Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland
Habitat Description
Native woodland of ash, maple and hazel is the commonest type found in the county, chiefly on ridge and plateaux tops where extensive deposits of calcareous boulder clay have historically limited the expansion of agriculture. Calcicolous shrubs and plants such as dogwood, privet, spindle, wayfaring tree, guelder rose, dog's mercury and enchanter's nightshade are distinctive components of the these woodlands, together with bluebell and bramble. In such woods oak is often an artefact of planting, most of which was carried out in an attempt to convert coppice to High Forest. Conversion to conifer plantation, carried out slightly later, has also destroyed many native woods of this type.
Native oakwoods of the county are commonly associated with base poor soils, which occur in patches and over sandstone soils to the west. This type of wood lacks the base rich indicators found in boulder clay woods, and these freer draining soils are typically dominated by pendunculate oak, birch, hazel, bracken, bramble and yorkshire fog, with prominent displays of spring vernals such as greater stitchwort and bluebell. Smalled-leaved lime can also be locally prominent, as in the ash-maple-hazel woods.
Many subsidiary woodland habitats such as ponds, grass rides and open space are key biodiversity features and management should be tailored towards maintaining or enhancing these as part of the overall woodland environment. NVC communities present are:
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W8 Fraxinus excelsior Acer campestre Mercurialis perennis (ash field maple dog's mercury) woodland. W10 Quercus robur Pteridium aquilinum Rubus fruticosus (oak - bracken - bramble) woodland. W7 Alnus glutinosa Fraxinus excelsior Lysimachia nemorum (alder ash yellow pimpernel) wodland. |
Woodland is not evenly distributed across the county but historically concentrated in three core forest areas within four Districts. To the north of the County is the Rockingham Forest stretching across the Districts of East Northamptonshire, Corby and Kettering. And to the south lies the forests of Salcey, Yardley Chase and Whittlewood, all within the District of South Northants.
Current UK Status and Trends
The area of woodland in the UK is estimated at 2.8 million hectares of which 1.1 million (40%) is in England. Since 1900 the overall area of forest cover has steadily increased from a low of 5% to 11.7%, although the UK still remains one of the least wooded countries in Europe.
Estimated Current Northants Resource
5.2% of Northamptonshire is woodland, of which 3% is broadleaved and 2.2% coniferous, mixed, scrub or newly planted.
Progress Towards BAP Targets 2002-2007
Unknown
Lead Partner
Forestry Commission
Main Issues and Threats
General Strategy
Associated National Priority Species
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Specific Management Required for Associated Species
Species |
Northamptonshire Status |
Management Prescriptions |
Key Sites |
Adder |
Unknown |
Maintain sunny areas in woodland habitats. |
Kingscliffe Disused Railway Line, Fineshade Wood. |
Barbastelle bat |
Unknown |
Retention of mature and hollow trees, prevent fragmentation of ancient woodland, protect roosts in buildings. |
Roost in building in Croughton. |
Dormouse |
Very rare |
Requires actively managed hazel coppice. |
Westhay Wood, Hazelborough |
Fly orchid |
Rare |
Preserve open woodland on calcareous soil and prevent scrub encroachment. |
Wakerley Woods, Collyweston, Easton Hornstocks. |
Tree pipit |
Rare but breeding |
Clearings needed within woodlands. |
Fineshade Wood |
White admiral |
Local |
Suitable ride management. |
Salcey Forest |
White helleborine |
Very rare |
Woodlands on calcareous soil. |
Woodford Shrubbery, Ashton Wold |
White-letter hairstreak |
Frequent |
Woods and wood edges with elm. |
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Willow tit |
Breeding |
