County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Appendices

LOCAL MIXED ASHWOODSGeneral DescriptionThe upland mixed ashwoods PHT are woods on base-rich soils in the north and west, in most ofwhich ash is a major species, although locally oak, birch, elm, small-leaved lime and even hazel may bethe most abundant species. Upland in the name reflects the abundance of this type of woodland onbase-rich soils in upland Britain rather than to the altitude at which individual sites occur. Mostupland mixed ashwoods are probably ancient, but they cannot be considered as PHT if the canopy iscomposed of 50% or more site-native species of trees or shrubs. Site native trees include sycamoreAcer pseudoplatanus, a relatively common component of ashwoods in Cornwall.These local mixed ashwoods are often, generally speaking, nothing more than sycamore invadedupland mixed ashwoods PHT. Mixed ashwoods are amongst the richest habitats for wildlife, notablefor bright displays of flowers such as bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, primrose Primula vulgaris, woodcranesbill Geranium sylvaticum and wild garlic Allium ursinum. In a county such as Cornwall, thesewoodlands are especially valuable, particularly in the west of the county where woodlands of any kindare so thin on the ground.National ContextThe PHT is found throughout upland Britain and in Northern Ireland, though they are limited in thenorth-west Highlands. A crude estimate places the total area of upland mixed ashwoods at 67 500 ha.There is no way of knowing the total area of sycamore invaded woodlands of this kind.Cornwall ContextThere are about 1740 of upland mixed ashwoods in Cornwall. It is probable that the number of localmixed ashwoods is small., but significant – the majority of them probably being found in the west ofthe county.Area of LHT in Cornwall (ha): est 100Number of polygons: not known (nk)The habitat is: Very RareDistribution by Administrative DistrictDistrict P K CK R CN NC ΣNumber nk nk nk nk nk nk nkArea (ha)est.6 10 15 10 30 40 111Distribution by Natural AreaDistrict Pe Lz CKG BM Cu ΣNumber 0 nk nk nk nk nkArea (ha)est.0 4 90 0 17 111For this habitat we will take all areasAppendix 5 - Information Relating to Local Habitat Types.County Wildlife Sites Criteria