority to
control.
Brought to Britain in the 1980s by the
aquatic nursery trade, floating pennywort
first naturalised in 1990 due to plants being
irresponsibly discarded from garden ponds.
It was initially popular because it is
easy to grow and can adapt to cope with
full sun or shade, but its ability to spread
quickly and completely cover ponds and
lakes is not so favourable, although in full
shade it does not dominate.
The species can be found in ponds and
waterways in woodland, either due to the
reckless disposal of unwanted plants by
individuals or its spread from infested
areas upstream.
The fleshy-stemmed plant can be
found rooted in shallow margins or freefloating on slow moving and still water. Its
ability to grow at an impressive 200mm a
day means it can quickly create
interweaving dense mats that dominate
water bodies, outcompeting native plants
for space and light.
Its sheer mass can deoxygenate the
water and lower its temperature, causing
stress to fish. Its tangled growth can also
prevent air breathing insects from reaching
the surface.
Floating
pennywort
reproduces
asexually and vegetatively, meaning even
small fragments of root can quickly give
rise to new extensive mats – this makes
control more difficult. It has large kidneyshaped lobed leaves with the stalk
attached between the lobes. This allows it
to be easily separated from the native
marsh pennywort, Hydrocotyle vulgaris,
which is smaller with round leaves and the
stalk attached to the centre.
In Yorkshire, floating pennywort was
first reported in the wild in 2008 by the Don
Catchment Rivers Trust, but it had
probably been growing there since the
early 2000s. Luckily infestation was caught
early and the only badly affected areas
were on Calder Navigation and parts of
Don Navigation.
In other parts of Britain its spread is far
more extensive.
In 2010 the Yorkshire Pennywort
F
LOATING
PENNYWORT,
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, is a
freshwater aquatic invasive plant
that is native to North America. It is
listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is
an offence to plant or otherwise cause
this species to grow in the wild.
A ban on the sale of floating pennywort
was announced earlier this year and was
welcomed by many. Its ability to rapidly
choke slow flowing waterways increases
flood risk and causes problems to wildlife.
It can grow up to 200mm a day and
costs the British economy £23.5 million
a year.
14
Forum was established. This partnership
project provides a co-ordinated response to
tackling, recording and monitoring the
problem and spread of floating pennywort
in Yorkshire. Action was targeted on the
Rivers Don, Rother and Calder.
There are two main methods of control:
• Chemical – using glyphosate with an
appropriate adjuvant, such as ‘Topfilm’,
which is a binding agent that makes the
leaf sticky and allows the glyphosate to
be absorbed better. This is applied
during the growing season (which is very
long) from April to December. Once
applied, glyphosate is absorbed through
the plant’s foliage. It works by inhibiting
an essential enzyme, causing the plant to
stop growing and die off. However, good
access is needed, often from a boat on
larger water bodies, and it can kill nontarget native plants.
• Mechanical extraction – removal by hand
pulling or mechanised vehicle. However,
this can cause fragmentation and result
in lots of new growth. Therefore this
method is only really suitable for low
infestations. But extraction may be
deemed appropriate for immediate shortterm reduction of an intense infestation –
to reduce the quantity of chemicals used
or to aid access for chemical application.
The areas affected should be fenced or
netted off to ensure all cut material is
contained and removed. Even tiny
fragments can cause regrowth or
infestations further downstream.
Sadly, long-term chemical control at
the right time of year is the only really
effective method of removal.
Following treatment, decomposition of
the dead material can be slow. On rivers
this material dies then breaks up and
travels downstream. Excessive amounts of
dead material on still water can be
problematic and should be removed if
necessary.
Due to the dense structure of the mats,
there may need to be repeat spray
treatments on the same area to ensure all
of it has been reached. The Centre for
Ecology and Hydrology recommend a
follow-up treatment around 2-4 weeks after
the initial application.
In Yorkshire £50,000 has been spent
treating 40km of watercourse to date, but
other regions have spent far more due to
greater levels of invasion.
They have also worked to raise public
awareness of the problem through press
releases. The money to finance the project
was sourced from WFD funding.
The Yorkshire partnership has worked
well as there are only four-five key
partners, only two main landowners, the
project has been centrally funded, it has
highly active forum members, and the team
is dynamic and committed.
This means floating pennywort is being
successfully eliminated from Yorkshire
waterways. However, the careless disposal
of plants by gardeners must be addressed
if this plant is to be kept from decimating
aquatic habitats and the wildlife that they
support.
In December 2012 a new outbreak was
reported on the River Rivelin in Sheffield,
which shows that the group need to
Glyphosate spraying of floating pennywort
Andrew Virtue, Environment Agency
remain vigilant.
G
IANT HOGWEED, Heracleum
mantegazzianum, is a terrestrial,
perennial or biennial plant native
to the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is
listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is
an offence to plant or otherwise cause
this species to grow in the wild.
Its ability to rapidly dominate native
vegetation and its toxicity make it a danger
to wildlife and humans.
