Woodland Strategy 11.34 Mb - the Dorset AONB

Section 7
Appendix 2 -
Description of Key Issues
52
Archaeological evidence is a major component of the historic landscape. The types of
archaeological remains found within Britain’s woods and forests (often pre-dating the
woodland) are diverse and include:
• Extant features - Earthworks, cairns, standing stones, buildings and industrial remains
• Subsurface features - Post-holes, buried soils and occupation layers
• Scatters - Including pottery, flint and other mineral
Woodland is significant in this context in that it is unploughed land, and can preserve
archaeological evidence that has often been lost in surrounding agricultural land. However,
that archaeological resource in woodland is often under-recorded, as many such records are
based on aerial survey.
The best management of a site is dependent upon many factors, all of which need to be
considered when developing management plans. The major difficulty is usually identifying
any relevant features and locating them on the ground is problematic. Every site or feature
will need some degree of management to minimise the risks of any damage. Examples of
some management issues are outlined below.
• Maintaining Tree Cover - The retention of tree cover may also be desirable for its own
historical value. For example where archaeological evidence is directly associated with
past woodland management or sites occur in areas of ancient woodlands. With sensitive
management, tree cover upon or surrounding suitable types of archaeological site could
provide long term, low cost, physical protection. To maintain tree cover whilst minimising
the risk of damage to any archaeological evidence, some form of active forest operation
such as thinning or harvesting will be required during the tree’s lifetime
• Tree removal - On some sites, there will be a need for tree removal or crown reduction.
The most frequently quoted example of removal is where mature trees are at risk from
windthrow. However, the effects of tree removal must also be considered, as it will cause
change in the surrounding environment and may have unforeseen impacts upon the
remaining archaeology.
• Site-specific management - The types of archaeology found within forests or woodlands
are very diverse and of varying degrees of importance. Similarly, the site conditions in
which they are found and the local flora and fauna also differ greatly. With such
variation, general recommendations on site management are difficult.
• New Planting – Sites containing part or all of an ancient monument, whether scheduled
or not, should not be planted on, and have a buffer of at least 20 metres. Where
planting occurs within the immediate vicinity of an ancient monument the choice of tree
species must be carefully considered. The English Woodland Grant Scheme and
Environmental Impact Regulations require consultation with archaeologists.
Woodland Economics (The role of woodlands and woodland products in the current and
future economies)
The rise in awareness and concern of the effects of global warming and the UK’s
commitment to sustainable energy and a low carbon economy means there are significant
opportunities for the revival of woodland management through reducing CO2 emissions
and the effects of global warming.
The decline in woodland management can be attributed to reduced economic value of
timber and traditional woodland products. Over the last 20 years timber prices have been in
decline and imports have increased, making the economic benefits of felling timber less and
less. During 2006 prices have risen due to international trading conditions and those
woodland owners that have continued to manage their woods and forests are now
seeing benefits of higher returns
In Dorset, coppice products such as charcoal, thatching spars and hurdles are increasingly
being imported. Very often these are inferior in both the quality of materials and the
craftsmanship, and in some instances some products are being replaced by plastic. Imports
reduce demand for home produced coppice products and contribute to both the dereliction
of coppice woodlands, loss of coppice craftsmen and ultimately impact negatively on the
condition of woodlands.
Contractors, managers and woodland owners are, and have been under pressure for a
number of years due to low timber prices, and many contractors have gone out of business
and the number of woodland/forest managers has reduced. In recent years there has been
a growing alternative outlet for cut timber in the form of woodfuel. This is still a relatively
new industry in the UK and Dorset (in 2006 there were two woodfuel installations in Dorset)
and as such the market has yet to be proven. This has caused reluctance for those involved
in woodland management to enter this market, especially as currently there is little financial
assistance to aid this diversification.
Deer and Non-native Species
With the threats to woodlands from intensive agriculture and development largely in
check, the greatest threats to woodland survival apart from climate change are deer and
non-native species. The European Strategy on Invasive Alien Species, invasive non-native
species are now considered to be the second greatest cause of global biodiversity loss after
direct habitat destruction.
In Dorset, deer (predominantly roe and sika with local herds of fallow) and grey squirrels are
by far the biggest animal threat and can have an enormous impact on floral and structural
diversity of woodland. Wild boar are increasing in West Dorset and are their impact on