Ancient woodlands - places of huge ecological diversity
This is High Wood, an ”ancient replanted woodland”. This means the woodland has been here since at least the year 1600 but the trees have all been replaced with non-native conifers. Protect Earth are restoring this woodland to its former glory.
Trees are pretty cool. We at Protect Earth think so and are willing to bet that as you’re reading this, you think so, too.
One thing that makes trees so cool is their ability to last. Leave them to it, and trees can live for hundreds of years - some species, even thousands!
Trees that live so long are known as ancient trees, and may be found in fields standing tall and proud, or in ancient woodlands. Ancient woodlands are really important as through the millennia that they have existed, they have developed a diversity of life that can only come about through time.
Let’s dive deeper into these woodlands to understand them a little more.
What are ancient woodlands?
In the UK, ancient woodlands are defined as woodlands that have existed continuously since 1600 or before.
Before 1600, we don’t think people planted trees. Any woodlands and trees classified as ancient (i.e. pre-1600) are likely to have developed naturally.
There are two sad facts concerning ancient woodlands. The first is that, in the UK, ancient woodland coverage is very low. It makes up just 2.5% of land in the UK. The second fact is that the UK has more ancient woodland coverage than other European countries.
What is an ancient tree?
You didn’t think we were finished with the definitions, did you? No, no, no.
Trees that make up ancient woodlands (or have been ostracised by the march of time and their inability to march to go hang out with other trees) show their forms of ageing and are classified based on their ageing.
The question of what an ancient tree becomes a little bit of a “how long is a piece of string” question. What’s ancient depends on the tree’s species. Some trees can live for 1,000 years and more. Some can’t.
However, a tree is considered ancient if it is:
In the third or final stage of its life (this stage can go on for decades or centuries).
Old relative to others of the same species.
Interesting biologically, aesthetically, or culturally because of its great age.
The next classification for a tree is a veteran tree. Trees qualify as veterans when they have developed some features found on ancient trees. Veteran trees are usually only in their second stage of life.
What makes ancient woodlands unique?
This is an easy answer - ancient woodlands are unique because they’re so old! Imagine the stories that ancient woodlands and trees could tell!
Ancient woodlands support a rich tapestry of plants and wildlife. An analogy to help understand how that rich tapestry has developed - imagine you’ve just moved into a new house. Everything seems to have its place, and everything is clean. Then, look ahead ten years - your home, loft, and garage have no more space, and you have to sift through all the stuff you just can’t believe you’ve collected. Well, ancient woodlands are the same - after all their time, they have much more stuff than newer woodlands. Except, it’s valuable stuff that supports a vast and deep ecosystem that can only come to exist through time. We’ll talk about the neighbourhood diversity found in these woodlands a little later on.
Types of ancient woodlands
Uniformity and singularity. How boring! Even woodlands think the same. So, there are two different types of ancient woodlands.
The first is ancient semi-natural woods. As implied, they are woodlands that have mainly developed naturally. There usually has been human intervention along the lines of timber management. The critical element is that these woodlands have been continuous for the last 400 years or more.
The second type of ancient woodlands are plantations on ancient woodland sites. These are sites where the ancient trees have been felled and replaced. Typically, the trees are replaced with conifers. Plantations can also feature broadleaf species such as non-native beech, red oak, and sweet chestnut. For these plantations, they still qualify as ancient woodlands because of the remnants they retain leftover from the ancient trees before them - the complex soils and specialist species.
Why do ancient woodlands matter?
Going back to what makes these forests unique, they matter because of the diversity of life they support. Ancient woodlands are often described as an irreplaceable resource.
Centuries of undisturbed soils and accumulated decaying wood have created the perfect place for communities of fungi, insects, arachnids, snails, and a wide variety of plants.
Ancient woodlands haven’t exactly lived in total isolation. Many have seen humans with human activities from across the centuries recorded in the soils, trails, walls, and trees.
Where can I find ancient woodlands in the UK?
Since the 80s, ancient woodlands larger than 2 hectares (or 5 acres) have been recorded in the Ancient Tree Inventory. It has grown to include ancient woodlands in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. If wanting to understand more about these woodlands, including where they are, it’s an excellent place to start.
Not all ancient woodlands have been mapped and are included in the inventory, though!
Identifying an ancient woodland is done in several ways. Maps from the 1600s onwards became pretty reliable and accurate. These woodlands can be identified by following the path through historical maps. If a woodland has been included continuously for 400 years on a map, it is ancient.
Other clues are present in the woodlands themselves. These would be indicator plants and animals - those elements that exist only because of the symbiotic relationship developed through centuries of being woodsmates. Lichens and slugs and snails.
What can be found in ancient woodland?
Ancient woodlands have been around so long that they are cluttered with unique and complex communities of plants, fungi, insects, and other microorganisms.
The following lists rattle through the plants and animals in ancient woodlands.
Plants found in ancient woodlands
Bluebell
Wood anemone
Primrose
Lichens
Lily-of-the-valley
Wild garlic
Dog’s mercury
Red campion
Barnacle lichen
Lungwort lichens
Guelder rose
Lime
Spindle
Fern (Scaley male fern, hard fern, hart’s tongue fern)
Hazel gloves fungus
Pendulous Sedge
Insects found in ancient woodlands
Lemon slug
Violet click beetle
Molluscs (slugs and snails)
Conclusion
Ancient woodlands are tremendously valuable with fragile, non-reproducible ecosystems.
They have a diversity of life and a richness not seen in other woodlands. They also carry the stories of human development through the centuries.
The UK only has 2.5% of ancient woodland coverage. It’s vital to preserve these very important areas and look to create the conditions needed to enable other woodlands to mature into ecosystems as diverse as these.
Sources
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/ancient-woodland/
https://www.ancienttreeforum.org.uk/ancient-trees/ancient-tree-ecology-wildlife/fungi/