First introduced into Britain in 1893 as
an ornamental plant (a member of the cowparsley family), it soon escaped from
domestic gardens into the wild.
It grows 5m high with large, white
umbel flowers, each flower head can
produce thousands of seeds. These are
easily transported by water, allowing the
species to rapidly spread along waterways.
Wasteland is also being colonised by giant
hogweed.
It outcompetes native vegetation by
forming dense colonies that shade out
species growing beneath. This reduces
floristic biodiversity, which has a knock-on
effect along the food chain. It dies back in
winter and leaves the banks of
watercourses bare.
This contributes to the risk of soil
erosion and reduces winter cover available
to wildlife.
The sap of giant hogweed contains
toxic chemicals called furanocoumarins.
These are produced as an insect defence
and, along with the loss of native food
plants, this may contribute to a reduction in
invertebrate biodiversity.
The same chemicals also have
antifungal properties and are found in the
roots as well as the leaves. It is therefore
thought that giant hogweed can suppress
soil fungi, which are crucial for maintaining
soil fertility.
The furanocoumarins make control of
this invasive particularly difficult. These
poisons are found in the small hairs on the
leaves and stems. If these touch human
skin (the hairs can penetrate light clothing)
and then the area is exposed to sunlight,
they can cause the skin to become
irritated, red, burnt and blistered for several
months. This condition is called phytophotodermatitis and sensitivity to light can
persist for many years following the initial
damage. Therefore chemical control is
deemed the safest option.
The poisonous sap also presents a
problem to children who sometimes enjoy
playing with the hollow stems of giant
hogweed.
Jacob’s Well Wood is a small 1 hectare
Woodland Trust site on the northern bank
of the River Tweed, near Coldstream in the
Scottish Borders. In 2000 areas of the
riverbank were heavily infested with giant
hogweed.
A programme of annual spraying with
glyphosate herbicide, two applications a
year, was initiated. By 2012 it had been
reduced by half and the eradication work
continues.
Cost to date for control on this small
site is approximately £3,000.
The Scottish Rural Development
Programme has the following advice for
giant hogweed spraying:
• Wear protective clothing at all times.
• Spray with glyphosate during the growing
season, when green leaves are present.
• Spray the top and underside of leaves.
• Spray at least twice in one growing
season.
• Spray before the plant flowers and sets
seed.
• Apply the herbicide once the plant is over
500mm in height.
• Annual follow-up spraying is required for
re-growth and seedlings.
Cutting, mowing or digging up can also
be undertaken, but these raise serious
health issues for the individuals involved. In
Scotland, the Scottish
Environment
Protection Agency must be consulted
before mechanical removal is carried out.
The resulting material must be carefully
removed from the site and disposed of by
an authorised individual.
Strimming
or
composting
giant
hogweed must not be carried out.
Advice from the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology outlines reports of long-term
damage to ducklings that had trodden on
giant hogweed tissue. Even three weeks
15
after their brief exposure, the beaks were
deformed and the feet darkly discoloured.
This highlights the risks posed to wildlife as
well as humans.
Although there has been some
regeneration of giant hogweed at Jacob’s
Well, none has reached flowering stage
due to the on-going control programme.
There has been some native vegetation
regeneration, mainly grasses and herb
species, such as comfrey, Symphytum
officinale, and broom, Cytisus scoparius.
This is part of a larger coordinated
project to control INNS along the Tweed
Site of Special Scientific Interest and
Special Area of Conservation, overseen by
the Tweed Forum.
H
IMALAYAN OR INDIAN BALSAM,
Impatiens glandulifera, is a
terrestrial, annual plant native to
the western Himalayas. It is listed under
Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is an
offence to plant or otherwise cause this
species to grow in the wild.
Himalayan balsam, by forming tall,
dense colonies, shades out and results in
the extirpation of native vegetation.
Introduced to Britain in 1839, it was
initially grown in gardens because of its
beautiful pink slipper-shape flowers.
However, it escaped and was first recorded
in the wild in 1855. It favours the sides of
waterways and damp ground, including wet
woodland.
Growing up to 3 metres high, it is one
of the tallest annual plants now found in the
UK and can completely dominate areas. It
spreads rapidly through exploding seed
pods. A single plant can produce 2,500
seeds.
Once matured, the pods violently burst
open when touched – scattering the seeds
far and wide. The seeds are also easily
carried by wind or water, so flooding can
be a significant factor for seed dispersal.
Penstave Copse is an 8.5 hectare (ha)
wood located near South Brent, Devon, on
the southern edge of Dartmoor within the
upper reaches of the Avon Valley. The site
is a mix of ancient and secondary
woodland and grassland fields.
Mature oak, Quercus sp., ash,
Fraxinus excelsior, hazel, Corylus avellana
and alder, Alnus glutinosa, high forest
woodland occurs along the rivers edge and
accounts for approximately 40% of the site,
which is notably rich in lower plant growth,
such as bryophytes.