Maintain standing deadwood, particularly rotting stumps of willow, birch, and alder. Scrub required nearby. |
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Wood white |
Restricted |
Recently opened clearings such as rides and glades. Food plants are vetches and bird's-foot-trefoils. |
Salcey Forest, Hazelborough |
Yellow bird's-nest |
Rare |
Beech and pine woods. |
Apethorpe Woods, Wakerley Woods |
Targets
Target Code |
Target Type |
Target Description |
Target Units |
Northants Baseline Resource |
Target |
By |
Unit Cost £ |
Total Cost £ |
NOR_LMW_T1 |
Maintain Extent |
Maintain the current extent of at least LWS-standard native secondary woodland. |
Hectares |
7200 |
No Loss |
2015 |
75/ha/yr |
540,000/yr |
NOR_LMW_T2 |
Maintain Extent |
Maintain the current extent of at least LWS-standard ancient semi-natural woodland. |
Hectares |
4000 |
No Loss |
2015 |
75/ha/yr |
300,000/yr |
NOR_LMW_T3 |
Achieving Condition |
Achieve LWS condition of 635 ha of native broadleaved woodland by 2015 (1% per year). |
Hectares |
8800 |
9435 |
2015 |
75/ha/yr |
47,625/yr (if mgmt from yr 1) |
NOR_LMW_T4 |
Restoration |
Restore 120 ha of non-native plantations on ancient semi-natural woodland sites to native woodland by 2015. |
Hectares |
0 |
120 |
2015 |
300/ha + 75/ha/yr |
36,000 initial + 9,000/yr |
NOR_LMW_T5 |
Expansion |
Increase the extent of Native Woodland by 240 ha by 2015 through a combination of converting (restocking) existing plantations and creating native woodland on ex-agricultural land. |
Hectares |
0 |
240 |
2015 |
3,375/ha + 900/ha/yr for 3 years then 200/ha/yr for 7 yrs |
810,000 initial + 984,000 over 10 yrs. |
Actions
Action Code |
Action Description |
Lead Partner |
Support Partner(s) |
Related Target |
NOR_LMW_CA_A1 |
Initiate active management on woodland LWS including the creation and maintenance of associated features such as glades and rides. |
Northamptonshire Biodiversity Partnership |
The Forestry Commission |
NOR_LMW_T1 |
NOR_LMW_CA_A2 |
Prevent the loss of ancient woodland to development or other land uses. |
Local Authorities |
Woodland Trust |
NOR_LMW_T2 |
NOR_LMW_HS_A3 |
Retain existing veteran trees and identify and protect veteran trees of the future. |
Woodland Trust |
The Forestry Commission |
NOR_LMW_T2 |
NOR_LMW_SU_A4 |
Identify and survey woodland identified as Potential Wildlife Sites and provide management advice to landowners. |
Northamptonshire Biodiversity Partnership |
The Wildlife Trust |
NOR_LMW_T3 |
NOR_LMW_CA_A5 |
Promote the use of sustainable management practices such as coppicing by actively targeting woodland owners in Northamptonshire and providing training and advice. |
The Forestry Commission |
Royal Forestry Society |
NOR_LMW_T3 |
NOR_LMW_CA_A6 |
Promote the use of woodfuel from native woodland as a sustainable source of heat and power generation and provide advice and support to landowners to establish supply chains that facilitate sustainable woodland management (in line with "A Woodfuel Strategy for England", Forestry Commission, 2007). |
The Forestry Commission |
Woodland Trust |
NOR_LMW_T1& T2 & T3 |
NOR_LMW_CA_A7 |
Identify the location of plantations on privately owned ancient woodland sites and provide advice to landowners about grant schemes available for conversion to semi-natural woodland. |
The Forestry Commission |
The Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust |
NOR_LMW_T4 |
NOR_LMW_HC_A8 |
Restore non-native plantations on ancient woodland sites on Forestry Commission owned or managed land. Target areas where there is potential connectivity to ancient and semi-natural woodlands. |
The Forestry Commission |
Woodland Trust |
NOR_MNW_T4 |
NOR_LMW_HC_A9 |
Identify target areas where woodland connectivity can be enhanced and ancient woodlands buffered, and promote the creation of 240 ha of native woodland on these sites through grant-funded natural regeneration or planting of native species. |
The Forestry Commission |
The Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust |
NOR_LMW_T5 |