This is a quick look at wildlife value of coppice in a Dorset Ancient woodland. I shot this a month ago. The coppice and the trees are in full leaf now, so you couldn't get this view if I were to re-shoot and the bluebells are over. Listen to the bird song. As well as 'How is the coppice doing?' we look at other aspects of coppice and its biodiversity value and why I think it needs more support than is available at the moment. I took some time to think about this because I got 'political' about 2/3 of the way through, which I don't like to do. This channel is about information, not my opinions, but I am going to post 'as is', grumpiness and everything. Comments, as usual are welcome. I hope my subscribers (thank you all, over 750 of you now) can take me having a grump!
I have now cut six cants (areas) of 50 year derelict hazel in this Dorset ancient woodland. The stems I cut were just over 50 years old but the stools (multi-stemmed trees) are much, much older. Hazel coppice has been cut and re-cut every 7 years for centuries, only declining after World War 2. The biodiversity value of coppice habitat compared with recent secondary woodland or recent tree planting is huge. Partly due to the woodland being here for a long time (old, stable habitats tend to accumulate species) and partly due to areas being cut and re-cut in the expectation that it will re-grow, keeping small scale structural and age diversity high. The dense young coppice re-growth is rich wildlife habitat. All the cants are at different stages of re-growth, so this structural diversity adds to habitat diversity and therefore to habitat richness because different resources (coppice, ground flora, tree seedlings, sunning spots for slow worms) are present at different growth stages. And the dead hedges have their own value and are at different decomposition stages. And then you have habitat value of the oaks and other canopy trees - like holes for bird nesting.
The 'bluebell cycle' is how bluebells (and other coppice specialist flowers) respond to a 7-year cutting cycle. Simply put, they show well in derelict coppice, coming in early before the canopy leafs out, flowering and setting seed and building up the reserves to bring the seeds to maturity as light levels fall. Cut the coppice and they 'flush' in the high light levels and low levels of competition from other herb layer species. They do well in year 2 as the herb layer grows up and diversifies with 'non-woodland' species. Then as time goes on and the hazel starts to form a canopy, they flower less, but tick over 'in the green' every year and the flowers that do form are hidden in dense cover. Re-cut in year 7 and the bluebells, in waiting, flush again and are more visible anyway. If deer browsing is high, this cycle can become disrupted. Other factors can change it too.
This woodland has survived because hazel coppice was valuable. Still is, when in good condition (what is called 'in-cycle'). 'Commercially valuable' coppice can be excellent for wildlife, whereas woodland managed for wildlife as a primary objective can actually be less valuable, particularly if the coppice regrowth is poor due to overshading or the deer population is high and allowed free access. in-cycle coppice can provide a return for the owner, whilst 'conservation coppice' usually is a net drain on financial resources. A wood that pays is a wood that stays. Overstood, derelict, overshaded or deer-damaged coppice is common, but in-cycle coppice in saleable condition is rare.
We look at some aspects of this as well as considering replacement of some of the oak standards with 'inheritor' trees that start as natural regeneration from seedlings, grow into saplings during the hazel coppice cycle and then are selected (right tree, right form, right spacing in the coppice) as 'waivers' with the potential to be standards to replace those felled as part of their own cropping cycle.
For how to manage oak standards in hazel coppice-with-standards: • Explaining Oak Standards in Hazel Coppice.
Four years of hazel coppice from up a tree: • Four years of coppicing of derelict hazel ...
Effect of deer on natural regeneration (of oak): • Natural oak regeneration and standards in ...
Deer browsing, why I do dead hedging: • GOPR3814 Deer browsing - why I do dead hed...
View of the 2-year cant before it was cut: • Deer Kill Hazel Coppice - The Real Story 2...
Coppice and carbon capture: • Coppice and carbon capture: Overstood Haze...
Trees do not sequester carbon: there's a vid on that on the channel too......
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