Coppice hazel is often dominant in the
Sub-canopy, and dormice, Muscardinus
avellanarius, occur throughout the site.
The Himalayan balsam, at Penstave is
found high up on the sides of the slopes as
well as along the river edge – perhaps due
to deliberate planting.
The Woodland Trust has spent 10
years trying to control the spread of this
invasive plant. Unfortunately, there is an
upstream
seed
source,
therefore
reinvasion is a constant threat. This
highlights the need for landscape scale
working if effective INNS management is to
be achieved.
Spread of the plant at Penstave has
been along pathways, where it is thought
people and animals brush past the plants
and assist the distribution of the seeds.
The important time to control
Himalayan balsam is before the flowers
appear. This prevents seed development,
breaks the germination pattern and can
help to drastically reduce an infestation.
Thankfully the seeds are not persistent
in the soil, only lasting about 18 months, so
populations can be eradicated after 2 or 3
years of consistent control, providing
infection by an outside seed source does
not occur.
Previous management has included
rolling it to crush the stems and chemical
spraying with herbicide.
Due to the diversity of the ground flora
on site, such as lesser butterfly orchid,
Platanthera bifolia, this practice was short
lived. More recently mowing is carried out
before flowering takes place in June.
The plant must be cut below the lowest
node on the stem, this prevents it
flowering. If cut above the lowest node, the
plant can regrow its damaged stem and go
on to flower later in the season. Therefore
mowing stems close to soil level can be
very effective. Mechanical control can be
difficult in areas of limited accessibility, but
has proved more effective than using
herbicides.
In the future the use of horses is being
considered. Regular grazing by livestock
helps prevent the spread of plants through
trampling and the eating of young
seedlings.
Ponies are already abundant on
Dartmoor, as they are hardy and can cope
with steep slopes. Evidence from other
projects shows cattle and sheep to be
useful for controlling Himalayan balsam
from April throughout the growing season.
Costs for Penstave are around £1,500
a year, combined with bracken and ragwort
control – which the Himalayan balsam is
mixed in with. This has been ongoing for at
least 10 years, with total costs exceeding
£15,000. It is hoped grazing will reduce the
annual spend on control.
Silver Wood (4.3 ha) and Hunkin Wood
(5.9 ha) are also located in Devon. Both of
these woods are sited on floodplains that
flood annually. As with Penstave there is a
seed source for Himalayan balsam further
upstream. This makes control at the sites
very difficult as new seeds are annually
transported to them.
However, the Environment Agency is
working on projects in the area focused on
removing Himalayan balsam from the top
of the catchment down. If successful, this
landscape scale approach should stop
seeds being transported along waterways
and spreading during flood events.
Costs for control at Silver Wood are
around £1,140 per year, and £700-£1,000
for Hunkin Wood. Silver Wood also has a
dedicated volunteer group from the local
parish. They hold one or two community
days a year where they cut down and pull
up the Himalayan balsam before it flowers.
At Hunkin Wood there are plans to
introduce grazing in the near future. Both
sites have previously used chemical
control, but, as with Penstave, mechanical
removal has proved more effective.
Maintaining the ecological health of a
habitat can prevent Himalayan balsam
invading an area. A dense sward of native
vegetation inhibits germination of the
invasive plant’s seeds. However, disturbed
ground provides the perfect conditions to
allow Himalayan balsam seeds to grow.
Once established they then suppress
native plant growth and dominate large
16
areas. This is a strong argument for
ensuring the resilience and health of
natural habitats.
R
hododendron ponticum is a
terrestrial plant native to the
eastern
and
western
Mediterranean (such as Spain and
Turkey) and through Asia to China. It is
listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is
an offence to plant or otherwise cause
this species to grow in the wild.
It was first introduced to Britain in the
1700s. Victorian country estates planted it
for its ornamental value and to provide
cover for game birds. Its attractive leaves
and flowers made it increasingly popular in
gardens, and by the mid of the 19th
century it was commonly planted.
Rhododendron can invade new areas
via tiny seeds that are easily wind
dispersed,
and
through
vegetative
propagation. As a single flower can
produce three to seven thousand seeds
each year, a large shrub can release many
millions.
They germinate best in areas with
disturbed ground, as they find it difficult to
establish where native ground cover is
healthy and dense. This is a strong
argument for ensuring the good condition
of sites of high conservation value.
Once established, evidence indicates
that rhododendron has an allelopathic
effect on competing plants. Toxins are
thought to be created and released that
hinder the growth of other species. It also
produces toxic chemicals in its foliage,
which are most concentrated in its young
leaves and buds. This unfortunately makes
it unpalatable and deadly to grazing
animals that may have controlled its
growth.
Invasive rhododendron is capable of
dominating areas with its large canopies. It
can even take over wetland habitats that
are unsuitable for its growth; by
maintaining its root system in drier soil it
can extend its canopy out over the wetland.
Small waterways can be completely
shaded over by rhododendron canopies,
which can have major negative effects on
wildlife such as fish.
