County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Appendices

UPLAND OAKWOOD PHTGeneral DescriptionUpland oakwoods are characterised by a predominance of oak (most commonly sessile, but locallypedunculate) and birch in the canopy, with varying amounts of holly, rowan and hazel as the mainunderstorey species. The range of plants found in the ground layer varies according to the underlyingsoil type and degree of grazing from bluebell-bramble-fern communities through grass and brackendominated ones to healthy moss-dominated areas.Most oakwoods also contain areas of more alkaline soils, often along streams or towards the base ofslopes where much richer communities occur, with ash and elm in the canopy, more hazel in theunderstorey and ground plants such as dog`s mercury Mercurialis perennis, false brome Brachypodiumsylvaticum, Ramsons Allium ursinum, Enchanter’s nightshade Circaea lutetiana, and tufted hair grassDeschampsia cespitosa.The ferns, mosses and liverworts found in the most oceanic of these woods are particularly rich;many also hold very diverse lichen communities and the woods typically have a distinctive breedingbird assemblage.National ContextThere are no precise figures for the total extent of this woodland type, but it is believed to bebetween about 70 000 and 100 000 ha in the UK. It is found throughout the north and west of theUK with major concentrations in Argyll and Lochaber, Cumbria, Gwynedd, Devon and Cornwall.Related woodland does occur on the continent, particularly in the more oceanic areas but the Britishand Irish examples are recognised internationally as important because of their extent and distinctiveplant and animal communities. For some of these species Britain and Ireland hold a substantial part ofthe world/European population.Area of PHT in Cornwall (ha): 2982 (as mapped: see comments) 3.5% National TotalNumber of polygons: 516 (as mapped: see comments)The habitat is: Uncommon – Fairly commonDistribution by Administrative DistrictDistrict P K CK R CN NC ΣNumber 1 47 69 40 178 181 516Area (ha) 2 280 360 210 1050 1080 2982Distribution by Natural AreaDistrict Pe Lz CKG BM Cu ΣNumber 0 16 412 23 65 516Area (ha) 0 50 2442 120 370 2982For this habitat the threshold area is 1.5 haAppendix 4 - Information Relating to Priority Habitat TypesCounty Wildlife Sites Criteria