COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

The euroPeaN beech
(Fagus sylvatica L.) IN GreaT brITaIN: ecoLoGIcaL
sTaTus, sILvIcuLTure aNd maNaGemeNT oF GeNeTIc
resources
absTracT
122
SCOTT MCG. WILSON
Consultant Forester and Forest Ecologist,
3 Thorngrove Crescent, Aberdeen AB15 FH, Scotland, UK
This paper presents information about the current status of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)
in Great Britain. Beech is a native species in southern parts of Great Britain where it can be found
in three natural beech woodland types (calcareous, mesotrophic and acid). Beech has also been
established in plantations throughout many parts of Great Britain over the past 400 years, and is the
third most abundant timber hardwood after oak and ash. A variety of silvicultural approaches has
been adopted in beech woodlands, although low timber prices and landscape/nature conservation
priorities in recent years have reduced the intensity of stand management. A major proportion of the
British beech resource is in old stands under low-intervention management. Important examples
of natural beech woodland are protected within designated conservation sites (equivalent to forest
reserves in Europe). A network of selected seed stands for beech is maintained throughout Great
Britain, but much beech reproductive material for forestry use has traditionally been imported from
Europe. Recently there has been renewed interest in establishing qualified sources of reproductive
material for beech (elite trees, seed orchards). The paper concludes with a review of current research
priorities for beech in Great Britain, focussing on disease, pest and climatic impacts.
Key words: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), natural distribution, woodland ecology, silviculture,
reproductive material, genetic conservation, Great Britain, forest research
PoPuLaTIoN hIsTory aNd NaTuraL dIsTrIbuTIoN
European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is normally regarded as a native tree species in southern parts
of Great Britain, including much of south-eastern and south-central England and some parts of
south-eastern Wales. This natural range lies between 50.5 and 52.5 degrees north latitude. Naturallyarising
British beechwoods are of the lowland or colline types, occurring between sea level and
300 m a. s. l. The major proportion occurs between 150 m and 300 m a. s. l. on the convex upper
slopes of hill ranges geologically formed of Cretaceous chalk (e. g. the Chilterns, North and South
Downs) or Jurassic oolitic limestone (e. g. the Cotswolds). A minor proportion occurs on acid sand
and gravel sites, found over lowland Tertiary basin deposits (e. g. New Forest, Burnham Beeches).
From palynological evidence, beech is seen to have colonized Great Britain from mainland Europe,
not later than 4,000 years B. P., at first spreading fairly slowly (Birks 1989, Rackham 2003). It may