Following successful rhododendron
invasion little other plant life survives.
Trees growing above the rhododendron
level endure, but natural regeneration is
prevented. Delicate native ground flora
succumbs to competition for space and
light, and suspected toxic effect of the
rhododendron plants.
There is a knock-on effect for fauna, as
only two aphids have so far been
associated with rhododendron in Britain.
In 2007, the Woodland Trust acquired
Brede High Woods, which lies within the
High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty and the High Weald Natural
Character Area. It covers a total of 262
hectares (ha) across the East Sussex
parishes
of
Brede,
Ewhurst
and
Sedlescombe, but about 10 ha (mostly in
one large block) was infested with what
was originally thought to be R ponticum.
However, recent evidence suggests
that it is actually a hybrid swarm involving
several rhododendron species, known as
Rhododendron x superponticum. This
super rhododendron is highly invasive in
Britain and seriously suppresses native
vegetation and its associated fauna.
Almost all the invaded area was within
the Plantations on Ancient Woodland Site
(PAWS) section of Brede. The Woodland
Trust is committed to restoring ancient
woodland that has been planted with nonnative conifers. Rhododendron was
assessed to be the most immediate threat
to the PAWS site.
The rhododendron was last cut back
in the early 2000s when the first thinning of
Scot’s pine, Pinus sylvestris, and Corsican
pine, Pinus nigra subsp. laricio, was carried
out. However, it was then left and grew
back densely, reaching chest height.
Rows of monoculture plantation trees
and their extraction routes can have
negative impacts on biodiversity and water
quality/run off. However, they did prove
useful
in
enabling
large
scale
rhododendron clearance.
A 400hp purpose-built mulcher was
able to move in the open areas and up and
down the racks. The driver was well briefed
to ensure important features such as wood
banks and old coppice stools were
protected.
Following this a smaller mulcher was
employed to work in between the trees.
The whole process took around two
weeks to complete and cost £15,000. This
was funded through a Woodland
Improvement Grant, Heritage Lottery Fund
Grant and funding from the Tubney
Charitable Trust.
The removal of rhododendron is a high
priority across the High Weald due to the
acid soils which the plant prefers and
prospers in.
As such a large area was cleared in
one go and there were high spraying costs
involved immediately. There are ongoing
costs involved in spraying the regrowth,
but these are reducing year on year.
The worst areas of rhododendron were
within the section of old sweet chestnut,
Castanea sativa, coppice stools. Both the
stools and invasive shrubs were a
substantial
size.
Here
volunteers
painstakingly removed it by hand, although
this cost less economically it required many
more man hours.
As the forestry and farming practices at
Brede were not overly intensive, much of
the former seedbank remained in the soil.
Following removal it took three years for
the native ground flora to start recovering,
but it then responded well. The grasses
and heather, Calluna vulgaris, responded
most quickly.
Joyden’s Wood comprises ancient
woodland and PAWS. It is a hilly site
located on the Eastern suburban fringe of
London close to Dartford and Bexley. Of
the 136ha site, a third to a half was once
covered in R ponticum.
Although it was mostly located on the
northern part of the site, its extent was
growing due to footfall.
Luckily there is a large dedicated group
of volunteers that works at Joyden’s for half
a day each week. They were tasked with
cutting back the rhododendron and digging
out the roots. Most areas were cleared five
years ago, but regrowth is coming through.
Rhododendron
hampers
tree
regeneration, but in the opened up areas
broadleaf seedlings are germinating.
Contractors are also used to remove
rhododendron. They cut it back, which is
less effective than digging up the roots, but
this is then followed up the next year by
spraying glyphosate on the regrowth during
the growing season. This is generally done
on the larger clumps, where digging up by
hand is not feasible and could damage
adjacent native regeneration and ground
flora. It requires 5-6 man days a year and
costs £2000-£3000 annually.
Rhododendron control is an ongoing
concern, and volunteer time dedicated to
this is estimated at 15-20 days per year,
around 30-40% of their total volunteer
hours.
Manually digging up rhododendron can
be carried out in any season, but in winter
it is far easier to get into densely vegetated
areas.
Rhododendron is a persistent invasive
that is hard to control. It is prudent to take a
landscape scale approach to removing it,
to
prevent
reinvasion
later
from
neighbouring land.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best British Beef
17
Our Next Meeting
Wednesday 3 April 2013
W
HY NOT join us for our first evening visit of the year when we visit
Ashwellthorpe on Wednesday 3 April. Please note that we start at 18:30
prompt in olrder to benefit from as much light as we can. We shall have the
opportunity for a first-hand view of ash dieback as the woodland has been badly
affected. It is something of the utmost importance so can you really afford to miss
this opportunity.
Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe
is one of Norfolk’s few remaining ancient woodlands. It has
been a nature reserve since
1992 and is a very varied woodland with many tree species and
its 37 hectares include a good
network of rides.
The wood is especially beautiful in
spring with carpets of bluebells, wood
anemones and ransoms.
The wood is partly surrounded by an
ancient bank and ditch.
The name
Ashwellthorpe is evidence of an early
settlement there, perhaps of Danish origin
and hints that ash trees, which still grow in
the wood, have been part of the landscape
there for over a thousand years.
There was extensive woodland here at
the time of the Domesday Book (1081) and
the present woodland is but a remnant of
that.
Much of the woodland was felled to
create arable farmland and the wood was
reduced to its modern size by 1838.
In more recent times, it was managed
by coppicing, producing many thousands of
poles for broom handles by a local brush
factory in Wymondham until the 1970s.
The woodland supports a huge variety
of plants, animals, insects and fungi. The
diversity of its ground flora and the
presence of plateau alderwood, a
nationally rare woodland type, are
especially important features.
A good range of woodland birds can be
seenand heard. Sparrowhawks nest, and
both green and great-spotted woodpeckers
can be seen.
One of the more elusive species, which
favours the wetter areas of the wood, is the
woodcock, best spotted when the birds are
‘roding’. This characteristic display flight
takes place in the twilight during spring and
early summer.
Look for birds silhouetted against the
night sky, flying on rounded wings and
making distinctive grunting calls. Other
birds best looked for at dusk include little
and tawny owls.
Even without other historical evidence
a botanist would recognise the ancient
origins of this woodland. The combination
of species, including bluebell, wood
anemone, primrose, dog’s mercury, yellow
archangel, herb paris and early purple
orchid, is a sure indicator of woodland
which is hundreds, or perhaps even
thousands, of years old.
Late April and May are wonderful
months to visit NWT Lower Wood,
Ashwellthorpe, as many plants flower at
this time, before the canopy of leaves
closes overhead shading the woodland
floor.
In the wetter areas of the wood look for
the golden flowers of marsh marigold,
carpets of white flowered ramsons and the
purple flower spikes of early purple orchids.
18
Drier areas have colourful patches of
bluebells and the delicate, white flowers of
wood anemones.
This nature reserve supports a diverse
range of trees and shrubs including ash,
oak, hornbeam, alder and grey poplar.
Shrubs such as spindle and dogwood
indicate the calcareous nature of the soils.
In wet areas, where alder grows, look
for guelder-rose. This attractive shrub has
white flowers in spring and glossy red
berries in the autumn.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust purchased this
woodland in March 1992, when the
traditional practice of coppicing had
ceased. Part of the wood had been planted
with sycamore and poplars.
With the help of many local volunteers
NWT has reintroduced coppicing. The
coppice rotation ensures a diversity of age
ranges and structures of trees and shrubs
and benefits both the wildflowers and the
bird life.
You may see electric fences placed
around recently coppiced areas. This is to
allow the trees to regrow without the
resident deer grazing the new growth,
which can kill the trees.
NWT Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe lies
4km to the south-east of Wymondham
along Silfield Road. Parking is in the village
on the road. Entrance is via a public
footpath from Ashwellthorpe village.
So don’t be late. We look forward to
seeing you there.
News From Broadland District
Council’s Conservation Team
Broadland Tree Preservation Orders Served, Confirmed and Revoked
TPOs Served
TPO 2013 No 6 (1201)
Church Yard, Church Road, Blofield
TPO 2013 No 13 (1208)
9 Ames Court, Cawston
TPO 2013 No 10 (1205)
Blofields Loke, Aylsham
TPO 2013 No 14 (1209)
17 White Hart Street, Aylsham
TPO 2013 No 11 (1206)
12 Lower House, White Lion Road,
Coltishall
TPO 2013 No 15 (1210)
Land adjacent to Wyngates, Blofield
TPO 2013 No 12 (1207)
The Oaks, 105 & 107 Fakenham Road,
Taverham
TPO 2013 No 16 (1211)
40, 42 & 44 School Road, Drayton
TPO 2012 No 54 (1127)
Drayton Wood, Drayton
TPO 2012 No 103 (1176) Scotch Hill, Taverham
TPO 2012 No 82 (1155)
14 St Michaels Close, Aylsham
TPOs Confirmed
TPOs Confirmed with Modifications
TPO 2012 No 85 (1159)
Hall Drive, Honningham
TPOs Revoked
TPO 1955 No 1 (39)
Saint Faiths Road, Old Catton
TPO 1986 No 1 (446)
Mousehold Lane, Sprowston
TPO 1977 No 1 (348)
Drayton Wood, Drayton
TPO 1986 No 6 (451)
Linden Lea, Buxton
TPO 1980 No 7 (382)
Hall Drive, Honingham
TPO 1990 No 6 (520)
Shakespeare Way, Taverham
TPOs Not Confirmed
TPO 2012 No 77 (1150)
120 Taverham Road, Taverham
Current Works to Trees Subject to a Tree Preservation Order and
Section 211 Notifications for Works to Trees Within Conservation Areas
App No
Address
Species / Requested Works
Received/
Decision
20121588
19 The Warren, Old Catton
T1 and T2 silver birch - crown lift to height of 3m.
Reduce overall height of crown by 20%.
T3 and T4 silver birch - crown reduction by 20%
06/11/2012
20121752
33 The White House, Wroxham Road, Coltishall
T1 beech - reduce stump of crown by approx 1.5 m.
T3 beech - reduce crown by up to 4m.
11/12/2012
20121782
Copperbeech House,4 Library Close,Blofield
Please refer to Tree Report.
20121785
3 Malthouse Yard, Reepham
T1 - hazel - remove wisteria
T2 Sorbus - prune to be 0.5m from telephone cables
T3 silver birch - formatively prune
T4 - holly - fell two dead stems
17/12/2012
20121789
The Old House, 15 Church Street, Coltishall
T1, T2 & T3 sycamore - fell.
T4, T5 & T6 lime - fell.
T7, T8, T9 & T10 lime - reduce height by 50%.
17/12/2012
20130021
12 Blofields Loke, Aylsham
T1 rowan - fell
20130022
Lower House 12 White Lion Road Coltishall
T1 oak - reduce canopy by 4m
T2 and T3 beech - fell
T4 beech - remove limb leaning on adjacent beech
20130023
24 Belmore Road, Thorpe St Andrew
T1 chestnut - fell
08/01/2013
20130050
Dawdys Farmhouse, The Street, Halvergate
T1ash - dismantle and fell 2 stems, reduce codominant stem, crown clean and deadwood
T2 hazel - re-coppice
Withdrawn
19
T2 birch - reduce height by 2.5m
Split decision
TPO required
TPO required
Cardinals Hat, Back Street, Reepham
T1 2 silver birch - tip back overextended side lateral
branches, reduce elected side laterals by 0.5 – 1m.
T2 gleditzia - prune crown to provide 1m clearance
from house and reduce branches over adjacent
laurel and mahonia. Crown clean.
No objection
37 Thunder Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
T45 beech - thin crown 20%
T46 oak - fell
T47 sycamore - remove and replace with oak
T48 holly - reduce upper crown by 2m and reshape
canopy or coppice
T49 beech - fell and replace with oak or sweet
chestnut
T50 - beech - reduce canopy
Split decision
1 Gillett Drive, Halvergate
T3,4 & 8 Monterey cypress - fell and replace with
one cypress oak
T5 lime - raise low branches 3.5m above ground
level over car park
T6 Monterey cypress - raise and reduce lower
canopy to SE over garden to give 4m clearance
T7 - ???
No objection
20130117
Durrell Cottage, 6 Woodland Drive, Great Little
Plumstead
T1 hawthorn - reduce crown 2m (width) 4m (height).
T2 ash - fell
T3 yew - reduce crown 2.5m (width), 4.5m (height)
T6 pear - reduce crown 3m (width), 4m (height)
T7, T8 and T9 sycamore - fell
T10 ash - reduce (see application)
No objection
20130118
Brambles, 138 Lower Street, Salhouse
T1 and T2 fir - fell
No objection
150 Thunder Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
T1 sycamore - fell and replace with yew
T2 sycamore - reduce to previous reduction points
(approx 15% reduction). Crown clean 10%
T3 sycamore - remove
T4 horse chestnut - reduce to previous reduction
points (15%). Crown clean 15%
Split decision
20130128
Beverley House, 2 Lake View Drive, Brundall
T1 robinia - pollard
T2 Tilia - raise lower growth by approx 6m, remove
epicormic growth and crown clean
T3 Thuja plicata - remove stem overhanging drive
T4 Fagus - crown clean
Approve
20130141
4 Bulwer Road, Buxton With Lamas
T1 beech - fell
20130154
Orchard Cottage, 56 Norwich Road, Horstead
With Stanninghall
T2 oak - reduce branch endings sympathetically on
leaning side of tree by up to 1m, crown clean and
selectively thin epicormic grwoth on main stem.
T3 oak - reduce branch endings sympathetically
over the dwelling by no more than 1m.
20130155
Burgh House, Burgh Road, Aylsham
A1 and A2 sycamores - fell
No objection
20130172
1 Woodlands Crescent,Thorpe St Andrew
T1 Quercus Ilex - reduce branches overhanging
property by 1 to 2m
07/02/2013
20130176
9 Ames Court, Cawston
T1-T7 confer - remove and grind away stumps
20130187
161 Norwich Road, Wroxham
T1 oak - raise crown over road to gain clearance of
5.5m. Remove deadwood. Sever ivy at base of tree.
12/02/2013
20130189
1 Western Avenue,Thorpe St Andrew
T1 ash and T2 cypress - dismantle to ground
No objection
20130190
111 Stuart Road, Aylsham
T1 leylandii and T2 conifer - fell
No objection
20130191
Pheasant House, 1 Pheasant Walk, South
Walsham
T1 Scots pine and T2 beech - raise to 3m
12/02/2013
20130200
White Hart Street, Aylsham
T1 crab apple - fell and replant with small crab apple
T2 weeping birch - fell and replant (species tbc)
20130201
Norwich Sofa and Pine Warehouse Ltd, 2
Roundtree Way, Sprowston
T1 & T2 species unknown - trim back overhanging
branches to property boundary
20130232
29 Barnby Road, Badersfield
T1 cherry - fell
Approve
20130233
22 Harvey Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
Remove front section of hedge as shaded grey on
the attached plan
Approve
20130234
33 High Street, Foulsham
T1 - T6 laurel - reduce height to 2 ft below guttering
20130051
20130052
20130063
20130124
20
31/01/2013
Approve
TPO required
TPO required
14/02/2013
20/02/2013
20130241
Broads End, 142 Lower Street, Salhouse
T1 yew - remove
T2 oak - reduce single branch overhanging garden
by 40%
G1 oaks - raise crowns to 3m to allow access below
No objection
20130263
Ashford House, 8 Hartwell Road, Wroxham
T1 maple - thin growth from previous topping points
by 10%. Reduce remaining overall canopy by no
more than 1.5 m to natural growth points. Raise
lower canopy over the drive to give 3.5m clearance.
No objection
20130264
77 Bishops Close, Thorpe St Andrew
T1 - red oak - remove 3 lower branches (5-6 m).
Reduce height to 6-7 m
T2 - silver birch -Reduce height to 6-7 m
T3 - green cedar - remove 3-4 m from top
27/02/2013
20130270
Holly House, 4 Stanmore Road, Thorpe St
Andrew
T1 yew - remove low hanging branches under height
of 6 feet
No objection
20130271
Leewood , 28 Back Street, Horsham
T1 alder - remove
27/02/2013
20130282
The Gables, The Moor, Reepham
T1 beech - reduce crown by 10%, reduce by 1 metre
on gable end of the house. Crown clean.
28/02/2013
20130286
2 Gurney Drive, Sprowston
T1 and T4 cherry and T2 and T3 maple - fell
01/03/2013
20130287
Keys Hill Lodge, 55 Keys Drive, Wroxham
T1 and T2 - beech - crown lift to 5.2 m over road
No objection
20130288
Dawdys Farmhouse, The Street, Halvergate
T1 ash - dismantle and fell one stem of multistemmed tree.
No objection
20130290
24 Waterloo Close, Horsham, Newton St Faith
T1 ash - fell
No objection
20130293
Crown House, Crown Road, Horsham
T1 ash - fell
04/03/2013
20130294
4 Walnut Close, Taverham
T1 oak - reduce and shape crown by removing tips
back to alternative growing points by up to 2m.
Raise low branches over neighbours’ gardens. Raise
crown by removing secondary branches to give
ground clearance of 3.5 to 4m.
04/03/2013
20130295
20 College Close, Coltishall
T4 oak - clean and raise canopy by 1.5m, remove
two branches
04/03/2013
20130314
Pegaru, 25 Ollands Road, Reepham
T1 willow - reduce new growth by reducing canopy
by 20%
T2 fir - reduce side branches by 1m back to
boundary
06/03/2013
20130321
St Gervases and St Protases Church, Little
Plumstead Hospital, Hospital Road, Great Little
Plumstead
T43 Atlantic cedar: - reduce 2 limbs leading from
topping wound by 30% (3m) - reduce large lateral
limb leading from socket wound by 25% (2m) reduce large lower limb to south by 15% (1.5m) reduce large lower limb to north east by reducing ??
07/03/2013
20130348
Maidstone Properties ,c/o Mills Knight, 9 Bank
Plain, Norwich
T1-T3 ash - reduce back to previous pruning points
13/03/2013
20130350
32 Bircham Road, Reepham
T1 oak - fell
T2 ash - fell (or reduce crown by 1.5 – 2 m and
reform)
T3 beech - remove old pruning stubs back to the
branch collar
20130351
9 Woodland Drive, Old Catton
T1 lime - crown clean and thin up to 20%
T2 oak - crown clean
14/03/2013
20130353
Frogmore, 46 The Avenue, Wroxham
T1 and T2 conifer - top by 20%
T3 and T4 beech - light crown lift by removing small
low branches and crown clean/thin by 20%
T5 and T6 beech - crown lift to 5m and crown
clean/thin by 20%
T7 and T8 beech - crown lift to 5m and thin by 25%
14/03/2013
20130376
Churchyard, Church Road, Blofield
T1 - T15 lime and T16 beech - prune epicormic
growth and raise canopies to 5m
18/03/2013
20130378
56 Nursery Close , Acle
T3 and T5 beech - reduce crown by 5 m
1 Francis Stone Court, Saint Andrews Park ,
Thorpe St Andrew
T20 Scots pine - deadwood; remove broken branch
at approx 6m; crown lift to 4m above ground level;
tip end reduce lateral limb at 6m on south by 1m to
suitable pruning point; prune canopy on south to
give 1m clearance of ????
20130382
21
Approve
Approve
18/03/2013
20130384
Yarehill, 56 Thunder Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
T1 hornbeam - remove stem. Reduce crown by 4m
T2 pear - remove
T3 and T4 yew - raise crowns to 4 m
T5 sycamore - remove
Approve
20130386
Hawthorn House, 12 Mill Pightle, Aylsham
T1 oak - deadwood and remove ivy (exempt works).
Lift crown to 3m over garden and prune back limbs
from house by 3m (total of 15%)
18/03/2013
20130389
The Oaks, 16 Harvey Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
Tree Works - various. See application for details.
18/03/2013
20130394
The Old Stables, Mill Road, Horstead
???
19/03/2013
20130416
14 Saint Michaels Close, Aylsham
T1 Scots pine - fell
25/03/2013
20130417
The Limes, 105 Yarmouth Road, Blofield
T1, 2 and3 sycamore - thin crown by 30%
25/03/2013
20130419
Lower House , 12 White Lion Road, Coltishall
T1 oak - reduce crown by 4m
T2 and T3 beech - fell
T4 beech - remove suppressed stem from multistemmed tree
25/03/2013
20130420
46A Charles Close, Wroxham
T1 Leyland cypress - fell
25/03/2013
20130421
15 Birchwood, Thorpe St Andrew
T1 sycamore - fell
T2 sweet chestnut - reduce western crown spread to
3.8m and northern crown spread to 5m
25/03/2013
Gleneagles Tree-Felling for Ryder Cup ‘a Massacre’
HE residents of one of Scotland’s most expensive streets have accused the
owners of the luxury Gleneagles Hotel of carrying out a “chainsaw massacre” of
mature Scots pines bordering their exclusive enclave. Caledonian Crescent,
which lies close to the PGA Centenary course which is to host next year’s Ryder Cup,
is one of the premier addresses in the country where property prices average more
than £1.5 million – the highest house price for a street outside Edinburgh.
T
However, residents claim
they were left in the dark about
the hotel’s decision to fell 36
trees, some more than 100
years old, as part of the works
to prepare the course’s driving
range in time for the 2014
competition.
Maggie McCaig, who has lived in
Caledonian Crescent with her husband
James, a farmer, for 25 years, said she
was outraged at the treatment residents
had received at the hands of Gleneagles,
who had failed to inform or consult them on
their plans.
She said: “It is devastating. It’s been a
chainsaw massacre. They should be
looking after the trees for future
generations, not destroying them.
“The trees are over 100 years old and
we have a lot of red squirrels who do nest
in these trees, but they are chopping down
the entire copse. It’s unbelievable what
they are doing.”
Mrs McCaig claimed local residents had
received no warning of the tree-felling
operation. She said: “The first I knew
anything was happening was when I heard
a chainsaw. I presumed they were perhaps
taking one tree down, but when I got to the
copse there were already six trees lying on
the ground.
“We are absolutely furious. We weren’t
told and we weren’t given a chance to
object.
“They are talking about replacing the
trees with saplings, but they aren’t going to
be planted here – they are going to other
places on the estate.”
She added: “We have no objections to
the Ryder Cup coming to Gleneagles, but if
I knew this was the price we had to pay, I
wouldn’t want it here.”
Neighbour Donald Grey-Wilson, 66,
also condemned the tree-felling. He said: “I
think it’s a great, great pity. They are
mature trees. The hotel maintains they
have a felling licence and that’s all they
need legally to take these trees down.”
Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles’ head of
courses and estates, said: “To help with
drainage works, and as part of the ongoing
preparations for the Ryder Cup, we’ve
received permission from the Forestry
Commission to remove a small number of
trees from our driving range.
“There will be 36 trees in total
[removed], out of a large copse. Our
intention is to replace the trees we remove
by planting 200 pines elsewhere in the
grounds.”
He added: “We received permission
from the Forestry Commission, and the
application was out to public consultation
for one month, with no objections.”
A spokesman for Forestry Commission
Scotland said: “We issued a felling licence
for this work after satisfying ourselves that
there were no restrictions or constraints or
any other cause for concern.
“We were satisfied that no evidence
was found to indicate that there were bats
or red squirrels living in the trees. We also
consulted Historic Scotland … and
received no objection.”
Best Wishes Laura
I’m sure that you will all join me
in sending very best wishes to
Laura Draper who leaves Broadland
DC on Thursday 21 March.
Laura
has
been
covering
maternity leave for Vicky Davies
who returns to work the following
Tuesday.
Personally, I have found Laura
to be cheerful, reliable and most
helpful in her short association with
us and will miss her.
Our very best wishes for the
future Laura, wherever that may be,
and many thanks for all your help.
Broadsheet is written by John Fleetwood, Freethorpe and Wickhampton Parish Tree Warden
4 Oakhill, Brundall, NR13 5AQ.
Telephone: Home 01603 716297 Mobile 07767 222568. E-mail [email protected].
Any views expressed are not necessarily those of Broadland District Council.
All copyrights are acknowledged
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